Easy Pear Crumble

Juicy pears are nestled under a sweet, buttery oat topping in this quick and easy pear crumble recipe. Whip it up in just 20 minutes; then, sit back and enjoy the cozy scent of spiced pears as it fills your kitchen!

this recipe

An EASY Pear Dessert

You’ll love this recipe because…

• It only takes about 20 minutes to get in the oven. You just need one bowl!
• It’s a great way to use up a surplus of fresh pears.
• It keeps well, and can be prepped or made ahead.
• It can easily be made gluten-free and/or dairy-free if preferred.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients in this simple pear crumble recipe. Amounts are listed in the recipe card below!

Things you should know:

• I recommend using a firm pear variety, like D’Anjou, Bosc, or Bartlett pears. These tend to bake well, turning tender and juicy but not mushy, which makes them great for everything from pear muffins to a fruit crumble. For the best texture, peel your pears first! A swivel peeler makes this easy.
• You could likely replace the brown sugar in this recipe with coconut sugar or maple sugar if preferred. Either of these will contribute some of that warm, rich flavor we're looking for in a sweetener.
• A small amount of lemon juice helps brighten the flavors in the filling, and prevents the pears from turning brown.
• You’ll need some all-purpose flour for both the filling (to act as a thickener) and the crumble topping. Feel free to use a gluten-free all-purpose blend if you’d like.
• I also like to include oat flour in the crumble for a nutty twist - it pairs perfectly with the brown sugar and warm fall spices in this recipe! You can easily make oat flour at home using rolled oats. If you can't be bothered, substitute this with ⅜ cup of whole wheat flour (for a similar nutty flavor) or traditional all-purpose flour.
• I used salted butter for the crumble topping; if you’re using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt. You can also swap the butter with melted coconut oil for a dairy-free version.

First, toss all of the filling ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl - peeled and chopped pears, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Make sure the pears get evenly coated in the sugar, flour, and spices. Then, transfer the mixture to the pie dish in an even layer.

In the same mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the crumb topping - all-purpose flour, oat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and mix it in until the mixture is damp and crumbly.

Pile the crumble mixture over the top of the pears in the pie dish so that they’re completely covered. It will look like a lot of topping, but use it all! I firmly believe that a thick, crunchy oat topping is the secret to a great crumble.

Bake your crumble for about 50 minutes, or until the pear juices are bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let it cool briefly before serving.

Recipe Tips

• To make sure you pick the best pears, lightly press on the neck of each one, near the stem. If it’s slightly soft, it should be ripe!
• You could easily use apples in this recipe instead, or make a combo pear apple crumble. The fruit is an easy 1:1 swap.
• If you’d like to serve this crumble fresh from the oven but want to plan ahead, you can make both the pear filling and crumb topping several hours in advance, and store them in separate, covered containers in the fridge. Assemble them in the pie dish just before baking.
• Don’t have a pie dish? Try using a 1-quart rectangular baking dish or 9” oven-safe skillet instead. A cast iron skillet can add a great rustic vibe to a fruit crumble! If you have a set of ramekins, you could even make individual crumbles (like I do with my gooseberry crumble for two). Keep in mind that darkly-colored pans may only need about 45 minutes of baking time, while small ramekins will likely need about half the total baking time.

Pear Crumble Recipe FAQs

More Fall Desserts

Whether you’re planning for Thanksgiving or just a cozy fall night in, these are some of my favorite desserts for the season!