Tender Pears with Golden Crumble (Printable Version)

Juicy pears with buttery oat crumble topping. Golden, crunchy, and perfect 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

# Steps:

01 - Set oven temperature to 375°F and allow to reach full temperature.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced pears with lemon juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and flour. Toss until pears are evenly coated. Transfer mixture to a greased 9-inch baking dish, spreading evenly.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and work into dry mixture using fingertips or a pastry cutter until texture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some larger pieces remaining.
04 - Distribute crumble topping evenly over pear filling. Press down gently to create a thick, compact layer.
05 - Place in preheated oven for 35 minutes until topping turns golden brown and fruit filling begins bubbling at edges.
06 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm, accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It turns out perfect even when you're distracted or multitasking, no fussy technique required.
  • The buttery crumble stays crisp on top while the pears get tender and syrupy underneath.
  • You can double the topping and freeze half for next time, because you will want next time.
02 -
  • Cold butter is non-negotiable, if it's too soft, the topping will turn greasy instead of crisp and crumbly.
  • Don't overmix the crumble, you want those big, irregular chunks that catch the heat and turn golden.
  • Let the crumble rest after baking, the filling is molten hot and needs a few minutes to set up.
03 -
  • Toss the pears with lemon juice first thing so they don't brown while you prep the topping.
  • Press the crumble down gently in a few spots before baking, it helps create those thick, crunchy clusters.
  • Bake until you see bubbles breaking through the topping, that's how you know the pears are tender and the juices have thickened.
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