Description
A cozy fall dessert featuring ripe pears baked under a warm, spiced oat topping that is crunchy and buttery. Perfect for family gatherings and easy to make with pantry staples.
Ingredients
- 5–6 medium pears (about 2 pounds / 900g), ripe but firm (Bartlett or Bosc recommended)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (90g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g), cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (60g)
Instructions
- Peel (optional), core, and slice pears into roughly ½-inch thick pieces.
- Toss pear slices in a large bowl with lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Add cold, cubed butter and vanilla extract to the oat mixture.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, two forks, or fingers until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized butter pieces.
- If using nuts, stir them into the oat topping now.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pour the pear mixture evenly into a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) baking dish.
- Sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the pears.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the pear filling is bubbly around the edges.
- Let the crisp cool for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow juices to thicken.
- Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
[‘Use firm pears like Bartlett or Bosc to avoid mushy texture.’, ‘Keep butter cold to achieve crumbly oat topping.’, ‘Lemon juice prevents pears from browning and balances sweetness.’, ‘Make ahead by prepping fruit and topping separately and refrigerating until baking.’, ‘Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly during baking.’, ‘Can substitute apples or add dried cranberries for variation.’, ‘For gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats and almond or gluten-free flour.’, ‘Reheat leftovers in oven to restore crispness; avoid microwave reheating.’, ‘Freezing unbaked crisp is possible for up to 2 months; thaw overnight before baking.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 80
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 3
Keywords: pear crisp, fall dessert, oat topping, spiced pear crisp, easy dessert, family-friendly dessert, autumn recipe