While a crunchy, buttery topping is the crown of any great fruit crisp, the true soul of this quintessential fall dessert lies just beneath—in the warm, bubbling, and perfectly jammy fruit filling. This is your ultimate guide to mastering the perfect Old-Fashioned Apple and Pear Crisp, with a deep dive into creating a luscious fruit layer that is bursting with flavor and has the most incredible, thick, and syrupy texture.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a celebration of the perfect harmony between two of fall’s most beloved fruits. We’ll show you how to create a filling that is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, brightened with a hint of citrus, and seasoned with the coziest warm spices. Topped with a generous, extra-thick, and buttery oat crumble, this is the simple, rustic, and show-stopping dessert that is guaranteed to become a new family tradition.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: A Masterclass in the Perfect Fruit Crisp
What makes this Apple and Pear Crisp so spectacular is its incredible, perfectly balanced flavor profile and its wonderful contrast of textures. The combination of both sweet apples and tender pears provides a much more complex and interesting fruit flavor than a single-fruit crisp. The topping is a classic, rich, and buttery oat streusel that bakes up to a beautiful golden brown with a satisfyingly crunchy texture. It’s a foolproof, crowd-pleasing dessert that is perfect for a cozy family dinner or as a star on your Thanksgiving dessert table.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 10-12 |
The Essential Ingredients for a Perfect Crisp
This recipe uses a handful of simple, classic ingredients to let the beautiful seasonal fruit shine.
- The Fruit Filling (The Perfect Pairing): This is the heart and soul of our crisp.
- The Fruit Duo: For the best result, you want to use firm varieties of both fruits that will hold their shape during baking and not turn to mush. The combination of crisp, juicy Macoun apples and firm, slightly grainy Bosc pears is a brilliant choice for both textural and flavor complexity.
- The Flavor Boosters (Citrus & Spices): The zest and juice from both a lemon and an orange is a secret weapon that prevents the fruit from browning and adds a vibrant, complex acidity that makes the fruit flavors pop. Classic cinnamon and nutmeg provide the perfect warm spice notes.
- The Thickener: A little bit of all-purpose flour is the key to a thick, silky, jammy sauce. It combines with the fruit juices as they bake and prevents a watery crisp.
- The Crunchy Oat Topping: This is what provides the wonderful, buttery crunch.
- Cold Butter: It is absolutely crucial to use cold, cubed unsalted butter. When you mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients, it creates small, flour-coated pockets of fat. As the crisp bakes, these pockets melt and create steam, resulting in a topping that is wonderfully tender and perfectly crisp, not greasy.
- Old-Fashioned Oatmeal: This is what makes a “crisp” a crisp! Old-fashioned rolled oats provide a wonderful, hearty, chewy, and crispy texture.
Step-by-Step to the Best Apple and Pear Crisp
Follow these simple, detailed steps to create this rustic and deeply satisfying dessert.
Step 1: Create the Perfect Fruit Filling
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a 9×12-inch oval (or a standard 9×13-inch) baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut the 2 pounds of apples and 2 pounds of pears into large, 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks. Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl.
Add the orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the bowl with the fruit.
Toss everything together gently until all the fruit is evenly and thoroughly coated in the sugar, spice, and flour mixture.
Pour the fruit filling into your prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Part 2: Make the Crunchy Oat Topping
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl), combine the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, the 3/4 cup of light brown sugar, the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the 1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal. Mix on low speed just to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the 1/2 pound (2 sticks) of cold, diced unsalted butter to the bowl.
Mix on low speed for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture comes together into large, crumbly pieces and the butter is about the size of peas.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to overmix the topping. You want to keep those small pieces of butter intact, as that is the secret to a perfectly crisp and tender crumble.
Part 3: Assemble and Bake Your Classic Crisp
Generously and evenly scatter the prepared oat topping mixture over the top of the fruit in the baking dish, making sure to cover the fruit completely from edge to edge in a thick, even layer.
Place your baking dish on a larger, rimmed baking sheet. This is a crucial step that will catch any potential drips from the bubbling fruit filling and will save your oven from a sticky, burnt-on mess!
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. You’ll know the crisp is perfectly baked when the fruit filling is hot and bubbling vigorously all around the edges and the oat topping is a beautiful, deep golden brown.
Let the crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes before serving. This important resting period allows the hot, jammy filling to cool down and set up slightly, making it easier to scoop.
The Best Old-Fashioned Apple and Pear Crisp
A classic fruit crisp featuring a flavorful combination of fresh Bosc pears and Macoun apples. The fruit is tossed with citrus zests, juices, sugar, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The dish is covered with a generous, crumbly streusel topping made from flour, sugars, old-fashioned oatmeal, and cold diced butter. The crisp is then baked until the fruit filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Filling:
- 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
- 2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- For the Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
- Prepare the Filling: Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine the fruit with the orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Pour the apple-pear mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the Topping: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal.
- Mix on low speed, then add the diced cold butter and continue to mix for about 1 minute, until the mixture forms large crumbles.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit, covering it completely.
- Bake: Place the baking dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- An electric mixer with a paddle attachment is the recommended tool for making the topping, but it can also be made by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or your fingers.
- Baking the crisp on a larger sheet pan is a helpful tip to prevent any bubbling fruit juices from spilling over into your oven.
- This dessert is best served warm, often with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Serving Your Warm Apple and Pear Crisp
The absolute best way to serve a classic fruit crisp is warm from the oven. The beauty of this dessert is its rustic, home-style presentation, so there’s no need for neat slices. Simply use a large spoon to scoop the warm, bubbly dessert into cozy bowls.
For the ultimate, classic comfort food experience, top each warm scoop of the crisp with a large scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream. The way the cool, creamy ice cream melts into the warm, buttery, and spiced fruit is one of life’s greatest simple pleasures.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Apple and Pear Crisp is a wonderful dessert to have on hand for a sweet treat.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire oat topping up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container or a zip-top bag in the refrigerator. You can also prepare the entire fruit filling a day in advance and store it, covered, in your baking dish in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, just sprinkle the pre-made topping over the fruit and bake as directed (you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time).
- Storage: Store any leftover crisp, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to re-crisp the topping is to reheat the crisp in a 350°F oven or an air fryer for 10-15 minutes, until it is warmed through and the topping is crunchy again.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Festive Berry Boost: For a beautiful color and a delicious sweet-tart flavor combination that is perfect for the holidays, you can toss in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries along with the apples and pears in the filling.
- Add a Boozy Kick: For a delicious, grown-up flavor, you can add 1/4 cup of your favorite apple brandy (Calvados) or a dark rum to the fruit filling along with the other juices and spices.
- Make it a “Stone Fruit” Crisp: In the summertime, this same recipe is absolutely fantastic when made with about 5 pounds of a mix of firm, ripe peaches, plums, and apricots.
Enjoy The Ultimate Fall Dessert!
You’ve just created a truly perfect dessert that celebrates the simple beauty of fresh, seasonal fruit. This Apple and Pear Crisp is a timeless classic for a reason: it’s incredibly easy to make, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and it is the taste of pure, homemade comfort in a bowl. It’s the perfect ending to any meal.
We hope you and your family love every warm, bubbly, and crunchy bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy fruit dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What are the best apples and pears to use in a crisp so they don’t get mushy?
The most important thing is to use firm varieties of both fruits that will hold their shape during the long baking time. For apples, a mix of a firm-tart variety like Granny Smith and a firm-sweet one like Honeycrisp or Fuji is fantastic. For pears, a Bosc or an Anjou pear is the ideal choice for baking as they are dense and not overly watery.
Q2: Why is my fruit crisp filling watery, and how does this recipe prevent that?
A watery filling is the most common crisp problem, and it’s usually because there is no thickener. This recipe brilliantly prevents a watery result by having you toss the fruit in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. As the fruit bakes and releases its natural juices, the flour combines with those juices and thickens them into a beautiful, silky, and jammy sauce.
Q3: Can I use quick-cooking oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats in the topping?
It is highly recommended to use old-fashioned rolled oats. They have a much thicker, heartier texture that will stay chewy and crispy after baking. Quick-cooking oats are much thinner and can sometimes become a bit soft or pasty in the topping, not providing that signature “crisp” texture.
Q4: Should I peel my fruit for a crisp?
While you can leave the skins on for a more rustic texture and extra fiber, peeling the apples and pears is recommended for the best, most tender, and most pleasant final texture. The skins can sometimes become a bit tough and chewy during the long baking time.
Q5: How do I know for sure when my fruit crisp is fully baked?
There are two key visual cues. First, the topping should be a beautiful, deep golden brown all over. Second, and most importantly, the fruit filling should be thick and bubbling vigorously up around the edges of the pan. This is the sign that the fruit is tender and the flour has been activated to thicken the juices into a delicious, jammy sauce.