Pear Crisp Recipe With Cranberries

A small white ceramic pot filled with a pear and cranberry crisp topped with spiced whipped cream sitting on top of a white counter and a dark blue linen napkin.

5 from 1 vote

This Pear Crisp Recipe With Cranberries is a delicious blend of gently spiced sweet and tart fruit topped with a crispy and crunchy topping.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: cranberry dessert, crumble, fruit crisp, holiday desserts, pear crisp

Servings: people

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

Fruit Filling

1 lb pears (see notes)
4 oz cranberries (see notes)
½ lime
1 tbsp orange juice
¼ tsp freshly grated ginger (see notes)
⅛ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tbsp cornflour (see notes)

Crisp Topping

½ cup flour
½ cup old fashioned oats
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp 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 tsp 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.

Notes

Pears - It's best to weigh the fruit using a digital scale for best results, as individual pieces can differ in size. At times, one lb. can mean two pears; at other times, it can mean 4. Use slightly underripe pears to hold their shape better in the crisp.

Cranberries - Same as the pears, use a scale to weigh the cranberries. Make sure to use bright and plump ones only for maximum flavor.

Ginger - The freshly grated ginger is a must and a game changer in the recipe. The aroma is perfectly suited to the ingredients in this recipe, and with such a small amount, it won't be overpowering. Powdered ginger gets lost and loses its taste and smell once cooked.

Gingersnaps - Crushing a few gingersnap cookies and adding them to the crisp topping adds that final oomph! The bold taste and crunch give the topping an unusual taste and texture that ties in nicely with the flavor of the fruit mixture.

Cornflour - The cornstarch helps thicken all the liquid released as the fruit cooks, giving it a nice glossy finish. A good substitute for this recipe is 1.5 tbsp flour, although the glossy finish will be missing.

Whipped Topping - I love using this lightly spiced whipped cream for my pear crisp, but vanilla ice cream also works great.

Nutrition