Mini iced Bakewell Tarts

Updated 5 June 2026 by Judith

Mini iced Bakewell tarts combine crisp, buttery pastry, red fruits, almond frangipane and icing to produce this British classic. They are simple to make and are perfect for afternoon tea, picnics or dessert.

Traditional Bakewell tarts have a layer of raspberry jam, but in this recipe I have used red fruits in place of jam for a stronger fruit flavour. I also find that jam can soak in to the frangipane mixture but crushed whole fruits hold together better to produce a more luxurious tart.

Why you'll love this recipe

• It uses a crisp, buttery sweet shortcrust pastry.
• They are filled with red fruits for maximum flavour.
• Freezer friendly.
• Perfect for sharing.

You may also like to try some of my other frangipane recipes including cherry Bakewell tart, almond slices, pear frangipane tart, pistachio frangipane, cherry and almond traybake, frangipane mince pies or raspberry frangipane.

Take a look at some other English baking recipes including this tangy lemon drizzle cake, honey brandy snaps, Eccles cakes, rock cakes, jam filled scones, fruit bread, oaty fruit crumble and baked apples.

While I have made these tarts using sweet shortcrust pastry, you could use this recipe for sweet pastry without eggs or sweet almond pastry.

Ingredients for the pastry (pâte sucrée)

• Plain flour - also known as all purpose flour plus a little extra flour for rolling out. 
• Chilled butter - you can use either salted or unsalted butter.
• Icing sugar (powdered sugar) - to add a slight sweetness to the pastry. 
• Egg - to help to bind the pastry and add texture. 
• Vanilla extract - or you could substitute vanilla essence but make sure you use a good quality brand. 
• Water - use water only if your pastry is too dry and add a little at a time.

Ingredients for the frangipane and filling

• Softened butter - softened butter is easier to mix.
• Caster sugar - lighter than granulated sugar and will give better results.
• Egg
• Ground almonds - not almond flour.
• Almond essence
• Red fruits - such as raspberries, cherries or mixed fruits either fresh or previously frozen. Or you could substitute raspberry jam or cherry jam.
• Icing sugar - to decorate.
• Water - use just enough to prepare a thick icing.
• Optional - red food colouring. Use either store bought food colouring or substitute about 2 tablespoons beetroot juice.

Make the pastry

Using a food processor - weigh the flour, chilled butter and sugar into a food processor and pulse. Add water a little at a time and pulse again. Add more water if necessary and pulse again until you have added enough water to bind the pastry dough.

Without using a food processor - weigh the flour, butter and sugar into a large bowl and rub in using your fingers until it resembles crumbs. Add water a little at a time, stirring regularly until you have added enough water to bind the pastry dough.

Leave pastry to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured board.

Use a pastry cutter to cut into circles and use the circles to line a tart tin.

Make the frangipane

Mix the softened butter and caster sugar.

Add the egg, ground almonds and almond essence and beat

Assemble

Crush the fruit and place some in the base of each tart shell.

Spread the frangipane over the fruit.

Bake

Bake at 190℃, 375℉, gas mark 5 until slightly golden and firm to the touch (around 15 minutes).

Leave to cool and then decorate.

Decorate

Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl. Add water to a little at a time until you have icing which is the right consistency to spread over the tarts and then decorate your mini Bakewell tarts.

Alternative decoration ideas

• Cover with red and white icing as shown in the photos.
• Decorate with plain white icing and add a glacé cherry to each tart.
• Omit the icing and sieve icing sugar over the tarts.
• Sprinkle a few flaked almonds over the top of each tart before baking instead of topping with icing.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Pastry shrunk - leave pastry to rest for at least 30 minutes to avoid risk of shrinkage.
• Fruit bubbled out - too much fruit used. Do not overfill.
• Icing too runny - too much water added to the icing sugar. Add more icing sugar to thicken it.
• Icing too stiff to spread - not enough water. Add more water to the icing sugar until it is a spreadable consistency.
• Soggy pastry - this sometimes happens if the tarts are filled too long before baking. Fill the pastry cases immediately before baking to avoid this issue.

How to serve

• Iced Bakewell tarts are most often eaten cold, but can be reheated and served warm.
• Serve on their own or with double cream or custard.

Storage instructions

• Mini iced Bakewell tarts can be stored in an airtight container where they will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days. 
• They can also be frozen. Defrost at room temperature and then store in an airtight container.

FAQ

Other frangipane recipes