Pear Crumble with Oat Topping (Printable Version)

Juicy pears beneath a thick, golden crumble topping. Perfect warm with vanilla ice cream for a comforting treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pear Filling

01 - 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

→ Crumble Topping

07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
09 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced pears with lemon juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour until evenly coated. Spread the mixture in a greased 9-inch baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub with fingertips or use a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger chunks remaining.
04 - Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the pears, pressing down gently to create a thick, crunchy layer.
05 - Bake for 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pear filling is bubbling at the edges.
06 - Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together so fast you can decide to make it after dinner and still serve it warm.
  • The topping gets shatteringly crisp while the fruit turns soft and syrupy underneath.
  • You can swap the fruit based on what's ripe or what needs using up.
  • It tastes like you spent all day baking when you really just tossed things in a dish.
02 -
  • Cold butter is non negotiable, if it's too soft the topping will turn greasy instead of crumbly.
  • Don't skip the flour in the filling or you'll end up with a soggy bottom and fruit soup.
  • Let it cool for at least 10 minutes after baking so the juices thicken up properly.
03 -
  • Use your hands to rub in the butter, the heat from your fingers helps create those perfect crumbly bits.
  • For extra crunch, toss a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans into the topping before baking.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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