Easy Pear Crisp

4.85 from 32 votes

This pear crisp recipe is an easy dessert that's perfect for fall. Try it with apples, too!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple and pear crisp, apple pear crisp, old fashioned pear crisp, pear crisp, pear crisp recipe, pear recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 456kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

6 cups peeled and sliced pears (about 6-7 medium pears) (or use a combination of apples and pears)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
Place peeled, sliced pears in a large bowl. Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Transfer pears to the prepared baking dish.
In a separate bowl, use a fork (or your fingers) to mix together butter, flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pecans, and salt until completely combined. The mixture will be lumpy and clumpy and should look like a streusel crumb topping.
Spread topping evenly over the pears. Sprinkle with more cinnamon, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top becomes golden brown and crispy and the pears are soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce!

I tested the recipe with Bosc pears, but they lacked flavor. Instead, I prefer sweet, juicy, ripe Bartlett pears for this dish.
Don’t slice the apples or pears too thin. They will break down as they bake, so you don’t want them to completely disintegrate in the oven. Some visible slices in your filling are ideal.
This crisp can be enjoyed warm (my preference), at room temperature, or even cold!
This dessert is not gluten-free, as it contains all-purpose flour.
Have too many pears? You can freeze pears for later use. Sliced fresh pears will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I used a simple store-bought caramel sauce to garnish this dessert, but a pear crisp with salted bourbon caramel would really be amazing! Here's a homemade version that you can try if you're feeling adventurous!