Pear Hazelnut Crisp
I kinda feel like pears are the forgotten fall fruit. We spend so much time talking about apples and pumpkins, but what about pears? My pear hazelnut crisp lets the delicious flavor of pears shine through, while the toasted hazelnut crisp gives that perfect crunch. It’s super easy and the topping could easily be used with other types of fruit to make year round. Now let’s get onto making pears feel like the star of the show that they truly are.
Pear filling:
The filling is super easy and just needs to be simply tossed together and added to your baking dish. Any variety of pear is fine, I used Bartlett pears which are my personal favorite. You want your pears to be ripe, but not mushy. Peel your pears and core. I just cut the flesh of the pair off in four sections away from the pit. Next, dice into small chunks. Toss with melted butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Pour into a prepared baking dish, an 8X8 or an eight or nine inch pie pan, coated with butter. Set aside and make your hazelnut crisp topping.
Hazelnut crisp:
In a mixing bowl combine brown sugar, all purpose flour, old fashioned oats, cinnamon, and chopped toasted hazelnuts and whisk together. Cut ½ cup of butter into tablespoon size pieces and add to the mixture. Use your fingers to press the chunks of butter into the mixture and create smaller, pea sized, pieces of butter. Continue this until your dry ingredients are fully incorporated with the butter. When fully incorporated you should be able to pinch it together and it stays in a clump. Using your hands grab a handful of the mixture and pinch and crumble pieces all over the top of the pears.
Baking:
Bake the pear hazelnut crisp in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes covered in foil. Then, after 30 minutes remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. The mixture should be bubbling and the topping should be slightly golden brown. This recipe is best served warm, and even better with vanilla ice cream on top.
Try my peach raspberry crisp here.
Pear Hazelnut Crisp
Ingredients
Pear filling
- 4-5 Bartlett pears, or any pear of your choice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Hazelnut crisp
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
Pear filling
- Preheat oven to 350° and place oven rack in middle position. Grease either an 8X8 or 8-9 inch pie pan with butter and set aside.
- Peel pears and remove core. Dice into small chunks. Toss with melted butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon to combine and fully coat the pears. Pour into prepared baking dish and set aside.
Hazelnut crisp
- In a mixing bowl whisk together brown sugar, all purpose flour, old fashioned oats, chopped hazelnuts and cinnamon. Slice butter into tablespoon sized pieces. Add the butter to the mixture. Use your fingers to press the butter into smaller, pea sized, pieces and combine with the dry ingredients. When ready you should be able to pinch together the mixture and it hold its shape. Using your hands pinch and crumble together the topping and sprinkle over the pears.
- Wrap the pear crisp in foil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the foil and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. The mixture will be bubbling and the hazelnut crisp be slightly golden brown. Allow it to cool slightly on a wire rack. Best served warm, with vanilla ice cream.