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    You are here: Home / Crumbles and Cobblers / Pear crumble

    Pear crumble

    Published: Aug 4, 2021 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024 by Sarah Brooks

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    Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background, with text overlay, pear crumble and KCAEIC.

    This pear crumble with the classic Fall flavors of cinnamon and vanilla is the perfect winter comfort food. Serve with ice cream for an epic cozy night in!

    Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, cinnamon sticks and baking dish of crumble in the background,
    Pear crumble.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make pear crumble
    • How to serve
    • How To Store
    • Tips For Sucess and Frequently Asked Questions
    • More yummy cozy crumble recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Crumbles, or perhaps you call them crisps, are one of my favorite cozy desserts. They are easy to make, very versatile and most importantly delicious!

    So when the shelves were groaning with beautiful ripe pears this Fall I just had to turn them into a pear crisp. Pears are naturally sweet so there's not a lot of extra sugar needed in this recipe. But because the pears can release a lot of juice it's best to pre-bake them before adding the crumble topping. This will ensure your pear crisp stays crispy instead of soggy!

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Classic Fall flavors of pear, cinnamon and vanilla
    • A great way to use unripe pears
    • Delicious nutty topping with oats and almond meal
    • Make it with canned pears for an easy year-round treat

    Looking for more fabulous pear recipes? Why not try making my pear compote, pear ice cream or stewed pears. Delicious!

    Ingredients

    Pear crumble ingredients, pears, corn flour, almond meal, unsalted butter, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla essence.

    Pears:  The beauty of this recipe is it works no matter how ripe your pears are. If you have crunchy unripe pears you can cook them a little longer to soften them up. It's also great for using up really ripe pears that are on their last legs and are just about to become overripe.

    Cinnamon: some ground cinnamon pairs perfectly with these pears (see what I did there?). You could mix things up by adding some other warming spices, such as cloves, ginger or nutmeg.

    Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.

    Brown sugar: also known as light brown sugar, adds to the caramel notes of this recipe. You could use white sugar if you prefer, or experiment with dark brown sugar.

    Oats: rolled oats are best for this recipe. You could try using steel cut or quick oats, however I haven't tested the recipe with these varieties.

    Almond meal: my secret crumble topping ingredient! Using almond meal instead of flour brings a lovely light, slightly nuttyness to this crumble topping.

    Flakes almonds: to add some color and crunch to the topping. The lovely Donna made this with chopped pecans instead of almonds which would be delicious too!

    Butter: the butter mixes in with the crumble topping to help giving it that lovely crunchy topping. For a dairy-free option you could swap the butter with your preferred dairy-free spread.

    Corn flour: also known as corn starch or maize starch. It helps thicken the crumble especially when using fresh fruit that can release a lot juices when cooked. You could try replacing the corn starch with tapioca or arrowroot starch.

    How to make pear crumble

    Pre-heat your oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan-forced).

    Peel and core the pears and cut them into bite-size pieces. Add the pear pieces straight into the baking dish with the vanilla extract, cinnamon and sprinkle over the corn flour. Mix well.

    Peeling, coring and dicing pears.
    Adding vanilla extract to pears.
    Adding cinnamon to pears.
    Adding corn flour to pears.

    Bake the pears uncovered without the topping in the oven for thirty minutes or until starting to soften and the juices have started to bake off and concentrate.

    Just before the pears have finished baking make the crumble topping. Add the rolled oats, almond meal and brown sugar to a bowl and mix well. Try using a whisk to help get all the lumps out. Melt the butter in a microwave and add it to the crumble topping. Mix well.

    Adding almond meal to oats.
    Adding brown sugar to crumble topping mix.
    Adding melted butter to crumble topping mix.
    Adding crumble topping to baked pears.

    Remove the pears from the oven and give them a good stir. Add the crumble topping, leaving plenty of lumpy bits to get nice and crispy. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until golden brown.

    Crumble ready to bake with crumble topping and flaked almonds sprinkled on top.
    Baked crumble

    How to serve

    Serving of pear crumble with custard with spoon, fresh pears, cinnamon sticks, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background,
    Pear crumble with custard.

    This baked fruit crumble is best served warm from the oven. Fabulous on its own or with some of my sour cream ice cream or vanilla ice cream.

    How To Store

    This crumble is best eaten fresh from the oven. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days but the topping may start to go a little soggy over time.

    I do not recommend freezing this crumble as I find the topping can go soggy when reheating.

    Tips For Sucess and Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this crumble with unripe pears?

    Yes you can. In fact this easy pear crisp is a simple and delicious way to use those stubbornly unripe pears.

    You may need to cook the unripe pears for a little longer before adding the topping. I recommend an extra five to ten minutes to start with.

    You may also need to add a little extra sugar to make up for the lack of sweetness in your pears. Test them before baking and if they are a little tart try adding one to two tablespoons of brown sugar to the pear filling as a starting point.

    Can I make this crumble with canned pears?

    You sure can. In fact I recently retested this recipe with canned pears and it worked beautifully! Simply replace the fresh pears with 3 cans (15oz each) of sliced pears in juice.

    Drain the juice and slice into pieces - a great job for the kids as the pears a soft enough to cut with a kid-friendly butter knife. Add the extra flavoring as per the recipe card.

    No need to back the pears first as they are already cooked when canning. Simply add the crumble topping straight away and bake for about 25 mins, or until the top is golden brown.

    My crumble is really running, help!

    This can happen if you have particularly juicy pears.

    If you have not added the crumble topping:
    - Remove the crumble from the oven. Scoop out a couple of spoons of juice and pop into the fridge to cool. Once cool mix in half a tablespoon of cornflour to the juice to form a slurry, then mix into the fruit. If you add the cornflour directly to the hot fruit it will go lumpy. Turn the oven down as low as you can and bake for a further fifteen minutes or until some of the water has evaporated and the juices have thickened.

    If you already added your crumble topping
    Turn the oven down as low as you can and bake for a further fifteen minutes or until some of the water has evaporated and the juices have thickened. You can add some alfoil to the topping, leaving the edges clear to help stop the topping from over-browning

    Pear crisp in baking dish with serving spoon, fresh pears, cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods on the side.
    Pear crisp in baking dish.

    More yummy cozy crumble recipes

    Why not try making

    • Feijoa crumble
    • Apple crumble
    • Rhubarb crumble
    • Apple and plum crumble

    Why not follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes to tempt your taste buds!

    Have you made this recipe? Please leave a star rating and comment below 🙂 It helps other people find the recipe so they can share the deliciousness!

    Or if you're posting your photo on socials remember to tag Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream

    📋 Recipe

    Close up Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background.

    Pear crumble

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    This pear crumble with the classic Fall flavors of cinnamon and vanilla is the perfect winter comfort food. Serve with ice cream for an epic cozy night in!
    5 from 2 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    55 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 serves, approx.
    Calories 396 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking dish

    Ingredients

    Pear filling

    • 1.1 lbs (1kg) or about 10 small pears
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ tablespoon corn flour

    Crumble topping

    • 1 cup (100gms) rolled oats
    • 1 cup (120gms) almond meal
    • â…“ cup (75gms) brown sugar
    • ½ cup (1 stick, 115gms) unsalted butter
    • 3 tablespoons (15gms) flaked almonds (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat your oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan forced).
    • Peel, core and dice the pears. Add to the baking dish.
    • Add the cinnamon and vanilla and mix well. Add the corn flour and mix well.
    • Bake pears in the oven for 30 minutes.
    • Melt the butter in a microwave-proof bowl.
    • In a separate bowl add the rolled oats, almond meal and brown sugar. Mix well, ensuring all the lumps of brown sugar are well mixed in. Add the melted butter and stir well.
    • Stir the softened pears well and add the crumble topping, leaving plenty of lumpy bits to go nice and crispy. Sprinkle with almond flakes if using.
    • Bake for a further twenty five minutes or until crumble topping is golden brown and delicious.
    • Remove from the oven and serve with custard or a scoop of vanilla or sour cream ice cream. Delicious!

    Notes

    Pears
    Honestly this recipe works beautifully with just about any pears, from stubbornly unripe pears, to beautifully ripe pears to almost on thereway out nearly over ripe pears.  
    You can also substitute fresh pears for 3 cans (15oz each) of sliced pears in juice for a year-round treat.  
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 9gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 6mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 7gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 309IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: Pear crisp
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    Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background, with text overlay, pear crumble and KCAEIC.

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    Serving of pear crumble with custard being poured over the top, with fresh pears, cinnamon stick and crumble in baking dish in background.
    Pouring custard over pear crumble.

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    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Donna says

      March 01, 2024 at 10:12 pm

      5 stars
      I had 13 pears that would just not ripen so I was happy to find this recipe. My adaptations: I added chopped pecans to the topping rather than the almonds. It was sweet enough using less sugar, too.
      Thanks for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        March 14, 2024 at 2:58 am

        Hi Donna, You're very welcome, I'm so glad you loved it and used up all those stubbornly unripe pears! Oh pecans would also be delicious with this instead of almonds, great suggestion 🙂

        Reply
    Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background, with text overlay, pear crumble and KCAEIC.
    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream
    Ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

    Hi I’m Sarah and welcome to Keep Calm and Eat Ice-cream.

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    Serving of pear crumble with spoon, fresh pears, jug of custard and baking dish of crumble in the background, with text overlay, pear crumble and KCAEIC.

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