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!
Fruit crumbles are just about the simplest desserts you can make, and who doesn’t need a simple, reliable dessert recipe in their back pocket? As fall rolls around and the holidays approach, this baked pear crumble is perfect to whip up for holiday gatherings, including Thanksgiving and Christmas!
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.
And of course, with it’s perfectly-spiced pear filling, that thick, buttery crumble topping, and plenty of oats for flavor and texture, I happen to think it’s the best pear crumble around!
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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.
How to Make a Pear Crumble
Preheat your oven to 350ºF, butter a 9” pie dish, and let’s make this quick pear dessert!
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.
Serving, Storing, and Reheating
Fruit crumbles are best served warm, ideally with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you’re making the dairy-free variation of this pear crumble, my non-dairy whipped cream recipe would be a great addition.
Let any leftovers cool completely; then cover the dish with plastic wrap and store your crumble in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Individually portioned leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until warm.
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
Absolutely! For a gluten-free pear crumble, just use gluten-free all-purpose flour in the filling and topping, and certified gluten-free oats. My go-to flour brands are Cup4Cup, King Arthur Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill.
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe yet, but I believe it would freeze well. For best results, store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container. I would recommend freezing it for a maximum of 3 months.
I make my pear crumble with oats, but some people would say that this would better be categorized as a crisp recipe because of the oats. Today, the names "crumble" and "crisp" are often used interchangeably, and both refer to a dessert featuring a baked fruit filling topped with some sort of sweet crust, that sometimes includes oats.
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!
Recipe Card
Easy Pear Crumble
Juicy baked pears, brown sugar, and warm spices come together to make the most delicious fall dessert in this easy recipe. A crisp, buttery oat topping adds the perfect sweet finish!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: one 9" crumble 1x
- Category: crisps and crumbles
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Spiced Pear Filling
- 6 cups (893 grams) peeled and chopped pears (D'Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc pears work well)
- ½ cup, packed (106 grams) brown sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cups (138 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (47 grams) oat flour
- ¾ cup, packed (159 grams) brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter the bottom and sides of a 9" pie dish.
Spiced Pear Filling
- In a medium bowl, toss the pears with brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to evenly coat. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Crumble Topping
- In the same bowl used for the pears, whisk together the oats, all-purpose flour, oat flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and mix in until it evenly coats the dry ingredients; the mixture should be damp and crumbly.
- Transfer the topping to the pie dish, ensuring the pears are covered entirely. There will be a lot of topping; use it all!
- Bake crumble in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve warm, ideally with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- This recipe can also be made with apples as a 1:1 substitute for the pears.
- Use gluten-free all-purpose flour and certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free pear crumble.
- Homemade oat flour can be used, or substitute with ⅜ cup all-purpose/whole wheat flour if preferred.
- If using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the crumble topping.
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing:
- Once the crumble has cooled to room temperature, cover the pie dish with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to store. It should keep well for up to 5 days.
- Individual servings of this crumble can be reheated in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until warm.
- To freeze, transfer the crumble to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead:
- Both the filling and topping for this crumble can be prepped several hours in advance if preferred. Store in separate, airtight containers in the fridge and assemble the crumble just before baking.
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
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Sandra
We used to make these growing up. I can so remember the spicy warm flavors all connecting. Fruits of many types would do just fine! This looks so easy because it is! Why not do it tonight? :)
Heather L.
This sounds so good! I am loving all the ingredients and the built in portion control! Yummo!!
alexandra
Built in portion control ------> YES! Thanks Heather!
Jennifer Farley
This is lovely!
alexandra
Thanks Jennifer! :)
Ashley
Agreed - sometimes it's nice not to have lots of dessert hanging out in the house! Love this = I've been buying pears a lot more lately so I'm thinking this needs to happen...
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion
yummy pear crumble and with lots of healthy ingredients:) Pinned it!