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This apple pear crisp with a gingerbread crumble topping is a cozy Christmas dessert made with sweet apples and juicy pears baked into a soft, bubbly filling. It’s finished with a spiced topping that tastes just like a gingerbread cookie!
If you love fruit-forward holiday desserts, you’ll also love my ginger pear crumble or my gingerbread apple snack cake!
Note: This recipe was sponsored by SuperFresh Growers on Instagram. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Why You’ll Love this Apple Pear Crisp
Gingerbread cookies are one of my all-time holiday favorites, so any excuse to sneak that flavor into a dessert… I’m taking it. The ginger crumble tastes just like a classic gingerbread cookie and pairs so well with the sweet apples and nutty pears underneath.
It’s so good served warm with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. And it’s super easy to make vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free!
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Lightly spiced, sweet, and fruity.
- Texture: A crisp, crunchy topping with a sweet fruit filling.
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Time: About 1.5 hours. Most of this is baking time!
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Some Swaps
Apples and Pears
I’m using Cosmic Crisp apples and Bosc pears in this recipe. A mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples will also work well. Bosc pears can be subbed for Anjou. Just make sure that the fruit is ripe for the best results!
Light Brown Sugar
I’m using light brown sugar in both the filling and the topping. It adds a nice caramel flavor. You can swap in dark brown sugar instead if you’d like.
Molasses
A key ingredient for the gingerbread crumble topping. Use regular unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) for the best flavor.
Gingerbread Spices
The gingerbread crumble topping is made with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove.
Vegan Butter
You’ll use vegan butter in both the crumble topping as well as the filling. Most dairy-free butter brands will work in this recipe.
All Purpose Flour & Oats
These are for the ginger crisp topping. I recommend using cornstarch to help thicken the filling. This will give the fruit a glossy appearance. You can also use all purpose flour in the filling instead of cornstarch, however it will give the fruit a cloudy appearance.
How to Make Apple Pear Crisp
Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below!
Cream the vegan butter, molasses, sugar and spices for the gingerbread crumble in a medium bowl.
Add the flour and old fashioned oats and mix to combine. Set aside. If making ahead of time, place in the fridge.
Mix the apples and pears with cinnamon, sugar, orange juice, cornstarch and melted vegan butter.
Then, transfer to a baking dish and top with the gingerbread crumble. Bake until bubbly and browned!
Serving and Storing the Apple Pear Crisp
After the apple pear crisp has baked, let it cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Then, serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.
I chose to decorate the crisp with small gingerbread cut out cookies, as well as a few sprigs of rosemary and sugared cranberries. These decorations definitely made this apple ginger crisp look extra festive!
Tips for the Best Apple Pear Crisp
- Dice the Fruit Small: To make sure the apples and pears cook through, dice them into 1/4″ or smaller pieces. Larger chunks won’t cook through and will be crunchy after baking.
- Use Ripe Pears: Be sure to use pears that feel soft near the neck for the best result. Underripe pears won’t release enough juices in the filling.
- Adjust Gingerbread Spice to Taste: If sensitive to spice, consider using 1 1/2 tsp of ground ginger in the crumble topping instead of a full 2 tsp.
More Holiday Recipes
Apple Pear Crisp with Gingerbread Crumble
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 4 ripe Bosc pears, about 3 cups or 380g
- 6 Cosmic Crisp® apples, about 7 cups or 825g
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 80g
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 4g
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 3 tbsp melted salted vegan butter, 42g
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, 24g
Gingerbread Cookie Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup softened salted vegan butter, 114g
- ½ cup light brown sugar, 100g
- 3 tbsp unsulphured molasses, 75g – like Grandma's (not blackstrap)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 5g
- 2 tsp ground ginger, 3g (use 1 ½ tsp if sensitive to spice)
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1g
- ½ tsp ground cloves, 1g
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240g
- ½ cup old fashioned oats, 40g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Peel and dice the fruit into ¼” cubes. Cutting the fruit small helps it soften evenly as it bakes. The fruit can also be sliced thin.4 ripe Bosc pears, 6 Cosmic Crisp® apples
- In a large bowl, combine the diced fruit and all the filling ingredients. Toss until the pears and apples are evenly coated.⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp orange juice, 3 tbsp melted salted vegan butter, 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 12” round baking dish or a 9×13” rectangular pan.
- Make the gingerbread crumble. Cream the butter, sugar, molasses and spices together in a medium sized bowl.½ cup softened salted vegan butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, 3 tbsp unsulphured molasses, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground cloves
- Add the flour and oats. Then use a pastry cutter or electric hand mixer to mix the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbled with a few large chunks. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup old fashioned oats
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe notes
- Dice the Fruit Small: To make sure the apples and pears cook through, dice them into 1/4″ or smaller pieces. Larger chunks won’t cook through and will be crunchy after baking.
- Use Ripe Pears: Be sure to use pears that feel soft near the neck for the best result. Underripe pears won’t release enough juices in the filling.
- Adjust Gingerbread Spice to Taste: If sensitive to spice, consider using 1 1/2 tsp of ground ginger in the crumble topping instead of a full 2 tsp.
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Categories:
Baked Goods, Christmas, Pies, Crisps & More, Seasonal, Vegan Dessert Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Winter,
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