This Pear Crisp Recipe With Cranberries is delicious, easy to prepare, and full of bold flavor. A dessert that looks beautiful when plated yet takes minimal effort to put together, just like my vanilla custard sauce (creme anglaise), this one is a favorite in winter. With a 15-minute prep time and a 45-minute bake time, this Pear Crisp is ready to be served by the time dinner is over.
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Sweet pears and tart cranberries are tossed in a mix of flavorings and aromatics, the key one being some freshly grated ginger. Yup! You heard that right, and it really works, so please trust me and add in the real thing and not the powder! These notes of ginger are continued in the crispy topping by adding some crushed gingersnap cookies, and the final result in this Pear Crisp Recipe is delightful.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Lighter and easier than a pie - This Pear Crisp Recipe has approximately half the calories and takes half the effort that goes into making a pie.
- Perfect for a large crowd - It's easy to scale this recipe and make a large batch with minimal effort, making it perfect for feeding a crowd.
- Make ahead crisp topping - The crisp topping can be made ahead and frozen, making prep even easier.
- All the feels of a Christmas dessert - The vibrant red cranberries, fall spices, gingersnap cookies, and pecans make this pear crisp recipe a perfect dessert for the holidays.
Ingredient notes
- Pears - Use slightly underripe pears to retain their shape as they cook. I always weigh the fruit to be sure the quantity in my recipe is consistent.
- Cranberries - Fresh or frozen cranberries can be used for this pear crisp recipe. Once again, weigh the berries for best results.
- Ginger - I use fresh grated ginger in this recipe. It's only a ¼ teaspoon, so it won't be overpowering, and I highly recommend you stick to this vs ginger powder.
- Orange juice - A little juice for flavor tastes excellent. If you don't have any on hand, you can eliminate it or add an extra ½ lemon.
- Lemon - The lemon adds flavor and also prevents the pears from browning.
- Cornstarch - This helps thicken the fruit juices and make the fruit mixture glossy.
- Flour - The flour holds everything together. While we want a crumbly texture, we also want all the ingredients to bind together a little bit.
- Oats - My favorite part of the pear crisp topping is the oats. Make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not instant.
- Pecans - Nothing speaks holidays like pecans. The sweet buttery taste works perfectly in this topping, and the added crunch adds texture to the crispy topping.
- Gingersnap cookies - If you've tried my deconstructed pumpkin pie recipe, you know I love using Gingersnap cookies in my desserts. These taste delicious, and add those peppery ginger notes to the topping.
- Butter - The butter helps hydrate and crisp up all the ingredients.
- Cinnamon - I love making spiced whipped toppings to pair with my desserts. The cinnamon adds just the right touch to the whipped cream.
- Powdered sugar - This is essential as a sweetener and helps stabilize the cream so it can hold its shape for hours after it's whipped.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Thicken it with flour - Cornflour creates a more transparent and glossier sauce, but you can also use flour. The ratio is ½ teaspoon of cornstarch per cup of fruit or 1 ¾ teaspoon of flour.
- Make it a pie filling - If you're more traditional and prefer a pie, prepare the filling and add it to a traditional pie crust.
- Try it with apples - Not sure about pears? Try this crisp recipe with your favorite apples instead.
- Serve it with ice cream - If you like a warm crisp with a scoop of ice cream, try a scoop of my no-churn-vanilla-bean-ice cream instead of the whipped topping.
- Make it a low-calorie dessert - If you're watching those calories, double the fruit filling, halve the crisp topping, and omit the whipped topping or ice cream.
Step-by-step instructions
First step - Grease a round 9" pie dish and mix all the ingredients for filling it. I like to prebake the fruit filling at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes as I prepare my topping.
Second step - Mix all the dry ingredients for the topping, making sure to crush the gingersnap cookies and chop the pecans well. Slice the chilled butter and add it in, blending it in with your fingers to mix everything well.
Working with the butter will make it warm, and this can cause the topping to get a little soft. Don't overwork the mixture, and return it to the fridge for 10-15 minutes if needed to rechill. It's okay to have large clumps versus small crumbles; drop them over the fruit using a teaspoon. As the topping cooks, it will become completely crispy.
Third step - Halfway through baking, the fruit will start bubbling, and the pear crisp will still be soft with the melted butter.
Fourth step - By the end of the 45 minutes, the fruit filling should have thickened and darkened in color, with a deep brown, hardened crisp topping on top. This is the perfect consistency.
Expert Tips
- Fruit Topping Ratio - The fruit filling is usually the star in a crisp. But I personally love my topping, so I add a thick layer, and this recipe is based on that ratio. If you prefer less, you can make less or freeze the extra for next time!
- Adjust the thickening agent as needed- Depending on the amount of pectin in the fruit you're using and personal preference, feel free to adjust the amount of the thickening agent you decide to use.
- Cooking Temperature and Time - It's best to cook a fruit crisp at a slightly low temperature. This allows the fruit to cook properly and the topping to crisp evenly without burning.
- Peel the Pears - Always peel your pears for a nice, delicate filling. The skin can get chewy and brown as it cooks, ruining the taste and presentation of the crisp.
- Pre-cook the filling - There's nothing worse than an undercooked filling, so precooking the fruit while you prep the topping ensures the fruit will be soft and tender.
Recipe FAQS
A cobbler has a biscuit or cake-style topping, a crumble has a streusel-like topping but without the use of oats, and a crisp has a topping that contains oats and, at times, nuts.
Since cranberry season is so short-lived, I love to freeze my cranberries and use them later. Buy fresh cranberries, wash them well, and lay them flat on paper towels for 10-15 minutes to dry them. Place them on a freezer-safe tray with parchment paper and in the freezer for 2-4 hours. Remove the frozen berries and place them in a zip-lock bag. Make sure to date the bag and use the cranberries within 12 months from the date.
The crisp can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat it, have the crisp thawed and heat it uncovered in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Pear Crisp Recipe With Cranberries
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Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 1 lb pears (see notes)
- 4 oz cranberries (see notes)
- ½ lime
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger (see notes)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornflour (see notes)
Crisp Topping
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter
- ½ cup crushed ginger snaps (see notes)
- ½ cup pecans
Spiced Whipped Topping {Optional}
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsps confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Fruit Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Grease your baking dish.
- Peel and slice the pears.
- Mix in the washed cranberries and add in the lime juice and orange juice
- Grate the ginger and mix well, adding the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg as well.
- Add in the sugar and cornflour last and toss to mix well.
- Bake for 10 minutes while you prep the topping to start softening the fruit.
Crisp Topping
- While the fruit is baking, prepare your crisp topping.
- Mix the flour, sugar, oats and salt in a bowl.
- Slice the chilled butter and blend it with the above ingredients to create a crumb-like mixture.
- Place the gingersnaps in a ziploc bag and gently crush, using a rolling pin.
- Do the same with the pecans.
- Add these gingersnaps and the pecans to the crumb topping, evenly mixing in.
- Place the topping on the par-baked fruit and bake at 350° for another 45 minutes.
Spiced Whipped Topping
- Whip the chilled heavy whipping cream with the confectioners sugar and cinnamon till peaks form and refrigerate to use later.
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