I love to think of this pear crisp recipe as a “pair crisp.” With quotation marks. Because this is a dessert for 2. Get it? Jack is sitting next to me right now shaking his head, but honestly, I love desserts that are easy to make in small portions. See, if I made a pear crisp recipe large enough to serve 4, it would still serve just the two of us. Just one more bite after one more bite, and it would all be over. We have no control, especially around sweet, cinnamon-spiced fall desserts like this one. (And pssst! If you’re serving 4, you can easily double this recipe!) If you love apple crisp as much as I do, I’m telling you, you have to try it with pears. They’re so soft and sweet that they practically melt into the crumble topping. And because (ripe) pears are so much softer than apples, this pear crisp recipe bakes in about half the time. What’s not to love about that?
Pear Crisp Recipe Ingredients
Fruit crisps are some of my favorite desserts to make at home. I love that they can just serve 2 and that they show off fresh fruit, but they’re also easy to make. In fact, I almost always have all the ingredients for this pear crisp in my pantry:
Pears! Heads up – you’re going to want to get these guys in advance. I don’t know about you, but whenever I head to the store for pears, they’re always rock hard. You want soft, ripe pears for this recipe, so buy them a few days ahead of time and let them ripen on your counter. Use whatever kind you like best – Bosc, D’Anjou, or Bartlett pears would all be great. Whole rolled oats – They add delicious homey texture to the crumble topping. Walnuts – What’s a crumble topping without crunchy, toasty nuts? I love the combination of pears and walnuts in the fall. Flour – I use homemade oat flour or almond flour to make this recipe gluten-free! Store bought oat or almond flour would work here too. Brown sugar – It sweetens the nutty crumble topping. Cinnamon and nutmeg – For warm, spiced fall flavor. Coconut oil – For richness. Because I don’t use butter here, this pear crisp recipe is both vegan and dairy-free! And sea salt – Don’t skip it! It makes all the sweet, warm, and nutty flavors pop.
Oh, and another reason I love this recipe – it’s great to make ahead! Toss together the oats, walnuts, flour, sugar, and spices in advance. When you’re ready to bake, mix in the coconut oil and dice the pears. Layer them into a baking dish, sprinkle on the topping, and bake! Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
More Favorite Fall Dessert Recipes
If you love this pear crisp recipe, try one of these fall desserts next:
Apple Crumble Apple Cake Pumpkin Bread Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Perfect Oatmeal Cookies Pumpkin Bars Best Pumpkin Pie Or any of these 25 Super Fun Baking Recipes!
