EASY Simple Pear Crisp Recipe (BEST Fall Dessert)

This delicious Pear Crisp recipe is easy to make with brown sugar cinnamon spiced fresh pears topped with a buttery oat brown sugar streusel. The warm fruit crisp is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! It’s a delicious fall dessert for pear season. 

Easy Pear Crisp

This old-fashioned pear crisp is a nice alternative to all the apple desserts in the fall. It’s the perfect dessert with a warm pear filling, topped with a golden brown brown sugar oat crisp topping. It is so good paired with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream which just melts into the warm fruit crisp. 

I don’t make a pear dessert often, but when I do, it’s usually this fresh pear crisp. Give it a try and see how it compares to an Apple Crisp. 

How To Make Warm Pear Crisp With Crisp Oat Topping (Printable Recipe Card)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray. 

In a large bowl, stir together the peeled and sliced pears, light brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and nutmeg until the mixture is well combined and all the pears are coated well. Evenly spread the pear mixture out into the baking pan. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, oats, light brown sugar, and baking powder. Add the cold cubed butter and use your clean hands and fingers to pinch together and mix the butter and flour together until it forms pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle it evenly over top of the pears inside the baking dish. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve the pear crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, enjoy!

How To Store Leftovers

Pear crisp should be stored in the fridge covered, or transfer portions to an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at a time until your desired temperature is reached. 

What Are Substitutions I Can Make?

• Brown Sugar – You can use either light or dark brown sugar in the recipe. The dark brown sugar will be sweeter and have a richer flavor from the added molasses. 
• All-Purpose Flour – Use unbleached all-purpose flour or bleached; I use unbleached all-purpose flour for all my baking. For a gluten-free pear crisp option, use 1:1 GF flour. However, be sure to add 2 more tablespoons of butter (so a total of 10 tablespoons butter). 
• Whole Old-Fashioned Oats – I would not recommend anything but whole old-fashioned oats for the crisp. Steel cut oats won’t soften properly in time, and quick oats will become like mush in the cooking process. 
• Salted Butter – If you only have unsalted butter on hand, simply add a pinch of salt when mixing it in, and the dish will still be good. 

How Do I Serve Pear Crisp?

Pear crisp is best served warm, fresh after baking, with a scoop of vanilla bean or vanilla ice cream on top. You could also add a caramel drizzle.

The soft yet crisp, warm dessert, paired with ice cream, brings all the comforting goodness of this ultimate cozy dessert while still being on the lighter side, avoiding overwhelming sweetness.

Pear Crisp Recipe FAQs

Can I Use Apples Instead of Pears?

Not for this recipe. You can make an Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp but you won’t be able to use this specific recipe for it. Pears have a weaker cell wall than apples and cook much quicker; in turn, the amount of moisture they release in the cooking process is different than that of apples, so you would need different amounts of the listed ingredients for apples than for pears. 

What Kind of Pear Should I Use?

There are several options to choose from.The Bosc pear has a unique flavor that intensifies when baked. It is also the firmest of the pear family and hold its shape when baked. The Anjou pear has a delicate sweetness and retains its structure when baked. Then there is the Bartlett pear which is the most common in grocery stores. Its buttery sweetness stands up to baking when they are just ripe and tender pears but not too soft.

Can I Use Canned Pears?

No I do not recommend or suggest using canned pears. They are already soft so they will likely turn into mush during the cooking process. 

What Am I Looking For When Selecting My Pears At The Store?

When you’re at the store or the orchard and picking out pears for your pear crisp, the best pear to go with are the ones that are ripe, slightly soft, but still slightly firm to the touch. They need to have just barely any give when you squeeze them and no soft spots. 

How Do I Get A Crisp Topping But Not A Too Crispy or Burnt Topping?

If your topping is not as crisp as you would like it, but the pears are done, you can put it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. This is an extremely fast process, so be very careful in doing so. However, if you find that your topping is starting to become too brown or burn, but the pears are not yet done, then you can loosely place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top to keep it from burning while the pears finish cooking. 

Can I Add Nuts To Pear Crisp?

Yes, adding some chopped nuts is a great addition and adds more crispy texture to the pear crisp. Add some chopped pecans or walnuts un with the crumble topping ingredients if wanted. 

More Family Favorite Fruit Crisps

• Easy Cherry Crisp
• Berry Crisp Dump Cake
• Peach Blueberry Crisp
• Crockpot Apple Crisp
• Peach Blueberry Crisp
• Simple Apple Crisp