This homemade pear pie is a delightful twist on traditional fruit pies, offering the perfect balance of sweet, tender pears wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust. Ready in just over 4 hours (including cooling time), this 324-calorie slice of heaven is worth every minute of preparation.
Whether you’re hosting a family gathering or simply craving a comforting dessert, this pie delivers rich flavors while being mindful of nutrition – with 5g of fiber and only 11g of fat per serving.
Ingredients Section
- Pie Crust: 1 homemade crust, chilled
- Pears: 6-7 medium pears, cut into ½-inch chunks (about 7 cups)
- Wet Ingredients: 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp melted butter
- Dry Mix: 3 Tbsp each of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and flour
- Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ⅛ tsp cloves
- Crumb Topping:
- Dry Base: ¾ cup flour, ½ cup rolled oats
- Sweetener: ½ cup packed brown sugar
- Spice Blend: ¼ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- Butter: 6 Tbsp salted butter, chunked
Instructions Section
- Prep: Heat oven to 375°F with baking sheet inside
- Crust Prep: Line pie pan with crust and chill
- Topping: Mix dry ingredients, work in butter until crumbly
- Filling: Toss pears with lemon juice, butter, sugars, flour, and spices
- Assembly: Pour filling into crust, top with crumb mixture
- Baking: Place on hot sheet, bake 50 minutes until golden and bubbly
- Cooling: Let rest 3 hours for perfect slicing
Cooking Techniques
The secret to a perfect pear pie starts with preheating your baking sheet! This smart trick helps prevent the dreaded “soggy bottom” that can happen with fruit pies. When working with the crumb topping, use your fingertips to gently pinch the butter into the dry ingredients – this creates those lovely, crispy clusters everyone loves.
Don’t rush the cooling process – those 3 hours of waiting might feel long, but they’re what makes your pie slice beautifully instead of turning into a messy puddle!
Substitutions
No pears on hand? Apples make a wonderful swap – just use the same amount and keep all other ingredients the same.
For the crumb topping, you can use quick oats if you don’t have old-fashioned ones. Going gluten-free? Replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in both the filling and topping. If you prefer less sugar, feel free to reduce it by up to 2 tablespoons – pears are naturally sweet!
Serving Suggestions
This cozy pear pie shines when served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Want to make it extra special? Try adding a little salted caramel sauce or a dollop of whipped cream.
For breakfast (yes, pie for breakfast!), serve it with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. This pie makes a beautiful addition to any fall gathering or holiday dessert table.
Storage Tips
Once your pie has cooled completely, you can keep it at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days. Want it to last longer? Pop it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To warm up a slice, heat it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds – just enough to take the chill off without making it too hot. The crumb topping might lose some crispness over time, but the flavor will still be amazing!
Pear Pie
Equipment
- large baking sheet
- pie pan
- Mixing bowl
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Base
- 1 Homemade pie crust
Filling
- 6-7 pears firm, but not hard/unripe and not soft, peeled and chopped into ½” chunks (about 7 cups)
- 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter cut into chunks
Instructions
- Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven (with the pan inside) to 375 degrees F. Add pie crust to pie pan. Refrigerate while you make filling.
- Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, in a bowl. Add butter and use your fingertips, a fork, or pastry blender to work the butter into the mixture until well combined. Refrigerate while you assemble the pie.
- Add pears to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice, butter, sugars, flour and spices over the top and very gently stir to coat evenly. Pour filling into pie shell. Top with crumb topping.
- Place pie in the oven on top of a hot baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until filling is bubbling and the crust is golden.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack, at least 3 hours, before cutting and serving.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired.
