This easy pear crumble is packed with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger and features a sticky pear filling with a sweet, buttery, crunchy walnut topping. This recipe is vegan, dairy free and can easily be made gluten-free. Plus, enjoy it year round! It makes for a comforting sweet treat in late summer or a cozy dessert in the fall and winter.
Why You’ll Love this Pear Crumble
If you’re looking for a new take on the classic apple crumble, the pear crumble is the recipe for you! It has lots of fresh juicy pears and a crunchy walnut crumble with warm cinnamon and ginger on top. Just like my cherry apple crisp and my air fryer pear crisp recipe, this crumble is the perfect dessert for late summer and fall.
Here are a few more reasons why you’ll love this recipe:
- Warm Spices: Ground ginger, nutmeg, and ground cinnamon all add warmth and lots of flavor.
- Crunchy Walnut Twist: The crumble topping features chopped walnuts for a nice crunch.
- Vegan and Dairy-free: This recipe uses dairy-free butter which gives the filling and topping a rich texture and taste.
- Perfect for Any Season: A comforting dish for any time of year!
Ingredients
This recipe is quite simple with only 9 pantry-friendly ingredients. For the best taste and texture be sure to use pears that a ripe, but still firm. As always, you can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card below.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Filling
- Pears: 6-8 ripe yet firm pears. This is about 5 heaping cups when diced into cubes.
- Light Brown Sugar: For a golden brown color and sweetness.
- Ground Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon: Aromatic spices for warmth.
- Salt: Just a touch to help balance the sweetness.
- Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil: For buttery richness.
- Cornstarch: For thickness and to create a sticky, syrup-like filling.
Crumble Topping
- All-purpose Flour: Perfect for a crumbly texture.
- Vegan Butter: Creates the buttery crumble.
- Cinnamon and Ground Ginger: To help add flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar: For sweetness.
- Chopped Walnuts: For crunch!
The Best Pears for Baking
When it comes to choosing the best pears for this pear crumble recipe, opt for ripe but firm varieties.
Green Anjou Pears, Bosc Pears or Bartlett Pears are all fantastic choices, known for their fresh juicy taste and great baking qualities.
Make sure the pears are at room temperature before beginning. This helps create an even pear filling that cooks properly.
Substitutions
Want to make some tweaks? No worries! Here are some handy substitutions:
- Pears: Use apples for an apple and pear crumble or to make an apple crumble instead.
- Vegan Butter: Use coconut oil if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to use coconut sugar for a different sweetness. You can also use a granulated sugar free alternative.
- Oats: Sub the flour in the crumble topping for old-fashioned oats! This will technically create a pear crisp recipe, but it will be just as delicious. This will also make it gluten-free. You could also add 1/2 cup of oats to the topping to make an oat crumble.
- Oat Flour or Gluten-Free Flour: The all purpose flour can also be substituted for a different type of gluten free flour.
Helpful Equipment
- 10″ Cast Iron Skillet or Round Pie Dish
- A Medium Mixing Bowl
- Peeler & corer for the pears
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Peel and core the pears, then slice them into roughly 1/2-inch slices.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the sliced pears, brown sugar, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Pour the melted vegan butter on top. Toss until the pears are evenly coated.
STEP 3: Transfer the pear mixture to a cast iron pan or a round baking dish.
STEP 4: In another bowl, mix together the flour, vegan butter, cinnamon, ground ginger, and brown sugar for the topping.
STEP 5: Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the mixture until you have a crumbly texture. Ideally, you’ll have large chunks of crumble!
STEP 6: Spread the crumble mixture on top of the pears in an even layer.
STEP 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The pears should be bubbling and the topping should be golden brown.
STEP 8: Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of coconut cream.
Serving
Enjoy warm, with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or a dollop of coconut cream for an extra special treat. It’s great year round but would also make an amazing vegan Thanksgiving dessert.
Below are a few ideas for different toppings, filling add-ins and serving suggestions!
Toppings:
- Ice Cream: A scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream is classic, but coconut or almond-flavored ice creams also pair well.
- Whipped Cream: Coconut cream or dairy-free whipped cream would also be delicious on top.
- Caramel Sauce: Drizzle some vegan caramel sauce on top after baking for added richness.
- Fresh Berries: Add a pop of color and tartness with fresh berries on the side.
Additions to Filling:
- Mixed with Apples: Add some diced apples for an apple and pear crumble. This would make an amazing Fall dessert.
- Berries: Raspberries or blueberries for a tangy twist, perfect in summer.
- Stone Fruits: Peaches or plums can be mixed with the pears for a late summer treat.
Storage
Store any leftover pear crumble in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap. Reheat before serving for the best taste.
The crumble may get soggy in the fridge. You can bake it at 375°F, for 5-10 minutes to help re-crisp the topping.
Helpful Tips
- Choose the Right Pears: Select pears that are ripe but still firm. Bosc and Bartlett pears are an excellent choice, but feel free to experiment with other varieties.
- Cold Butter for the Crumble: Be sure that the vegan butter is cold when preparing the crumble topping. This helps create that buttery crumble texture we love.
- Adjusting Spices: Feel free to play around with the spices. If you love ginger or cinnamon more, add a bit extra to suit your personal taste.
- Baking to Perfection: Keep an eye on the pear crumble as it bakes. You want the topping to be golden brown, and the pear filling bubbling and cooked to perfection.
- Add in your favorite ingredients: Try out an apple and pear crumble for a different twist.
FAQ
Absolutely! You can use gluten-free flour or oat flour for the crumble topping.
When the pears are bubbling and the topping is golden, the pear crumble is ready to come out of the oven and is ready to serve.
Both are delicious, but there’s a subtle difference. A crumble, like this pear and ginger crumble, generally has a streusel-like topping made with flour, sugar, and butter. A crisp recipe often includes oats in the topping, resulting in a more textured finish.
More late summer and fall desserts:
Did you make this pear crumble?
⭐️ I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below! ⭐️
Easy Pear Crumble with Walnuts
This easy pear crumble is packed with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger and features a sticky pear filling with a sweet, buttery, crunchy walnut crumble. This recipe is a fun twist on a classic apple crisp. Plus, enjoy it year round- it makes for a comforting sweet treat in late summer or a cozy dessert in the fall and winter!
This recipe is vegan and dairy free. It can be easily made gluten-free by swapping the all purpose flour for oat flour or another gluten free blend.
Ingredients
Filling
- 6-8 ripe but firm pears, cut in ½-¾” cubes (about 5 heaping cups or 650g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp salted vegan butter, melted- or butter of choice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, cold- or butter of choice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Peel and core the pears, then dice them into roughly ½-inch to ¾-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine the diced pears, brown sugar, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Pour the melted vegan butter on top. Toss until the pears are evenly coated.
- Transfer the pear mixture to a greased 10” cast iron pan or round baking dish.
Make the Topping and Bake
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, cold vegan butter, cinnamon, ground ginger, and brown sugar. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour until you have a crumbly mixture with a few large chunks.
- Mix in the walnuts. Then, crumble the topping evenly over the pears.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until the pears are bubbling and the topping is golden.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm, with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Notes
- Choose the Right Pears: Select pears that are ripe but still firm. Super ripe pears may loose their shape when baked.
- Cold Butter for the Crumble: Be sure that the vegan butter is cold when preparing the crumble topping. This helps create that buttery crumble texture we love.
- Adjusting Spices: Feel free to play around with the spices. If you love ginger or cinnamon more, add a bit extra to suit your personal taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 127Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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