Can't you just taste this Fresh Pear Pie with a delicious crumb topping? It is absolutely delicious and a great alternative to the usual Apple Pie recipe. So, why not squeeze this beauty into your Fall or Winter holiday menus?
I love Fall, don't you? Cozy weather, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, scarves and sweaters, and that's only the beginning.
I love my family's Fall traditions. One of those traditions is going up to the town of Julian, CA, for apple and pear picking.
My daughter, Nena, loves pears; I came up with this pear pie recipe to surprise her. Nena is very sensitive to the taste of spices. For this reason, I went easy on the cinnamon and ginger in this recipe; feel free to add more to your liking.
Cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg would also go great in this recipe. Start with a small amount, and make notes for the next time.
Why This Recipe Works
So what's so great about this particular Pear Pie Recipe? Well, not only will everyone you serve it to fall in love with the taste, but you don't have to be trained as a "baker" to pull it off.
I think making a pie crust is usually the most intimidating part of making a pie. Not to worry in this case, we'll be using a Pillsbury pie crust. So, if you can follow a few easy steps, you'll be on your way to baking delicious pies in no time!
How to Make This Recipe
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Form the pie crust into the pie plate. Trim, or fold the excess dough under.
Peel and slice pears, and sprinkle with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger powder, and salt. Gently stir into the pears, until combined. Pour the pear mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Crumb Topping
Mix flour, and brown sugar until combined. Work in cubed butter until crumbly. I use my hands, but you can also use two forks or a pastry cutter.
Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350 and cook for an additional 45 minutes, or until the juices begin to ooze out from under the crumb topping, and the crust is nice and brown.
Allow to cool before slicing. Top with vanilla ice cream before serving, or eat as is.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Pears are delicious and can be used to make all kinds of yummy recipes! Besides this pear pie recipe, pears can be used to make Pear preserves.
How about Pear-Apple Preserves? The combination of apples and pears just works, so don't question it.
You can also slice them into salads and use a sweet poppy seed dressing. Or roast them in the oven, then serve them with toasted and crushed walnuts and a drizzle of Salted Caramel.
Bosc pears are pretty commonly known as the best pears to use when baking pies and crumbles.
Alternatively, Bartlett and Anjou pears may also be used. However, when choosing pears, make sure they are firm and blemish-free.
I don't know about you, but when I pick fruit, I have a tendency to give it a little sniff, don't you?
I have found that if the fruit doesn't smell like it's supposed to, it's not going to taste like it's supposed to either.
My daughter is mortified when she's with me and I do that. She tells me that it's a "very Middle Eastern thing to do."
I supposed it's kind of like when Middle Eastern people pick grape leaves or figs over their neighbor's fences (guilty).
However, anyone with a sense of cooking knows that smelling the fruit is the best way to predict how it will taste. So sorry Nena, not sorry!
- Other mix-in options include cranberries or other fresh or frozen berries like blueberries or huckleberries.
- If you don't have enough pears, mix in some apples, Granny Smith would be the best option.
- If you prefer a double-crust pie, omit the crumb topping and use an additional pie crust, either as-is or arrange in a lattice pattern (see my huckleberry pie for more information).
- When baking a pie, it's always a good idea to place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch all the juices. It's even better to line the cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
Related Recipes
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Fresh Pear Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 medium Bosc pears
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 T. white flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ginger powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Crust
- 1 Pillsbury pie crust
Crumb Topping
- 6 T. flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 T. salted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450-Degrees F.
- Form the pie crust into the pie plate. Trim, or fold the excess dough under.
- Peel and slice pears, and sprinkle with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger powder, and salt. Gently stir into the pears, until combined.
- Pour the pear mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Crumb Topping
- Mix flour, and brown sugar until combined. Work in cubed butter until crumbly. I use my hands, but you can also use a pastry cutter.
- Pour the topping over the pears, making sure that the topping completely covers the pears.
- Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350 and cook for an additional 45 minutes, or until the juices begin to ooze out from under the crumb topping, and the crust is nice and brown.
- Allow to cool before slicing. Top with vanilla ice cream before serving, or eat as is.
Notes
- Other mix-in options include cranberries or other fresh or frozen berries like blueberries or huckleberries.
- If you don't have enough pears, mix in some apples, Granny Smith would be the best option.
- If you prefer a double-crust pie, omit the crumb topping and use an additional pie crust, either as-is or arrange in a lattice pattern (see my huckleberry pie for more information).
- When baking a pie, it's always a good idea to place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch all the juices. It's even better to line the cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net says
This pie looks PERFECT!
HildaSterner says
It is, but I might be a little biased! ? Hope you give the recipe a try!