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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Dessert

Easy Apple and Pear Crumble

Nov 18, 2024 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 27 Comments

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Diet: Vegetarian
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Apple and pear crumble with a text overlay title.

You can't beat a super comforting crumble on a cold day, and this Apple and Pear Crumble is the perfect fruit combination. Soft and sweet fruit topped with a buttery crumble. Either smother it in custard or top with ice cream for an indulgent dessert.

A bowl of apple and pear crumble topped with custard.

Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the perfect crumble. Just one fruit, a mix of fruit, the crumble to fruit ratio. Then there is debate on whether the crumble should have oats in it, if you should precook the fruit and whether to include spices like cinnamon and ginger.

This crumble is really simple to make, and makes use of deliciously sweet apples and pear when they are in season. A great dish to make to feed a crowd and easy to adapt too.

Looking for other ways to use apples? Why not try our quick Cinnamon Baked Apples, easy Apple Hand Pies, simple Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, tasty Apple Pie Smoothie or our delicious Apple and Blackberry Crumble?

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love It
  • Step by Step
  • Variations
  • Crumble Topping
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Crumble Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why You Will Love It

  • A great way to use pears - If you aren't really sure what to do with pears, or if you have received loads in a fruit and vegetable box that need using up, then this is a great recipe to try. It is more apple heavy, but the pear adds a wonderful flavour to it.
  • Super comforting dessert - I am not sure there is anything more comforting than soft sugary fruit topped with a buttery crumble.
  • Easy to make - This is so simple! There is no need to cook the fruit first, just mix everything together, layer the fruit and crumble and put it in the oven. Great for getting kids involved in the kitchen.
  • Budget friendly - Desserts don't have to be expensive to make, or use fancy ingredients. This is best made when apples and pears are in season, to make it as cheap as possible. Plus, in season they have the best flavour.
  • Good for feeding a crowd - You can easily double this to make it for a lot of people. Just make sure you have a dish big enough.

Step by Step

Prep: Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.

Chopped apples and pears in a baking dish with brown sugar.
  1. Step 1: Put the chopped apples and pear in a baking dish and add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
Flour and cubes of butter in a bowl.
  1. Step 2: Put the crumble ingredients into a bowl and using your fingers, crumble the butter and mix it together. This process will take a while, as you want to get the butter really fine and all mixed in.
A fruit crumble in a baking dish ready to go in the oven.
  1. Step 3: Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.
  1. Step 4: Put into the oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Variations

We wanted to make crumble a traditional dessert in our own little family and this is a great way to get kids to try different fruits. You could keep this as just pears or even add some plums. Have you tried our Apple and Plum Crumble? The pears really do have so much flavour just on their on though with a few apples.

You could add some berries to this for some extra colour and flavour. Blackberries work really well with the apple. The secret to making a really good pear crumble is choosing good pears. They need to be in season and ripe. That's why this recipe is so simple, because when you use ripe pears, that flavour is really all you need.

We also love adding some dried fruit into the apple and pear mixture. Raisins, dried cranberries and dried cherries all work well.

A crumble in a baking dish with a spoon in a scooped out area.

Crumble Topping

The perfect crumble topping really is something that everyone should know how to make. It should be buttery, crispy, and of course crumbly. It's in the name. Whilst you can buy crumble topping in a bag to save some time, it really doesn't take much time at all. If you bake a lot, then you probably already have these ingredients in your cupboard too.

This is a good recipe for kids to get involved with, as they will love getting their hands in the bowl and mixing up the crumble.

This crumble topping is a mix of flour, butter and sugar You could swap a quarter of the flour for rolled oats, to make it more of a crisp. This recipe makes a fair amount of crumble topping, but we are firm believers that the fruit to crumble ratio should pretty much 50:50.

You could also double the amount of crumble topping and then keep it in the fridge for up to a week to use in other fruit crumbles.

Serving Suggestions

Now it comes down to a debate that will turn your dinner table lively - what do you serve this Apple and Pear Crumble with? Ice cream or custard? We went with custard, but a good quality vanilla ice cream is another perfect side to a comforting crumble.

Why not try some vanilla frozen yogurt for a bit more of an indulgent dessert?

Looking for a nice hot drink to serve with this apple and pear crumble? Why not try a Vegan Eggnog, Chai Tea Latte, Cinnamon Coffee or Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate?

Extra Tips

  • If you don't have brown sugar, you could just use caster sugar. However you wouldn't get the same caramelisation.
  • Add a little vanilla extract for a real depth of flavour.
  • You could also double the amount of crumble topping and then keep it in the fridge for up to a week to use in other fruit crumbles.
  • If you want to make more of a crisp, then you could swap a quarter of the flour for oats.
  • You can use this recipe to make an apple, rhubarb or peach crumble too.
  • You can freeze leftovers, however the topping tends to go a little soggy once it is defrosted. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days though.
  • This is a good recipe for kids to get involved with, as they will love getting their hands in the bowl and mixing up the crumble.
A bowl of custard covered crumble in front of a dish of more crumble.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pears can I use?

You can use any type of pear you like, or have available, to make this dessert. However it is important that the pear is nice and ripe, as it will give the crumble plenty of flavour, but still firm so they can be sliced. The pear should have a bit of give when squeezed.

What can I do if my pears are not ripe?

If your pears aren't quite ripe yet, then you can speed up the ripening process by putting them in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or apple at room temperature and it should ripen in a couple of days.

How to store apple and pear crumble

We hardly ever have any leftovers of this, as we can happily eat double portions! But if you do, it will keep in the fridge for two to three days.
You could freeze it in containers, but the topping might go a little soggy once defrosted.

Is apple and pear crumble gluten free?

If you use gluten free flour, and make sure there is no cross contamination, then is can be a gluten free crumble.

How can I make a vegan apple and pear crumble?

To make this vegan, you would need to swap the butter for a plant based version that bakes well. It will need to be one with a high fat content, as that will be the most similar to dairy butter. Make sure that the custard/ice cream you are serving it with is vegan too and you have checked all the other ingredients are labelled suitable for vegans too.

Does the fruit have to be cooked first?

No, there is no need to cook the fruit fruit. Just mix it with the sugar and cinnamon and put it in the tin ready for the crumble toppings. The sugar will start to soften the fruit by drawing all the moisture out - this is a process called maceration.

How do you reheat fruit crumble?

To make sure the topping is still nice and crunchy, you will need to reheat it in the oven. It will only take about 15 minutes.

More Crumble Recipes

  • A bowl of breakfast crumble with yogurt and a drizzle of nut butter.
    Breakfast Crumble
  • Apple and Cherry Crumble in a bowl with vanilla ice cream
    Apple and Cherry Crumble
  • Custard being poured onto some apple and plum crumble
    Apple and Plum Crumble
  • A bowl of Apple Crumble with oats with a ball of ice cream on top.
    Apple Crumble with Oats

If you’ve tried this apple and pear crumble recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Apple and pear crumble with a spoon scooping some filling out.

Apple and Pear Crumble

By: Dannii Martin
Apple and Pear Crumble is the perfect fruit combination. Soft and sweet fruit topped with a buttery crumble. Smother it in custard or top with ice cream.
An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
Vegetarian
4.91 from 33 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 40 minutes mins
Total: 50 minutes mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 477kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy
An illustration of two ears of wheat.
Gluten

Ingredients

Filling

  • 3 Apple - diced
  • 3 Pears - diced
  • 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoon Light brown sugar

Crumble

  • 250 g (2 cups) Plain flour
  • 120 g (0.66 cups) Caster sugar
  • 150 g (0.66 cups) Butter - cubed

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
  • Put 3 Apple (chopped) and 3 Pears (chopped) into a baking dish and add 3 tablespoon Light brown sugar and 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon and mix well.
  • Put 250 g Plain flour, 120 g Caster sugar and 150 g Butter into a bowl and using your fingers, crumble the butter and mix it together. This process will take a while, as you want to get the butter really fine and all mixed in.
  • Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.
  • Put into the oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Recipe Tips

  • You could also double the amount of crumble topping and then keep it in the fridge for up to a week to use in other fruit crumbles.
  • If you want to make more of a crisp, then you could swap a quarter of the flour for oats.
  • You can use this recipe to make an apple, rhubarb or peach crumble too.
  • You can freeze leftovers, however the topping tends to go a little soggy once it is defrosted. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days though.
  • This is a good recipe for kids to get involved with, as they will love getting their hands in the bowl and mixing up the crumble.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 696IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. Jules says

    June 21, 2022 at 8:38 am

    5 stars
    Quick and relish

    Reply
  2. Oya Sortino says

    November 05, 2021 at 3:48 pm

    It is in the oven now..smelling great. We will see if it is as delicious as it sounds. My only criticism (if you can call it that) is you don't mention anything about the size of the baking dish...Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Carla says

    October 03, 2020 at 8:07 am

    5 stars
    Made this and it was so scrumptious, I immediately made it again!

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      October 03, 2020 at 8:42 am

      So glad that you enjoyed it. I might make some tomorrow too.

      Reply
  4. Wayne says

    July 08, 2020 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    My wife made this and it was so delicious! It was gone so fast and was a big hit here at the house!

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      July 08, 2020 at 7:31 pm

      So glad that you all enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Kushigalu says

    July 08, 2020 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    Love the fruit combo in this dessert. I will soon try this for my family. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  6. Pavani says

    July 08, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, love this delicious easy to make and delicious crumble. Combining apples and pears is a great idea.

    Reply
  7. Jenn says

    July 08, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! Even tho pears and apples aren't in season yet, I had to try it and I'm so glad I did! So much flavor - it's my new fav!

    Reply
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