Pear Crumble with Oats (old-fashioned crisp)
This old-fashioned pear dessert has a layer of syrupy fruit and a crisp topping with oats that's clumpy (very important!), and can be made ahead. This is another recipe saviour that can be kept refrigerated or frozen; fantastic for impromptu guests or cravings. My recipe is not overly sweet and has an excellent pear-to-crumb ratio.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Pear filling:
- 6 medium-large pears peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground ginger
- pinch of ground nutmeg
Crisp topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup rolled oats also called traditional or old-fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Make the pear filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, stir 6 medium-large pears, sliced, with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground ginger and a pinch of ground nutmeg until well combined.
- Transfer to a square 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Make the crumble topping:
- In another large mixing bowl, place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 cup rolled oats, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, and use your fingers or a fork to integrate the butter into the other ingredients, until a loose, crumbly mixture forms. Use your fingers to scatter the oat topping evenly over the pear filling. It’s fine if you don’t cover the edges completely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pear slices are tender, the juices bubble, and the topping is crispy and golden.
- Serve warm as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of vanilla custard.
Notes
Key takeaways: Success with fruit crisps is about balancing sweetness and ratios. Adjust sugar accordingly and remember that pears are sweet if ripe. Don't cut them too thin or they will soften too much (unless that's what you want). Ratios matter, so use the suggested dish sizes.
Leftovers: keep them well covered in the refrigerator for up to three days, and gently rewarm them in a low oven to restore some of the topping's crunch. Or freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to a month.
Nuts: you can add ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds to the topping (be careful not to burn them) or filling.
