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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Dessert

    Easy Apple and Pear Crumble

    Published: Jul 5, 2020 · Modified: Oct 7, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 27 Comments

    194 shares
    • 95
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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Vegetarian

    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 Cinnamon Baked Apples, Apple Hand Pies, Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, or Apple Pie Smoothie or our delicious Apple and Blackberry Crumble.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Step by step
    • Health benefits
    • Variations
    • Crumble topping
    • What to serve with apple and pear crumble
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More Dessert 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

    One: Put the chopped apples and pear in a baking dish and add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

    Chopped apples and pears in a baking dish with sugar.

    Two: Put the crumble ingredients in to 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.

    Flour and cubes of butter in a bowl.

    Three: Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.

    A fruit crumble in a baking dish ready to go in the oven.

    Four: Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

    Health benefits

    This dessert is never going to be the healthiest, because of the sugar and butter. But, everything in moderation, right? However, there are lots of health benefits of apples and pears.

    They are a good source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C and K. Apples have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. One reason for this may be that apples contain soluble fibre, and this can help lower your blood cholesterol levels.

    Apples also contain polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects. However, many of these are in the peel, so if you peel the apples they they won't have the same benefits.

    Pear are a good source of important minerals like copper and potassium. Copper plays a role in immunity, cholesterol metabolism, and nerve function, whereas potassium aids muscle contractions and heart function.

    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 in to 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.

    What to serve with apple and pear crumble

    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?

    A bowl of custard covered crumble in front of a dish of more crumble.

    FAQs

    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.

    Can I freeze apple and pear crumble?

    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.

    Is apple and pear crumble keto friendly?

    No, this isn't keto friendly and it is quite high in carbohydrates.

    Is apple and pear crumble healthy?

    This isn't the lightest dessert, due to all the sugar. However, you could lighten it up a little by using half the sugar and serving smaller portions.

    How do you reheat apple and pear 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.

    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.

    More Dessert recipes

    • Mixed Berry Crisp
    • Easy Baked Oats
    • Apple and Cherry Crumble
    • Honey Grilled Pineapple

    If you’ve tried this apple and pear crumble recipe, or any other recipe on the blog, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

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

    Apple and Pear Crumble

    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
    4.94 from 30 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 477kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

    Filling

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

    Crumble

    • 250 g plain flour
    • 120 g Caster sugar
    • 150 g Butter - cubed

    Instructions

    • Put the chopped apples and pear in a baking dish and add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
      3 Apple, 3 Pear, 3 tablespoon Light brown sugar, 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
    • Put the crumble ingredients in to 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.
      250 g plain flour, 120 g Caster sugar, 150 g Butter
    • Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.
    • Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

    Notes

    • 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
    DisclaimerThe 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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wayne

      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

        July 08, 2020 at 7:31 pm

        So glad that you all enjoyed it.

        Reply
    2. Kushigalu

      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
    3. Pavani

      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
    4. Jenn

      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
    5. Priya

      July 08, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      I got to try this crumble recipe. It simply looks so delicious!

      Reply
    6. Michelle

      July 08, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      The apple and pear combination was amazing, and the crumble topping was the best!

      Reply
    7. Jamie

      July 06, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      I made this over the weekend and it was so wonderful! The apple and pear combination was amazing and that crust was to die for!

      Reply
      • Tanya Lagace

        April 30, 2022 at 1:13 am

        5 stars
        I can't have apples so I made this with just pears, and it is lovely. I'm in isolation, recovering from COVID right now, and about to make this recipe again, and this time I'll have to eat the whole thing myself lol

        Reply
        • Dannii

          April 30, 2022 at 7:17 pm

          Oh no! I hope you feel better and I hope the pear crumble helps <3

          Reply
    8. Tawnie Kroll

      July 06, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      The apple and pear combination was so delightful! Thank you!

      Reply
    9. Ashley

      July 06, 2020 at 9:37 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like the perfect crumble!!! Can't wait to try it when our apples are ready to come off the tree!

      Reply
    10. Anjali

      July 06, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      Apples and pears are one of my favorite fruit combinations! This crumble turned out to be absolutely delicious!!

      Reply
    11. Beth

      July 06, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can't wait to make this!

      Reply
    12. Kushigalu

      July 06, 2020 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      Love this fruit combo. Sounds so delicious. I will soon try this recipe

      Reply
    13. Adrianne

      July 06, 2020 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      It is super cold here in Australia at the moment and this crumble looks like it would go down a treat. I would be 100% for the custard, yum!!

      Reply
    14. Jacqueline Meldrum

      July 06, 2020 at 9:02 am

      5 stars
      That looks so good I could happily eat a bowl of it for breakfast right now! I am in the oats camp when it comes to crumble but then I am Scottish!

      Reply
    15. Elizabeth

      July 06, 2020 at 7:32 am

      5 stars
      This is a fabulous comfort food recipe, and although it's summer right now the weather is feeling decidedly wintery - this crumble is definitely required! That pic with all the custard - swoon!

      Reply
    16. Saif

      July 06, 2020 at 1:23 am

      5 stars
      I love when you turn these two fruits into a crumble. They look delicious. Perfect to eat with ice cream.

      Reply
    17. Sisley White

      July 05, 2020 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      You really can't beat a crumble. I adore pears and apples together to this is my heaven on a plate!

      Reply
    18. Emmeline

      July 05, 2020 at 5:36 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious dessert! Love the combo of apple and pear - it make it so much more fun than just a good-old apple crumble.

      Reply
    19. Marlynn

      July 05, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Love the combo of apples and pears. Such a wonderful comforting dessert.

      Reply
    20. Charla

      July 05, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      I'm a huge fan of crumble but never thought about combining apples and pears. Genius!! Count me in!

      Reply
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