You can make this Gluten-Free Pear Crisp with Oats in less than an hour! It's vegan, too, and made with no refined sugar. You'll love this guilt-free, healthy pear dessert!
If you don't tell anyone this pear crisp recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and contains no refined sugar, no one would ever guess.
And, they'll be so busy shoveling in mouthfuls of this nutty, crunchy, salty-and-sweet dessert, they probably wouldn't hear you, anyway.
But if you can't resist blurting it out (who, me?), when your announcement registers, they'll gleefully go for seconds. Since it's healthy and all.
At least, that's my excuse for devouring half a pie plate of this awesome, gluten-free pear crisp.
What can I say? I really love pear desserts. I also can't be trusted around this Amaretto Pear Cake with Canned Pears.
Let me break down this gluten-free pear crisp for you.
Cinnamon-spiced pears are crowned with the most delicious crispy topping. With whole-food ingredients like oats, almond flour, olive oil (yes!), pure maple syrup, coarsely chopped pecans, and a little salt, you’ll be on the express elevator to salty-and-sweet dessert heaven!
Recipe ingredients
Pears: Use fresh, ripe pears. It's OK if they're a little firm, but best if they're a little soft.
I prefer sweet, red Anjou pears for baking and eating, but you can use Bartlett or Bosc pears if you wish.
Asian pears, which look like apples with brown skin, can be used, but they have a high water content and aren’t as flavorful as other varieties.
In a pinch, you can substitute canned pears if you drain and pat them dry first. Note that their texture is much softer than fresh pears.
Oats: If you need this to be a gluten-free dessert, you must use gluten-free oats (affiliate link). Otherwise, use regular rolled oats.
I haven’t tried this with quick oats, which have more of a powdery texture and probably wouldn’t crisp up as much. But, use what you have.
Almond Flour: To keep this gluten-free, we’re using almond flour (affiliate link), which is simply ground almonds. I store mine in my freezer to keep it fresh for a long time. I also use it in my Torta Caprese chocolate cake.
Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup instead of regular syrup. It has a richer and fuller flavor without any artificial ingredients or preservatives.
If you want to make this diabetic-friendly, you can substitute golden monk fruit sweetener for the maple syrup.
Olive Oil: To keep this dairy-free and vegan, we’re using olive oil in place of butter. It’s absolutely delicious, but make sure to use regular olive oil, which tastes milder than extra virgin.
Pecans: Pecans taste delicious here, but you can use walnuts for a less-sweet flavor.
How to make gluten-free pear crisp
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Peel and slice the pears and place them in a pie dish.
- Add cinnamon and toss the pears with it to combine.
- Stir chopped pecans, almond flour, oats, maple syrup, olive oil and salt to combine and cover the pears with this topping.
- Bake until crisp and golden brown.
It's like a crustless pear pie! Yum!
Recipe tips
- To prevent a soggy pear crisp, pat the pear slices with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
- Don’t chop the nuts too small. Coarsely chopped pecans will lend extra crunch to our crisp topping!
What to serve with it
This easy pear dessert is delicious by itself, but if dairy isn’t an issue, you can serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It would be wonderful with No-Churn Butter Pecan Ice Cream!
Fruit crisp variations
We love using pears the best, but feel free to try this with other fruit or berries.
Of course, you can make a gluten-free apple crisp. You can even make an apple-pear crisp by using a combination of the two fruits.
And I can’t wait to try this with peaches in the summer! Blueberries work, too, but omit the cinnamon.
Frequently asked questions
If your pears are too firm, you’ll want to soften them before using them in this recipe.
You can do this by placing your pears in a paper bag or air-tight container with a ripe banana or apple. The ripe fruit will emit a gas that speeds up the ripening process in pears.
No, because pears aren’t keto-friendly due to their high carb count. You can lower the carbs in this recipe by substituting golden monk fruit sweetener for pure maple syrup, but it still won’t be a keto-friendly dessert.
Enjoy!
More gluten-free desserts to love
- Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake
- NY Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten Free)
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies
- Easy Grape Salad with Cream Cheese
Other desserts to try
Enjoy!
If you try this Gluten-Free Pear Crisp with Oats recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Gluten-Free Pear Crisp with Oats
Ingredients
Pear Filling
- 3 large ripe pears (I use red Anjou)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Crisp Topping
- ½ cup unsalted pecan halves
- 1 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ cup almond meal/flour
- ¼ cup regular olive oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse and peel the pears. Remove the stems. Slice the pears (avoiding the core) into pieces about ⅓-inch thick. Place the pears in an ungreased pie dish and toss them with the cinnamon.
- Give the pecans a rough chop, so they're still chunky. In a small mixing bowl, combine the pecans and all topping ingredients with a spoon or fork.
- Cover the pears with the oat topping, spreading it evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling, and the topping is crisp and golden.
- Let the pear crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from Shauna Niequist, Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes, 2013. Originally published here on January 19, 2017 and updated now with new photos and additional information. Photos by Kanyi Muraguri for Cooking with Mamma C.)
Vicki grobe
Have you made the sugar cookie crust with pecan pie filling? I
My husband wants me to try this I wanted to ask you first if I c. Back the pecan pie filling directly into the sugar cookie crust. Thanks
Mamma C
Hi Vicki - I have not tried making that crust with pecan pie. If you do try it, bake the cookies for the top separately according to my recipe. For the pie, you'd have to use a pie shield or foil to protect the crust edges from getting too brown. Let me know if you try it.
Peg
i am wondering, (I am sure you have a reason,) why you chose olive oil instead of coconut oil. I don't want to make a substitute that is "okay" but not quite as good. Also, would this be good with ginger and nutmeg instead of cinnamon?
Mamma C
Hi Peg - I never use coconut oil in my cooking or baking. I love the taste of olive oil here, but it should be fine to substitute coconut oil. If you enjoy ginger and nutmeg, go for it!
Joyce
This was delicious!i loved the nutty flavour.i also subbed coconut oil for olive oil.definitely on my hit list!
Mamma C
Hi Joyce - I'm so glad you loved this pear crisp! It's good to know that coconut oil works here too.
HB
This is a super easy and delicious recipe. I made a few substitutions based on what I had - I used walnuts instead of pecans and coconut oil instead of olive oil. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, will definitely be making this again!
Mamma C
Hi HB - It's good to know walnuts and coconut oil work here too. I'm glad you enjoyed this dessert! It's one of our favorites.
Cheryl "CheffieCook" Wiser
Yes please...love it!!! xo
Mamma C
I think you'd really enjoy this, Cheryl! xo
Julie
This dessert doesn't need one thing. It's just gorgeous and sounds delicious. I love pears and crisps of all kinds!
Mamma C
Thanks, Julie! It's a favorite in my house. 🙂
Donna
Yum, this sounds perfect! I have been craving a pear crisp for the longest time, and I am sure this would satisfy my cravings 🙂
Mamma C
This should do it, Donna!
Lisa
Haha...I think it's okay to serve it naked as long as you don't take photos of that for your blog! 😉 But seriously - this sounds wonderful! I love crisps because they're so much healthier and EASIER than pies! I make mine in much the same way, but I've not made a pear crisp before...my husband will love this!
Mamma C
Hahaha!!! I swear that phrasing happened by accident, but then I had to leave it in. I agree, crisps are so easy! I hope your husband enjoys this, Lisa!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I recently made a gluten free apple crisp that everyone raved over, so I know that a pear version would be equally welcome. I love that you've not used refined sugar here too! Lovely!
Mamma C
It's exciting to make something delicious and guilt free that gets rave reviews. Thanks, Lisa!
Lizzie
Yum, pear and cinnamon are two of my favourite flavours, if only the pears we got last week had ripened! And I can't believe you mentioned lonely cream, it's the excuse for many a cake here!
Mamma C
Haha! We must make all the things to prevent lonely cream, LOL. I've made this with pears that were pretty firm, and they actually softened a bit by the next day after baking.