Mini Bakewell tarts in the air fryer are my way of getting the British almond tart from Derbyshire onto the table on an ordinary afternoon. Each little tart has a thin, crisp shortcrust base, a teaspoon of raspberry jam and a layer of soft frangipane that turns golden under a sprinkling of flaked almonds.
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The classic is named after the small town of Bakewell, and in my version I bake it as small, open tarts in muffin moulds that fit straight into the basket. You get eight tarts without heating up the big oven, and you stir the filling together while the pastry bases chill in the fridge.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Mini Bakewell tarts in the air fryer
Small tarts are made for the air fryer. The hot air circulates around each mould, so the thin pastry bakes crisp along the edges while the frangipane rises and gets a golden top. The flaked almonds toast at the same time and give a light crunch that goes well with the soft filling and the tangy raspberry jam.
I also like that everyone gets their own little tart, and that they are easy to put out on the coffee table or pack in a lunchbox.
Frangipane is not marzipan
The filling in a Bakewell tart is frangipane: butter, sugar, egg and ground almonds stirred together into a soft, spreadable mixture. In the air fryer it rises slightly and turns moist and cake-like. Marzipan is firmer and gives a heavy, dense filling, so it cannot be used instead. The tarts are also open, with the frangipane and the flaked almonds on top, which sets them apart from closed almond cakes such as the Dutch gevulde koeken, where the almond filling is hidden inside the dough.
My kitchen test of Mini Bakewell tarts
I baked the tarts in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where the heat comes from both above and below in the single basket. It makes a difference with exactly this kind of bake: the pastry also bakes from the bottom while the surface browns. At 160 °C the frangipane was golden and set after 18 minutes, and the edge of the pastry was light brown. Halfway through I checked on them without shaking the basket, because the flaked almonds take on colour quickly.
At the end I always do the toothpick test: if the toothpick comes out clean from the centre, the filling is baked through; if not, the tarts get 1-2 more minutes at 160 °C. In total the recipe takes 73 minutes, but for 30 of those the pastry bases are simply resting in the fridge, and the preparation itself takes 25 minutes. If your air fryer is smaller, you bake the eight tarts in two batches.
Roll the dough out thinly, and leave it in the fridge until just before baking. Cold dough keeps the edges up and bakes crisp instead of tough.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is a pastry base that is too thick, too warm or overworked. It turns tough and can slide down into the mould, so bring the dough together quickly, roll it out to 2-3 mm, and give the lined moulds half an hour in the fridge. The second is filling the moulds all the way up. The frangipane rises during baking and runs over the edge, so only fill the pastry bases halfway, and spread the jam in a thin layer, using about a teaspoon in each. The third is shaking the basket out of pure habit. The small moulds can tip over and the soft filling shifts, so leave them alone and check on them halfway through instead. If the flaked almonds get too dark, turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the rest of the time.
How to serve Mini Bakewell tarts
The tarts taste best warm or at room temperature and are perfectly good on their own. If you want to dress them up a little, try:
- A dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche
- Vanilla custard, preferably warm
- A light dusting of icing sugar just before serving
- Fresh raspberries on the side
- A cup of tea or your afternoon coffee
Variation with cherries
The raspberry jam can be swapped for cherry or apricot jam. If you want to make a Cherry Bakewell, leave out the flaked almonds and decorate the cooled tarts with white icing and half a glacé cherry instead.
Storage and reheating
Let the tarts cool in the moulds for 10 minutes, and then lift them onto a wire rack until they are completely cold. In an airtight container they keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want them warm again, give them 2-3 minutes in the air fryer at 150 °C, or enjoy them as they are. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed in the fridge overnight.
Mini Bakewell tarts show that the air fryer handles baked goods well too. With cold, thin pastry, a modest layer of jam and moulds that are only half full, you get small British tarts with a crisp edge and a moist almond filling.
FAQ
No, marzipan is too firm and gives the tarts a heavy, dense filling. Frangipane is a soft almond mixture that rises lightly and stays moist.
Yes, muffin moulds in both silicone and metal work, as long as they fit in the basket. Metal moulds should be greased lightly before you line them with pastry.
The frangipane should be golden and set, and the edge of the pastry light brown. Insert a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out clean, they are baked through; if not, give them 1-2 more minutes at 160 °C.
Recipe
Mini Bakewell tarts in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 8 Muffin pans - silicone or metal, to fit in the basket
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 2 Bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 2 Parchment paper - sheets for rolling out
- 1 Round cutter - about 10 cm
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Toothpick
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
How to make it
Shortcrust pastry
- Add 75 g butter, cut into small cubes, and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
- Add 1 pcs egg yolk and 1 tbsp water, and bring the dough together quickly with your hands. Knead it as little as possible so the pastry turns out crisp and not tough. If it is too dry to hold together, add a few more drops of water.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper into a thin sheet 2-3 mm thick. Cut out 8 round bases, about 10 cm in diameter, with a round cutter or a glass. Gather the scraps and roll them out again as needed.
- Line 8 muffin moulds with the pastry rounds, and press the dough gently into the base and sides so it covers the whole mould.
- Place the lined moulds in the fridge for 30 minutes so the pastry is completely cold when it goes into the air fryer. That way the edges hold their shape during baking. Make the frangipane in the meantime.
Frangipane
- Beat 75 g butter and 75 g sugar until pale and fluffy with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 pcs egg, and beat until it is fully incorporated into the butter mixture.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Take the moulds out of the fridge and divide 3 tbsp raspberry jam between the pastry bases, about 1 tsp in each. Spread it out into a thin layer.
- Spread the frangipane over the jam, and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Only fill the pastry bases halfway, as the frangipane rises during baking.
- Sprinkle 25 g flaked almonds over the tops of the tarts.
- Place the moulds in the basket with a little space between them, and bake the tarts at 160 °C for 16-18 minutes, until the frangipane is golden and set and the edge of the pastry is light brown. Do not shake the basket, but check on the tarts halfway through: if the flaked almonds are getting too dark, turn the temperature down to 150 °C for the rest of the time. If there is not room for all 8 at once, bake them in two batches.
- Insert a toothpick into the centre of a tart. If it comes out clean, the frangipane is baked through. If not, bake the tarts for 1-2 more minutes at 160 °C.
Serving
- Let the tarts cool in the moulds for 10 minutes so the pastry firms up, and then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Serve the tarts warm or at room temperature, preferably with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche.
Our notes for the recipe
Keep the pastry thin and cold right up until baking – a cold base holds its shape and turns crisp in the air fryer. Only fill the pastry bases halfway with frangipane, as it rises during baking. If you are using metal muffin moulds, grease them lightly before you line them with pastry. About frangipane:
Frangipane is a soft, buttery almond mixture made from butter, sugar, egg and ground almonds, which rises slightly and turns moist. It is not marzipan – do not use marzipan instead, as it gives a heavy and dense filling. Variation:
Swap the raspberry jam for cherry or apricot jam. For a Cherry Bakewell version, you can leave out the flaked almonds and instead decorate the cooled tarts with white icing and half a glacé cherry. To serve:
Serve the tarts warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, crème fraîche or vanilla custard – or with your afternoon coffee. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving. Serving size:
The recipe makes 8 small tarts, i.e. 2 per serving. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the tarts in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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