A warming dessert that everyone will love, this Pear and Ginger Crumble is easy to make and tastes delicious! Juicy pears with ginger in a tasty caramel sauce topped with a buttery pecan and oat topping.
Why This Crumble is a Perfect Weekend Dessert
A crumble is such a lovely treat, with soft fruit topped with a lovely buttery crumbly topping, what's not to love! They're perfect for a cosy pudding after Sunday lunch. And they're so easy to make with minimum effort.
This pear crumble is no different. Soft sweet pears with a generous of helping of ginger all topped with a nutty, oaty topping. This crumble is sweet and warming and perfect for a late winter treat. If you're not a fan of ginger then try my Spiced Pear Crumble.
What You'll Need
- Pears - I use Conference pears to make this, look for pears that hold up well to cooking. Bosc pears, Anjou pears or Concorde will work well. I use pears that are slightly under-ripe, they will cope with the heat and not turn to mush.
- Flour - You'll need plain or all-purpose flour for this crumble, you won't need to sieve it.
- Oats - Old fashioned oats or jumbo oats work best in this crumble, instant oats will not work here.
- Butter - I use full-fat salted butter.
- Ginger - To get that ginger flavour and heat I use ground ginger and raw ginger root, finely grated. You could also use stem ginger here if you wish.
- Nuts - I've used pecans in the crumble, you could also use walnuts or almonds. If you have a nut allergy you can just omit them altogether.
- Sugar - Light brown muscovado sugar works really well with the pears, you should find it in all good supermarkets.
Why This Recipe Works
- So easy to make! This really is such an easy yet impressive dessert.
- That perfect buttery topping with the addition of oats and pecans makes this crumble topping delicious and perfect with pears.
- Pears in a caramel sauce with ginger is delicious! Pear and ginger is such a great combination.
How To Make Pear and Ginger Crumble
- Make the topping - add the flour, oats sugar and cubed butter to a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a rough breadcrumb consistency. Stir in the chopped pecans and give it all a good stir.
- Cook the pears - melt the butter in a skillet. Add the ground ginger and raw ginger and cook for a minute or two. Add the sugar and once the sauce bubbles up then add the pears. You'll just need to cook the pears for a little bit before you add the topping.
- Add the topping - Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the pears. Then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with some good ice cream.
Pro Tips For Making A Perfect Pear Crumble
- Use slightly under-ripe pears. The pears should be firm, if they are too soft they'll just turn to mush when baked.
- Choose the right pear. I use conference pears for this crumble, they hold up well when cooked. Bosc pears, Anjou pears or Concorde will work well too.
- Slice the pears widthways. I try and slice them all the same size, about ½ inch thick.
- Pears oxidise. If you are preparing the pears in advance they may go brown, to avoid this rub the pears in lemon juice.
- Don't overwork the topping. It's ok to have little clusters of butter, sugar and nuts in a crumble. A rough breadcrumb consistency is perfect for a crumble.
- Use real butter. I know I say this a lot, but you really will get the best results when you use real full-fat butter. I use salted butter which adds to the flavour of this crumble.
How To Serve A Pear Crumble
This really is best served warm. You can serve it with a good vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream or clotted cream.
Can I Freeze This Crumble?
Yes, you can. You can either freeze the baked crumble or freeze the pear filling and crumble topping separately. To freeze the baked crumble transfer the cooled crumble to a suitable container then wrap it well and pop it in the freezer.
To cook the crumble from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 180C/356F for about 1 ½ hours then turn up the heat to 220C/428F and bake for a further45 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes. This is the best method.
To freeze the filling, leave it to cool then transfer to freezer bags, you will need to defrost and heat the fruit to make the crumble. To freeze the topping, place it in a bag and freeze. You can use the topping from frozen.
To cook the crumble using the frozen topping, place the hot filling in a dish, fluff up the topping with a fork, cover the fruit with the topping then bake at 180F/356F for 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Need More Cosy Desserts?
- Rhubarb and Ginger Tarts
- Rhubarb Crumble Muffins
- Apple Crumble with Blackberries
- Sourdough French Toast
Have you made this Pear and Ginger Crumble Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Pear and Ginger Crumble
Ingredients
- 180 g plain/all-purpose flour (1+½ US cups)
- 50 g oats (½ US cup) (old fashioned oats)
- 140 g butter at room temperature (divided into 100g and 40g) (⅔ US cup) 100g cut into cubes
- 90 g light muscovado sugar (just under half a US cup) (divided into 60g and 30g)
- 40 g pecan halves (½ a US cup) roughly chopped
- 5 - 6 conference pears (900g) peeled cut in half lengthways and cored
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cornflour/ cornstarch
Instructions
- Pre-heat the own to 180C/356F
- Add the flour, 60g of sugar, 100g of butter and the oats to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Using your fingers rub the butter into the dry mixture until you have a rough breadcrumb texture. Add the chopped pecans then stir well.
- In a skillet, melt 40g of butter over medium heat.Add the grated ginger, ground ginger and cinnamon and cook for a minute or two, until the spices release their aromas. Then add 30g of the sugar and stir. You should have a caramel type sauce now.Add the pears and gently stir them until they are covered in the sauce. Sprinkle the cornflour over the pears and stir gently. The sauce should be nice and thick now.Cook for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pears then transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the liquid is bubbling up at the edges and the topping is golden.Be careful taking the hot skillet out of the oven! Serve warm.
Notes
- Pears - I use Conference pears to make this crumble, Bosc pears, Anjou pears or Concorde will work well too. Go for pears that are slightly under-ripe. The pears should be firm, if they are too soft they’ll just turn to mush when baked.
- Butter - I use full-fat salted butter to make this crumble
- Skillet - My skillet measure in at 22cm/9inches. Make sure you use a stove to oven skillet, cast iron works really well.
- Freezing - You can freeze the baked crumble, leave it to cool then transfer it to a suitable container and pop it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen - cover with foil and bake at 180C/356F for about 1 ½ hours then turn up the heat to 220C/428F and bake for a further45 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes. This is the best method.
- Leftovers - Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat this warm or cold. If you want to reheat it then pop it in the microwave to reheat.
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It does not include ice cream or cream. It is based on one serving.
- Measurements - I weigh all my ingredients using an electric scale, all measurements are metric. Cup measurements are approximate.
Diane Selden
This was only pretty good. The topping was disappointing. The use of so much flour in the crumble was odd - it tasted powdery, flour-y, not like an actual crisp or any crumble I've had. I would reduce the flour to one third of what is in the recipe. I'd also add more spices to bring up the flavor level.
Michelle Alston
Hi Diane, I'm sorry you didn't like the topping and found the spices lacking. It's a while since I've made this but will be making it again soon and will check out the flour issue you had. I'll update the recipe if it needs it. Best wishes, Michelle.
Karman | The Nutrition Adventure
Oh my goodness! I LOVE ginger and this recipe just looks incredible. Can't wait to try it!
Alisa Infanti
This crumble was soooo goood! I loved the pears. It was a nice change from traditional apple crumble.
Erika
I have pears I need to use and now I know the perfect way to use them!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Pear and ginger is a delicious combination and perfect for the winter weather.
Katherine
I adore pears and this looks amazing - perfect with the ginger. Can't wait to make it!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Katherine, I hope you enjoy it 🙂