If you love easy fruit desserts, this old-fashioned pear bake deserves a spot on your Fall baking list. The crumble topping is quick to assemble with melted butter: just stir, sprinkle, and bake until golden and bubbly. And can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. It's such a simple recipe that you can have it on the table in 1 hour.
Pears are mellower and usually juicier than apples, so this spiced crumble can feel more refined than a classic apple crumble.
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Easy Fall bake
Pears are the underdogs at this time of year, as apples always take center stage. So I always make sure they have a spot in my kitchen.
I truly love baking with them, from a simple pear crisp to a more sophisticated upside-down cake recipe. They have a sweeter flavor and hold well to the usual warm spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, nutmeg or a classic spice mix.
This pear recipe is what I take to family gatherings when I get tired of the usual apple suspects. And people are always surprised at how good it is, as if they weren't expecting anything that good, 'since it's a pear dessert'.
But give them a warm bowl of this crumble with a scoop of ice cream and they'll come back for seconds.
And the smell in your kitchen will be fantastic. Just saying.
Desserts with crisp toppings are such favorites that we have a whole crisps and crumbles recipes category devoted to them.
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Testing Notes
Pears: When in season, you can pretty much use any pear. They have different sweetness levels and textures, so experiment until you find your favorite or a mix. Bartlett pears are the most common ones and usually available year-round.
Sugar: I like brown sugar or regular white granulated sugar. But you can use any type, like muscovado, coconut, or even powdered sugar. They all sweeten differently, so adjust the amounts a little at a time if needed.
Prepare the pears: Cut them into uniform pieces as much as possible, as this ensures even baking. I recommend slicing them about ½ inch thick so they hold their shape and don't turn mushy. The size of the pear chunks determines how soft they bake.
Butter temperature matters: You want it melted and lukewarm but still pourable, not hot. Let it cool slightly before mixing to prevent the sugars from dissolving completely.
The perfect crumble texture: After mixing in the melted butter, the mixture should hold together when squeezed but still break apart into irregular chunks. If it's too wet, add a tablespoon more flour; if too dry, drizzle in a bit more melted butter.
Ratios matter. An 8x11-inch rectangular baking dish or a 9-inch square one works perfectly. The crumble should be about 2 inches deep for the ideal pear-to-topping ratio. If using a 9x13-inch baking dish, you'll have a shallower dessert but still as delicious!
Individual portions: Use ramekins and serve each person their own dessert, like we do with this fruit cobbler.
Process steps
Pear layer
Stir all the ingredients together and spread them on the prepared dish. You can use a separate bowl or carefully mix them in the baking dish.
Drizzle the cornstarch mixture on top and stir lightly again.
Crumble topping
I like to use melted butter as I find it to be quicker, and the resulting mixture is clumpier (always a good thing if you ask me!).
It can be made ahead and refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month. Make sure to break up large clumps before using.
Baking
When the fruit filling starts to bubble up and the topping turns a golden brown, it means the juices are thickening and the crumble is baking as it should.
If it starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the dish with foil.
Serving
Serve your pear crumble warm, ideally within an hour of coming out of the oven, when the topping is at its crispiest. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollops of whipped cream make it absolutely perfect.
Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to three days and can be gently rewarmed in a low oven to restore some of the topping's crunch.
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Old Fashioned Pear Crumble (no oats)
Ingredients
Pear layer:
- 4 pounds fresh pears
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar, you can use up to double the amount if you like sweeter desserts
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, for other spices, see Notes below
- pinch of ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
For the spiced pears:
- Peel, core and slice 4 pounds fresh pears into medium slices. Transfer to an 8x11-inch ceramic or glass dish.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger. Stir lightly to mix.
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in ¼ cup water with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and lump-free. Drizzle over the spiced pears. Stir lightly again and reserve.
Make the streusel topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, ⅓ cup sugar, and ⅓ cup light brown sugar.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, to the dry ingredients and stir it with a fork or spoon into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. It should be clumpy. Cover and refrigerate if not making right away.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Assemble the dessert:
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the pears in the baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pear filling is bubbling.
- Let the pear crumble cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, on its own or with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, whipped cream, or custard.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, covered or in an airtight container.
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