Warm Pear Crumble Dessert (Printable)

Juicy spiced pears beneath a golden, buttery oat crumble topping. A comforting British classic in 55 minutes.

# 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

# How to Make It:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It rescues overripe pears and turns them into something that feels fancy without any fuss.
  • The buttery crumble topping gets so crunchy and golden you will want to make extra just to snack on.
  • You can prep it hours ahead and bake it right before serving so your house smells incredible when people walk in.
  • It is the kind of dessert that makes people lean back in their chairs and sigh happily.
02 -
  • If your butter is not cold enough, the topping will melt into a flat, greasy layer instead of staying crumbly, I keep mine in the freezer for 10 minutes before using.
  • Do not skip the flour in the pear mixture or you will end up with a puddle of syrup in the bottom of the dish instead of a lightly thickened filling.
  • The crumble is done when the top is truly golden, not just pale tan, that extra few minutes makes all the difference in texture.
03 -
  • Press a few small pockets into the crumble topping before baking so the pear juices can bubble up through and caramelize on top, it looks rustic and tastes even better.
  • Serve this with vanilla ice cream that is just starting to melt, the contrast between hot crumble and cold cream is what makes people go quiet at the table.
  • If you have any leftovers, eat them cold straight from the fridge for breakfast with yogurt, I will not judge you because I do it all the time.
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