Vegan Pear Crumble (Gluten-Free)

This delicious vegan pear crumble combines juicy pears with a crispy oat crumble topping, a little maple syrup and warming spices, such as cinnamon. Serve with plant-based ice cream for such a perfect fall treat!

A rustic fruit crumble is one of those recipes we make a lot in the fall. They are so easy to make, they don't require much effort and they always turn out amazing, no matter how we make them.

And it is such a perfect healthy dessert to enjoy the abundance of fruit while following the seasons. 

I'll often simply use the crumble topping of my vegan rhubarb crumble and switch the fruit filling for peaches or cherries in early summer, berries in mid-summer, apples in the fall, etc. Super simple and ultra versatile.

But this time of year, it is time for the pears to shine, so I made a vegan pear crumble with oats. It was so delicious, we went through the whole thing in one night! 

There is just something amazing happening when combining a juicy cinnamon pear filling with a sweet streusel topping. The contrast of soft pear with warm spices and crunchy oats is so perfect and addictive. Plus, pears are naturally pretty sweet when ripe and in season, making this vegan dessert quite sweet naturally.

In this case, the topping is made without butter (no vegan butter either), but using coconut oil instead, making this recipe completely vegan and plant-based. 

Also, this easy pear crisp is made with rolled oats and oat flour (easy to make yourself), making this recipe very healthy and completely gluten-free as well.

Makes for a perfect healthier cozy dessert when served with plant-based ice cream or vegan custard, but also can be enjoyed as a snack or even breakfast.

Hope you give it a try! ❤️

Why you'll love this recipe

• Very easy fall dessert everyone can make
• Uses simple ingredients
• Healthy and packed with fiber and antioxidants
• Filled with warming spices
• Versatile recipe and fail-proof!
• Great fuss-free mid-week comforting treat
• Amazing dessert for the holiday season, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving
• Sweetened with the natural sugars from the fruit and a little maple syrup (no granulated sugar!)
• Budget-friendly dessert
• Vegan, dairy-free and plant-based
• Gluten-free

Ingredients you will need

• Pears: you will need fully ripe and sweet pears for this recipe. Look for fresh, not bruised and not too soft pears that give a little if you gently press on them. I used Bartlett pears, but you can use other types of pears to make this recipe, such as Bosc, D'Anjou, Asian and Red Anjou pears. You will need 4-5 medium-sized pears to make it, which is about 1-1.5 pounds, although you might need more if you use super small pears.
• Oats: I prefer thick rolled oats for making the crumble topping to add more texture and a nice bite. You can use both old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats.
• Oat flour: you can buy oat flour at the grocery store or simply make your own oat flour in the blender using rolled oats. Using oat flour instead of regular all-purpose flour makes this recipe gluten-free. You could also use almond flour.
• Cornstarch: helps thicken the pear filling as it cooks and softens.
• Coconut oil: this recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter for making the crunchy topping. You can use refined coconut oil to avoid a coconutty flavor.
• Pure maple syrup: sweetener of choice in this recipe, maple syrup adds such an amazing flavor that pairs well with the pears and cinnamon.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: warming spices to flavor the pear filling and topping, although you can use your favorite spices as well.
• Walnuts: add a nice crunch and more nutrients, especially healthy omega-3 fats.
• Salt: helps balance the sweetness.

How to make a vegan pear crumble

Preheat the oven to 350º. Also, you will need a medium-large size baking dish for this recipe. The exact size isn't overly important in this specific recipe. I used a 7 x 10 inches rectangular dish, but 9 x 9 inches or 8 x 10 inches work too.

Make the cinnamon pear filling

Clean and pat dry your pears. Then, dice the pear in small cubes. You can also slice the pears thinly if you prefer, but I like the texture that the small pieces of pear give to the crumble.

Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and cornstarch to the bottom of your baking dish and stir until completely combined. Then, add the pieces of pear and fold them in the syrup. Disperse evenly in the bottom of the dish and set aside.

Make the oat crumble topping

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (rolled oats, oat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and salt) and stir to combine.

Then, add the maple syrup and coconut oil (solid). Use the back of a spoon or a fork to press on the oil and incorporate it into the flour mixture. Keep going until you have a mostly uniform mixture with some tiny chunks of oil intact.

Use your hands and fingers to roughly scatter the crumble oat mixture over the pear as evenly as you can. Do not press on the crumble topping, but gently place it over the pear in small clusters.

Bake and serve

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pear mixture is bubbly and the oat crumble nicely golden brown. Watch carefully so it does not turn too dark.

Once done baking, let the crumble rest for a few minutes before serving, this will help thicken the pear mixture.

Baking tips

• You can vary the amount of pears you use for this recipe. I used 5 large pears, which gave the dessert a big ratio of fruit/crumble. You can also use 3 or 4 pears.
• When you are scattering the crumble mixture over the pear, do not press on it as you want to keep it light and airy. This will help the topping be crispier and feel less dense.
• For a sweeter topping, you can also sprinkle some brown sugar or coconut sugar over the crumble before baking or add a little more maple syrup to the pear filling.
• Depending on your oven and how you sliced the pears, you might need to bake it for a little longer (such as 40 minutes). In this case, you might want to cover the dish with aluminum foil if you don't want it to keep browning further.

Serving suggestions

We love this gluten-free pear crumble either at room temperature or warmed up slightly.

If you have some, then top the pear crumble with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream (we love this plant-based cashew milk ice cream). You can dust a little cinnamon over for a stronger spice flavor. 

Here are a few more fun toppings to try:

• Coconut yogurt
• Vegan whipped cream
• Drizzle of maple syrup
• Salted tahini caramel or vegan date caramel
• Vegan custard

This pear crumble is also great with a warm drink, especially on a chilly night. This spiced cardamom latte and dirty chai latte (which can be made warm) would pair perfectly with this fall treat. If looking for a non-caffeinated drink, then try this pumpkin spiced milk, warm apple cider or this oat milk hot chocolate! 

Variations to the recipe

You can modify this recipe to your liking, this pear crumble is pretty forgiving and has some room for customization! Here are a few ideas:

• Dried fruit: this vegan fall dessert would be amazing with some raisins or tart cranberries. Add them to the pear filling so they don't dry out while baking.
• Nuts: instead of walnuts, you can use chopped almonds, pecans or hazelnuts. Pumpkin seeds would also be great and give it a nice crunch.
• Spices: feel free to play around with the spices. You can also include cardamom, pumpkin spice mix, chai spices mix, ground ginger, cloves, five spices, etc.
• Fruit: I like to mix different fruits when making crumbles. In this case, you can do a classic mix of pears and apples or include some berries, especially strawberries.
• Flavoring ingredients: you can include vanilla extract, lemon juice or zest or almond extract in your crumble.

Storage tips

You can keep the leftovers on the counter at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, transfer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

I highly recommend reheating the crumble slightly before enjoying it, especially if grabbing a portion straight from the fridge. To do that, you can simply use the microwave (about 20-30 seconds at a time) or use a mini oven (at 350º for 7-10 minutes). 

FAQs

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I hope you like this vegan pear crumble recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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