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These Gluten Free Cherry Bakewells are a classic British bake, with a buttery shortcrust pastry case, raspberry jam and frangipane, topped with thick icing and a glacé cherry. And the best thing? These Gluten Free Bakewell Tarts are actually super easy to make!
Notes On This Gluten Free Cherry Bakewells Recipe
- Simpler Than You Think! There are three parts to this recipe: the gluten free pastry, the frangipane and the icing. All three are easy to make so while this recipe looks quite long, it’s actually deceptively simple.
- Top Tip: To be time-efficient, make the pastry and chill it. While it’s chilling, preheat your oven and make the frangipane. Construct the Bakewell tarts and bake them, then cool and ice them. Simple.
- Updated for 2026: This recipe has been super popular since I first posted it in 2020, so for January 2026 I’ve given it a refresh with new photos, step-by-step images and ingredients shots, as well as an instructional video below too!
Table of Contents
- Notes On This Gluten Free Cherry Bakewells Recipe
- Don’t just take my word for it…
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Gluten Free Cherry Bakewells
- Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- You Might Also Like…
- Gluten Free Cherry Bakewell Tarts Recipe Recipe
- Reader Gallery: Gluten Free Bakewell Tarts
- More Gluten Free Afternoon Tea Recipes
Don’t just take my word for it…
Wendy shared her Bakewells on Facebook ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and said: “Made these & they turned out great.“
Kirstie also shared on my Facebook page: “Oh my God these are STILL the best thing you’ve ever taught me to make!! I’m getting a new kitchen fitted and these will be one of the first things I bake when it’s all done”
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for these gluten free Cherry Bakewell Tarts with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Plain Gluten Free Flour: A blend like FREEE is perfect. You want a plain gluten free flour blend, or in the US look for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour or all purpose flour.
- Xanthan Gum: Essential for a pastry dough you can work with.
- Caster Sugar: Or superfine sugar in the US.
- Butter: You could swap this for a hard, vegan margarine for a dairy free version.
- Egg: I use medium or large UK eggs.
- Ground Almonds: Essential for the frangipane. Note, this is different to almond flour, which will not produce the same result.
- Almond Extract
- Raspberry Jam: Swap for strawberry or cherry jam if you prefer, but raspberry jam is traditional in a Bakewell Tart.
- Icing Sugar: Or confectioner’s sugar in the US.
- Glacé Cherries: For those gorgeous pops of colour! If you don’t like cherries you can omit these, or create a feather effect with the icing instead. Full instructions for that in my Gluten Free Bakewell Tart recipe.
This Bakewell Tarts recipe uses my gluten free pastry recipe as a base, so for more detailed instructions, substitutes and top tips, you can check out that post. It goes into a lot of detail to ensure everything turns out perfect!
How to Make Gluten Free Cherry Bakewells
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this Cherry Bakewells recipe is to make.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Once cooled, these gluten free Cherry Bakewell Tarts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
TO FREEZE: Cool the Bakewell Tarts then freeze them on a board or tray. Once frozen, transfer to a bag or tub (this avoids them getting squashed or stuck together!) then defrost at room temperature whenever you fancy one!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy gluten free bakewell tarts recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
A Bakewell Tart is basically one large Cherry Bakewell – minus the cherries! Some Bakewell Tarts have an iced topping, others are topped with flaked almonds. Whereas Cherry Bakewells are smaller, individual tarts, topped with thick icing and a glacé cherry. Both equally delicious in their own right!
It’s really important to follow the exact steps and ingredients I use for your gluten free pastry. If it’s crumbly, try wetting your hands with cold water and kneading the dough to add more moisture. Rolling between clingfilm also helps with handling! Check out my gluten free pastry recipe for a lot more detailed tips and tricks.
You Might Also Like…
Gluten Free Cherry Bakewell Tarts Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 170 g gluten free plain flour, (I use FREEE)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 0.5 tbsp caster sugar
- 110 g unsalted butter, (COLD – and cubed)
- 1 egg, (I used a UK medium egg)
- 1 tsp cold water
For the filling:
- 80 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 80 g caster sugar
- 80 g ground almonds
- 1 tbsp gluten free plain flour
- 1 egg, (UK medium)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 6 tsp raspberry jam
For the icing:
- 200 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 12 glacé cherries
Instructions
To make the pastry:
- Add the flour, xanthan gum and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir to mix together. Next add the cubed butter and use your fingers and thumbs to 'rub' the mix together until it forms a breadcrumb-like consistency.
- Crack the egg into a mug and add the cold water. Whisk lightly to combine and then pour into your mixing bowl. Use a fork to 'mush' the mixture together until it starts to form together into a sticky dough.
- Use your hands to bring the dough together into a smooth ball. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes – do NOT skip this step!
To make the frangipane:
- While your pastry is chilling you can make the frangipane. Add all the ingredients (except the jam) to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until fully combined into a thick batter.
To assemble:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas 4. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Flatten the ball of pastry between your hands a little and then place between two sheets of clingfilm. Roll to around 5mm thick.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut 12 circles from the pastry and place them into a 12-hole muffin tin. You can easily re-roll the pastry if needed to get enough circles.
- Prick the bottom of each case with a fork – this will stop it 'bubbling' up during baking. Spread half a teaspoon of jam on the bottom of each pastry case.
- Fill each case around two-thirds full with the frangipane mix – around 1.5 tsp per Bakewell. Place in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until the frangipane is well-risen and golden on top. A skewer in the centre should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack before removing from the tin.
- Once the Bakewell tarts have cooled, it's time to decorate! Mix the icing sugar and cold water until it forms a thick, white paste. Smooth the icing on top of the Bakewell tarts, top with a glacé cherry and leave to set for 10-15 minutes before eating.
Video
Notes
- Storage: These Bakewell tarts will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen, though I’d recommend doing this before icing them and then ice once defrosted.
- Variations: To make one giant Bakewell Tart, check out my separate gluten free Bakewell Tart recipe. If you don’t like cherries, try feathering the icing instead using a cocktail stick – full instructions in my giant Bakewell Tart recipe for that to!
Nutrition
Reader Gallery: Gluten Free Bakewell Tarts
When I first published this recipe lots of you shared your creations – and they were so good, I thought they deserved a spot here! There are also some great ideas here for customising this Cherry Bakewells recipe, including feathered icing instead of cherries, or even turning this recipe into a giant cherry Bakewell tart!
More Gluten Free Afternoon Tea Recipes
If you like this gluten free Cherry Bakewells recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free recipes for afternoon tea too…
- Gluten Free Scones
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Gluten Free Jammy Dodgers
- Gluten Free Fairy Cakes
- Gluten Free Battenberg
- Gluten Free Victoria Sponge
Have you tried this recipe?
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Hi Sarah
Can you use a food processor for the pastry base for your Bakewell tarts?
Yep, you can indeed 🙂