Pear and Blueberry Crisp

With tender, cinnamon and ginger-spiced fruit tucked under a delightfully sweet yet light topping, this cozy blueberry pear crisp is a favorite fall dessert. It’s a little rustic, a little gourmet, and always delicious served with dollops of whipped or vanilla ice cream.

Hello, pear and blueberry crisp! This may not be the most obvious combination, but once you try it, the taste proves itself. You have juicy berries and tender fruit, wrapped up in the warmth of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, all peeking out through a buttery oat crumble lid. Plus, it’s easy to make. Voila: a dessert worth repeating.

This recipe is a variation of an old but reliable favorite, my old-fashioned blueberry nectarine crisp. What stands out about that recipe is the use of tapioca pearls to naturally thicken the filling, plus the not-too-heavy, not-too-sweet crumble topping. Here we keep those elements, usher in pear to embrace late fall flavors, and add generous sprinkles of ginger and cardamom, which are a match made in heaven for this autumnal fruit.

Add this to your dessert menu for Thanksgiving, serve at any gathering, or just make it for yourself to celebrate the end of the week. All heartily approved uses if you ask me!

Why You’ll Love This Pear Blueberry Crisp

• A fun flavor combination that feels cozy yet slightly unexpected
• Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom make everything pop
• Fruit desserts are a treat that still pack in some nutrition
• Easy to make yet elegant enough for a holiday menu
• The buttery brown sugar oat crisp topping alone is to die for!
• Simple to make ahead and reheat when needed

Ingredient Notes

Easy Fruit Crisp, Step-by-Step

Season and simmer the pears. To be certain the pears become very tender and flavorful, take a few extra minutes to cook them alone. Do this in a small oven-safe skillet and you won’t need any extra cookware.

Make the crumble topping. Use the 5 minutes or so while the pears simmer to mix together the flour, oats, sugar, and spices, then cut in the butter. Set aside.

Stir in tapioca and blueberries. Add these directly to the seasoned pears and mix well to combine.

Sprinkle on topping. In my book, the lid of a good fruit crisp should complement but not overpower the juicy insides. This one does the job perfectly! Use your fingers to sprinkle it on evenly, and don’t worry if the fruit peeks through in spots.

Bake! Estimate 40-45 minutes of bake time at 375°F. The fruit should be bubbling and the topping should develop a rich golden brown hue.

Just like my favorite pear caramel galette, this dessert begs to be topped with vanilla ice cream or dollops of freshly whipped cream.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

• To Make Ahead: Fully prepare and bake the crisp, then cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Warm in a 300°F oven for roughly 10 minutes prior to serving.
• To Prep Ahead: To just get a little bit ahead, you can simmer the pears and let rest at room temperature for a few hours. You also can prepare the crisp topping separately; store that in the refrigerator so the butter stays cold.
• To Store: Leftovers can keep in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2-3 days.

More Fruit Desserts

• Simple Strawberry Blueberry Cake
• Mixed Summer Berry Galette
• Perfect Filled Lemon Cupcakes
• Miniature Upside-Down Key Lime Pies
• Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Crumble Bars

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5 from 1 vote

Blueberry Pear Crisp

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

A little rustic, a little gourmet, and always delicious served with dollops of whipped or vanilla ice cream.

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Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 4 medium pears cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca pearls
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

For the Topping:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 Tablespoons butter very cold

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Combine the chopped pears, maple syrup, water, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and vanilla extract in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let it bubble for 5-7 minutes, until the pears begin to soften and the liquid is reduced a bit.
  4 medium pears, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1 Tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• While the pears simmer, use a large prep bowl to combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and kosher salt for the topping. Whisk together, then grate in the cold butter. (You can also cut the butter into small pieces and add it that way.)
  1/3 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 5 Tablespoons butter
• Stir with a fork into a crumbly topping; if needed, press the mixture together lightly with your fingers to make little crumbles.
• After removing pears from the heat, stir in tapioca and blueberries. Sprinkle the topping in an even layer on top; don’t worry if the fruit peeks through in spots.
  2 Tablespoons tapioca pearls, 2 cups fresh blueberries
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping. Enjoy!

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Notes

1. Type of Pears: Bartlett pears or any other standard variety work well.
2. Unpeeled Pears: We prefer this recipe with unpeeled pears! This gives the crisp more substance and keeps the fruit together in bite-sized pieces even when it is extremely tender. Incorporating the pear skin also keeps more of the fruit’s fiber and natural nutrients and saves a considerable amount of prep time. If you can’t stand the thought of eating the skin, by all means peel them, but I don’t find it necessary at all.
3. Blueberries: For best results, start with plump, fresh blueberries. Frozen will emit too much water as they bake.
4. Tapioca: This is the key to keeping the fruit filling nice and thick. I buy them at Whole Foods or online.
5. To Make Ahead: Fully prepare and bake the crisp, then cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Warm in a 300°F oven for roughly 10 minutes prior to serving.
6. To Prep Ahead: To just get a little bit ahead, you can simmer the pears and let rest at room temperature for a few hours. You also can prepare the crisp topping separately; store that in the refrigerator so the butter stays cold.
7. To Store: Leftovers can keep in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2-3 days.

Author: Monica

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pear blueberry crisp