Comforting Pear Crumble Dessert (Printable)

Juicy spiced pears beneath a thick, golden crumble topping. A comforting British classic in under an hour.

# 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 - Set oven temperature to 375°F and allow to fully preheat.
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 and spread in an even layer.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use fingertips or a pastry cutter to work the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized chunks remaining.
04 - Distribute crumble topping evenly over the pear filling, pressing down gently to create a thick, compact layer without compressing excessively.
05 - Place in preheated oven for 35 minutes until the topping achieves a golden brown color and fruit filling begins to bubble at the edges.
06 - Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Present warm, optionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It rescues ripe pears beautifully and turns them into something special without any fuss.
  • The topping bakes up thick and crunchy, with buttery pockets that crumble perfectly on your spoon.
  • You can have it in the oven in under twenty minutes, and it makes the whole house smell like comfort.
02 -
  • Cold butter is the secret to a crumbly topping, if it softens too much while you work, pop the bowl in the fridge for five minutes.
  • Don't overwork the topping mixture, those uneven chunks are what give you the best texture once baked.
  • If your pears are very juicy, add an extra teaspoon of flour to the filling to prevent a soupy bottom.
03 -
  • Use a mix of pear varieties for more complex flavor, some sweeter, some with a bit of tartness.
  • Press the topping down gently in spots before baking so it forms thicker clusters that stay crunchy.
  • A pinch of nutmeg in the filling adds warmth without overpowering the delicate pear flavor.
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