Pear Crumble (3 Ingredient Topping!)
Pear crumble is a marvelously easy dessert option when pears are in season. You won’t believe how quick it is to make the crumble topping using only three simple ingredients!
If pear crumble isn’t on your dessert menu rotation during pear season, it will be once you try this simple recipe.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I was gifted some pears from Melissa’s Produce, but was not compensated. As always, all opinions are my own.
Apple crumble is an iconic dessert (or pudding) in the UK, and while pears are also decidedly delicious in this recipe, they just don’t make it to center stage that often. I think that’s very sad, because they’re so good!
I was given some organic Bartlett pears from Melissa’s Produce recently, and knew immediately that I had to share my pear crumble recipe with you.
With the simple, three ingredient crumble topping recipe, it’s ready in no time!
What’s the Secret to a Good Crumble
The secret to a good crumble is no secret: using the best quality ingredients, and a good recipe–that’s it!
There are so few ingredients that it’s easy to fail if you use poor quality fruit, butter and flour. I love Lewis Road Creamery butter (yes, even more than Kerrygold.)
You can mix up this dessert by making and make an apple pear crumble by using 50% apples and 50% pears. You could even toss in a few cranberries to make it festive, if you’re celebrating the holidays. It would be similar to this apple cranberry crisp recipe. Pear crumble with oats is also an option, again, similar to the crisp recipe here.
If you love pears, I have several other simple recipes you can try. These include wine poached pears, whole pear cake, honey pear cake and my friend Cynthia makes a great Poire Belle Hélène.
Let’s get to the full pear crumble recipe now. You can find the printable recipe at the bottom of this page. Let me know how you like it!
Pear Crumble Recipe
recipe by Christina Conte serves 8
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- butter
- flour
- sugar
- pears
- lemon juice
Equipment: 9″ pie dish or similar sized baking dish
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C)
Directions for the Crumble
Place the flour in a bowl, then add the butter and cut into large pieces.
Cut the butter into the flour with two knives until the pieces of butter are quite small.
Begin mixing the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers, until it resembles a “crumble” mixture. Stop when you have small pieces, as this gives it the crumble texture. Next, stir in the sugar, and set aside.
Directions for the Fruit
Peel, core and cut the pears into bite sized pieces and arrange the fruit in a baking dish or individual ramekins and squeeze some lemon juice over the top.
If desired, sprinkle with a little sugar.
Top with the crumble mixture. If using ramekins, place on a baking tray.
Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 400°F (205°C) or until top is golden brown.
Pear crumble is delicious when served warm.
Pour some heavy cream, custard or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Can I Freeze Pear Crumble?
Pear crumble freezes well, too. Keep it up to a month in the freezer, and if you plan on making one and freezing it whole, underbake it a little so that you can pop it in the oven to reheat and finish getting it to a golden brown all in one go.
I hope you enjoy this simple recipe and find more to enjoy here on my site!
Pear Crumble
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c flour organic, all purpose (plain)
- ½ c butter (good quality, like Lewis Road Creamery)
- ¼ c sugar
- 1 lb pears I used Bartlett (about 5 medium pears)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, for pears)
Instructions
- Equipment: 9″ pie dish or similar sized baking dishPreheat oven to 400°F (205°C)
Directions for the Crumble
- Place the flour in a bowl, then add the butter and cut into large pieces.
- Cut the butter into the flour with two knives until the pieces of butter are quite small.
- Begin mixing the butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers, until it resembles a “crumble” mixture. Stop when you have small pieces, as this gives it the crumble texture. Next, stir in the sugar, and set aside.
Directions for the Fruit
- Peel, core and cut the pears into bite sized pieces and arrange the fruit in a baking dish or individual ramekins and squeeze some lemon juice over the top.
- If desired, sprinkle with a little sugar.
- Top with the crumble mixture. If using ramekins, place on a baking tray.
- Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 400°F (205°C) or until top is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.
- Pour some heavy cream, custard or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Pear crumble freezes well. Keep it up to a month in the freezer.
- If you plan on making one dish and freezing it whole, underbake it a little so that you can pop it in the oven to reheat and finish getting it to a golden brown all in one go.
When I don’t have plain fruit, this is just the kind of dessert I love. Bookmarked for a dinner in the not so distant future… !
Thanks, Frank!