This beautifully bejeweled-looking cranberry frangipane tart combines sweet, buttery almond cream and tart, juicy cranberries, all atop a toasty almond crust. Sugared cranberries add a decorative touch, and we all loved this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Each bite is so soft, so moist, and so delicious that no one will realize it’s naturally gluten free!
To be honest, my pie dishes get a lot more regular use than my tart pan, but I absolutely love a good tart recipe. And this is a good tart recipe. I don’t mean “good for a gluten-free dessert”—I mean, just plain good… just like my gluten free apple crisp.
Juicy, tangy cranberries contrast beautifully with the flavor and texture of the sweet almond crust and filling, and they add a bold pop of color, too! Festive and tasty—this cranberry tart definitely deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving pie recipes shortlist.
In addition to a tart pan (my team and I tested this cranberry frangipane tart recipe in both a 9-inch tart pan and a 10-inch tart pan, and it works in either), you’ll need a food processor for the crust, and an electric mixer for the filling. Beyond all that, this is a pretty easy gourmet-looking dessert to make!
Frangipane is most commonly used in tarts, like a classic Bakewell tart, or piped inside croissants for an extra-special pastry treat. I also love it in a galette, like this blueberry peach frangipane galette.
Notice there is no all-purpose flour: Some frangipane recipes use all-purpose flour to smooth the frangipane out. I skipped that here, so the filling stays gluten free. If desired, feel free to replace 3 Tablespoons of the almond flour with all-purpose flour.
Here’s the almond frangipane. You’ll use an electric mixer to prepare it:
Next, spread the filling into the warm pre-baked crust. A small offset spatula is helpful for this step.. LOL.
Dot them on top, and give them a very light press into the filling. It will look like polka dot pie at this point, but the frangipane rises a bit as the tart bakes, so you can see the beautiful sweet almond cream between all the fruit.
This is totally optional, but while testing this recipe, I sprinkled the cranberries with coarse sparkling sugar. I loved the extra crunch and glitz! Again, it’s optional.
Here is the cranberry frangipane tart before & after baking:
This sparkly cranberry frangipane tart is wonderful all on its own, but I recommend you try it warm with a scoop of ice cream. Yes, you can slice into it while it’s still warm! I know we all appreciate desserts that can be enjoyed right away. Reserve your patience for cheesecake and pumpkin pie. 😉
You'll have a new love for almond frangipane after 1 bite of this cranberry-bejeweled tart! Naturally gluten free, this recipe combines an almond crust with a soft almond cream filling and plenty of juicy tart cranberries. You can enjoy this dessert warm or at room temperature.