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A superb Gluten-Free Frangipane is exactly the kind of recipe you need to have in your back pocket. Made from ground almonds this delicious pastry cream can be used to top simple fruit tarts or mince pies. It can also be made into a deliciously simple Frangipane tart baked into a pastry crust and sprinkled with flaked almonds.
Frangipane sounds fancy but it’s incredibly easy to make and can elevate tarts and pies to bakery level status.
What is frangipane made of?
Frangipane is a simple almond pastry cream made from ground almonds, butter, sugar and a smattering of flour.
When used to top pies and tarts it bakes up into a soft and moist cakey texture with the subtle fragrance of almonds.
It is most famous as being used as the filling in a Bakewell Tart but frangipane can be used for a variety of different bakes and will be a recipe you return to again and again.
Why is it called frangipane?
The most common theory is that it is named after an Italian 16th Century nobleman Marquis Muzio Frangipani living in Paris who used a bitter almond fragrance to perfume gloves. To take advantage of these popular gloves which were favoured among the elite bakeries in France flavoured their pastry cream with almonds and named them after the inventor of these sought after gloves.
What make this Gluten-Free Frangipane recipe so brilliant?
- It uses only 6 ingredients.
- Quick and easy - it takes 8 minutes to make – and 15 minutes resting.
- By using sweet rice flour – we lose none of the texture and taste of a regular frangipane. This ideal gluten-free flour keeps it gorgeously soft and light.
- No weird gums or ingredients – this cake holds together perfectly without the need for them.
What are the ingredients we use?
- Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Caster sugar
- Ground almonds – you can use shop bought or grind them yourself in a food processor. If you grind them yourself the almond flavour will be more pronounced and the texture of the finished frangipane more nutty.
- Sweet rice flour – this naturally gluten-free flour gives a wonderful texture to the frangipane. It is a starchy flour so means you will not need to add any xanthan gum to the mix. READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Sweet Rice Flour
- Eggs – use medium sized, free-range. If you can find them, Burford Browns give a wonderfully rich taste.
- Rum – for a really special Frangipane Tart we use rum for a lovely background flavour. This is optional though and there are numerous substitutions.
Substitutions for the rum
It depends what recipe you are using the frangipane for to how you substitute it.
- Brandy – delicious if you’re making frangipane topped mince pies.
- Amaretto – it really enhances the almond flavour and works beautifully if you’re using the frangipane for a fruity tart.
- Vanilla extract – for the alcohol free choice - you only need 1 teaspoon though. I always use Nielsen Massey.
- Almond extract – for extra almondy flavour. Delicious if you’re making Bakewell Tart. You only need ¼ teaspoon – it’s very strong.
How to make a Gluten-Free Frangipane filling
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Beat the butter with the sugar and ground almonds until mixed in.
- Add eggs in a gentle stream with the mixer running.
- Add in the sweet rice flour and continue mixing until evenly combined.
- Add the rum and give it all a final mix then put in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
- Your frangipane is ready to use!!
Shop the Recipe – Gluten-Free Sweet Rice Flour, Stand Mixer or an Electric Hand Mixer
How do you use Frangipane?
You can use frangipane to top fruit tarts. It’s ideal for making a Bakewell Tart and Frangipane Mince Pies are out of this world.
READ MORE >>> Gluten-Free Frangipane Mince Pies
You can also use it to fill all kinds of pastries like almond croissants or even baked into cakes.
FAQs
Are marzipan and frangipane the same?
No, marzipan is also made from ground almonds and sugar but it is a sweet dough (rather than a cream) and used as a traditional covering for fruit cakes or moulded into candies.
READ MORE >>> Easy Homemade Marzipan
Can you make frangipane without almonds?
Yes you can swap out the almonds for an alternative ground nut. Pistachio Frangipane is so delicious on a strawberry tart and Hazelnut Frangipane is amazing topping a chocolate tart.
Can Frangipane be frozen?
Yes, it freezes very well. Do defrost thoroughly before using.
Can you make Frangipane in advance?
Yes, you can prepare it up to 3 days in advance. It sets quite firm in the fridge though so remove it about an hour before you want to use it if it’s too firm.
More Gluten-Free recipes you’ll love!!
- The Best All-Butter Gluten-Free Pastry
- Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge
- Almond Flour Brownies
- Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones
- Best Gluten-Free Pancakes
I urge you to give this Gluten-Free Frangipane a try to make delicious tarts, cakes and pastries. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Gluten-Free Frangipane
Ingredients
- 150 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g ground almonds
- 4 tablespoons sweet rice flour
- 2 eggs - medium, lightly whisked
- 1 tablespoon rum*
Instructions
- Beat the butter until soft.
- Add the sugar and ground almonds and beat again until mixed in.
- Add eggs in a gentle stream with the mixer running. Scrape down the sides and mix in well.
- Add in the sweet rice flour and continue mixing until evenly combined.
- Finally beat in the rum (or alternative flavouring of your choice).
- Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest before using.
Notes
- Yield: 500g frangipane
- This recipe makes enough for one large tart or several mini tarts.
- You can substitute the rum for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Frangipane freezes very well. Do defrost thoroughly before using.
- You can prepare the frangipane up to 3 days in advance. It sets quite firm in the fridge though so remove it about an hour before you want to use it if it’s too firm.
Hello, how do you actually cook this? I'm just wanting a traybake. Thank you for your time.
Hi Jenny, what kind of a traybake? Will it have any other filling? Does it have a pastry base? How big is the baking tin you are using?