Pear Crisp
This pear crisp is the perfect fall dessert – incredibly quick and easy, not too sweet, and full of juicy, ripe pears.
When it comes to fall baking, I typically see the Big Three over and over again – pumpkin, apples and maple flavoring. I’m just as guilty, as those are probably my favorite fall ingredients, but that means we’re omitting a huge fall food – pears! I absolutely love pears, but they’re just not the first thing that pops into my head when I start brainstorming baking projects.
I’m breaking my pear silence with this incredible pear crisp, which is so easy to throw together and such a wonderfully simple dessert that it’s a must for your fall baking to-do list!
This dessert really could not be any simpler, which means that all of that ripe, juicy pear flavor comes shining through. The pears are tossed with a small amount of sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, then topped with an oat-studded crisp topping.
The resulting pear crisp is unassumingly fantastic. When I made it, I didn’t think it would be “special” enough, but was pleasantly surprised when my husband and in-laws sung its praises over and over again. They loved that it wasn’t too terribly sweet and had a wonderful, fresh flavor.
If you’ve been neglecting pears during your fall baking, be sure to add this pear crisp to your recipe rotation this year. It’s easy and produces a spectacular dessert to cap off any meal. Top it with ice cream or whipped cream and savor every bite.
One year ago: Apple Turnovers (From Scratch!)
Five years ago: Maple-Walnut Fudge
Six years ago: Football Jersey Sugar Cookies
Pear Crisp
Ingredients
For the Topping:
- ¾ cup (60.75 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) ripe pears, Bartlett or Bosc, peeled, halved, cored, each half quartered lengthwise, and each quarter cut in half crosswise
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Make the Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Set aside.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt. Add the pears and gently stir with a rubber spatula until evenly coated. Transfer the pear mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Transfer the dish to the prepared foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the topping is a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let cool until warm, about 15 minutes.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Great recipe , I will be trying your blueberry cobbler and Tiramisu recipes soon I’m sure.
bake at 425? is this accurate? try burned at 425…
This looks great! Question I have is that I have 3 very ripe pears I need to use. How many pears would I need to equal 3 lbs?
Amazing! We loved it. Had some bruised overripe pears and found this recipe and so glad I did.
Made this tonight with some “old” pears that no one wanted to eat. It was a DELICIOUS way to use up every last bit of them! We made it GF by subbing Trader Joe’s all-purpose gluten-free flour. It turned out really well. Not too sweet or overpowering, just a lovely light dessert. Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s a winner at our house!
Made this treat.. Made subs for GF and Plant based. Amazing!
I used half oats and half pecans for the topping and it was delicious. Great recipe.
I will be trying your blueberry cobbler and Tiramisu recipes soon I’m sure.
Looking very delicious and healthy. I relay like to try this and thanks for giving your precious recipes.
Wow!!! It’s a delicious recipe to sharing to us, thanks.
Thansk a lot the delicious recipe and I try hard to make the same one. If i add some extra sugar and crisp then it will be more deicous or worst.
incredible dessert after a healthy dinner it is the perfect desert to eat and easy to made not so sweet perfect match of sweet and juicy. thanks for wonderful desert
I am truly saying that that one is the finest recipe indeed very delicious also. Good to be here and to explore much stuff. I would also like to taste.
That looks really, truly delicious. I think I’m coming to live at your house ;)
Thanks for the recipe! I also love pears and we had a bumper crop this year so I have plenty in jars and now I have a great recipe for some more. Yummy!
Question — you say rimmed baking sheet but a baking dish is pictured. Also, what size? 8×8? 9×12? Bigger? Thanks!
Wow. Brain fart. Ignore my comment entirely. I see you specified size later. Sorry! :)
It says an 8 inch square dish.
Never thought about a pear crisp. This sure looks delicious. I love bartlett pears but is that the kind you recommend for this crisp? Can’t wait to make this.
Hi Char, Yes, Bartlett or Bosc would both be fine.
Also! What kind of pears do you recommend? Bartlett? Bosc?
Either Bartlett or Bosc would work perfectly.
YUM! I love crisps. They are such a crowd-pleaser and so low maintenance. How well do you think this would keep for a couple days? I know they are best warm from the oven, but do you think I could stick it in the fridge and eat some for breakfast (or lunch or dinner!) over the next few days?
I have successfully kept crips for a few days- but they do begin to get less crisp as time goes by. You can always pop it into the microwave to heat it up and if you want to be really decadent pur some cream or half and half on it for breakfast!
Hi Lisa, Definitely best fresh, but we ate it this leftover for a couple of days and it was still great!
What kind of pears would you recommend for this? Bartletts are my favorite for eating, but what about baking? I am assuming, that like apples, some are better suited for baking as they would not turn to mush but rather hold their shape even as they soften.
I am in the same boat as you . . . when I think of fall baking or cooking, I turn to apples, pumpkins, winter squash varieties, but never turn to pears. Thanks for this recipe and pear suggestion.
Bartletts are my favorite as well….also wondering if these can be used in this crisp.
I like Bartlett as well. When I buy them for baking I pick the firm ones that are not quite ripe for eating out of hand- they stand up better to baking. Try making homemade pear sauce, or and Pear butter too. Yum!
Hi Michelle, Bartlett or Bosc would both work great! (I updated the recipe above to include that info!).
This reminds me of a wonderful pie that I used to make in the fall. It was a pear pie with a crumb topping that used cheddar cheese as s an ingredient- I found the recipe in a book that was I think entitled “Pie”. I’m sure I still have the book somewhere. You have inspired me and I shall attempt to find the book and the recipe.
Mmmmmm…..yum. This looks totally amazing. I’m just starring at the screen looking at how delicious they look.
I have a question. I have a pear tree and have canned the pears (not this year as our winter last year didn’t do so well for pears this year). I was wondering if I could use my already canned pears for this or does it need to be fresh only? Thanks in advance for answering. I love your blog and follow all your posts but don’t do much commenting. I was sad to hear about Einstein, so sorry for your loss. Love your pics too. Anyway, thanks.
Hi Correna, Thanks so much for your kind words. As for the pears, I think using your canned pears would work okay. Did you already partially cook them before canning? If so, they might get a little mushy when baking, but I still think they would be okay (I’d rather have super soft fruit in baked goods anyway!).
Thank you so much for answering. When I canned them the syrup was cooked then poured over the pears. But I like soft fruit in baked goods too. I am going to try this and see, it sounds really yummy. Thanks again.
Well I have a pear tree in my backyard. And it produces about 6 bushels of pears. And then there’s this fall fest neighborhood block party where I have to bring a “Fallish dish’ whatever that may be. Bringing this for sure!
Another pear tree! You’re so lucky!
The recipe sounds delicious and great timing! I have a pear tree full of pears and was wondering just what to do with them all! Looks like I will be baking this afternoon…….
I always look to use what is seasonal. Seasonal produce is normally better, cheaper and it has travelled less. It is good to see a nicely timed recipe with simple, wholesome ingredients.
Thanks for sharing.
Ahh so jealous of your pear tree! And yes, totally agree with you about seasonal produce – I always try to shop what’s in season.