Caramel Apple Pear Crisp Recipe
This Caramel Apple Pear Crisp recipe is a classic dessert full of flavor with sweet apples and pears baked in a creamy caramel sauce with a buttery oat topping. Easy to make and enjoy for special occasions, holidays, or a weeknight treat.
Easy Fall Dessert
Fresh juicy apples are one of my favorite parts of fall. One of the best things about apples is how they taste so good in a variety of ways. Some of my favorites are dipping them in an apple dip, enjoying them in a sweet pie, or making a simple applesauce.
When I need a showstopper dessert, this Caramel Apple Pear Crisp is a must-have recipe. Everyone is familiar with apple crisp but the caramel and pears make it unique. It is a twist on a classic dessert that everyone will enjoy with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top. Easy enough for a weeknight treat but always a hit at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday meal.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
It is filled with fresh apples and pears, covered in warm caramel.
An indulgent dessert that tastes delicious with ice cream or whipped cream.
Always a popular choice at any gathering.
Ingredients
- Apples– Truly any type of apple will taste fantastic in this dessert with only subtle differences. For a more crispy apple, try Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. For a softer and slightly sweeter apple, try Gala or Fuji.
- Pears– Most varieties of pears work for this recipe. Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou pair nicely with apples.
- Caramel– Either homemade or jarred would taste fantastic. Premade caramel is often found in both the fresh produce section and the ice cream topping section in grocery stores.
- Old-fashioned oats– The key ingredient in the crispy topping. Quick oats could also be used but will have a slightly more powdery texture similar to flour.
- Lemon juice– This helps to keep the apples and pears from browning too quickly.
- Butter– It is easiest to crumble when it is softened but still cool.
- All-purpose flour
- White granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
How to make it
This crisp is so simple to make. All you have to do is:
- Make topping- Mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Then add the cubed butter and make the crispy top. The best way to do this is with a pastry cutter, a fork, or by using your hands. Mix until there are pea-sized pieces. Set this aside in the refrigerator until ready to put it on top.
- Mix filling– Add flour, white sugar, and cinnamon to a small bowl and set this aside.
- Prepare the apples and pears– Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples and pears and place them in a large bowl. You will want them to be around 1/4 inch in thickness. Toss them with lemon juice to keep them from browning too quickly. Now add the filling mix and stir it all together so that all of the apples and pears are covered in the cinnamon sugar. Pour them into the baking pan.
- Add caramel and topping– Drizzle the caramel all over the top of the apples and pears. Sprinkle the topping over the entire top of the apples and pears.
- Bake– Leave it uncovered and bake for around 45 minutes. The apples and pears will be softened, the caramel filling will be bubbling, and the oat top will be slightly browned and crispy.
- Enjoy– Serve it warm by itself or with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle a little more caramel over the top for an extra burst of sweetness.
Variations
- This recipe works well as an Apple Crisp or Pear Crisp. Just use all of one fruit.
- If it tastes a little too sweet, reduce the granulated white sugar in half for the filling or leave out the caramel sauce.
- Try different fruit combinations like apple cranberry or pear blueberry.
Make Ahead Options
This dessert is easy to make ahead. Just prepare as directed before baking and cover. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes of baking time for a cold crisp.
You can also freeze it! Cover it tightly in an air-tight container and freeze an unbaked crisp for up to three months before baking. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple Crisp does not need to be refrigerated. Cover in an air-tight container and it will last at room temperature for up to 2 days. However, the crisp will last up to 5 days if refrigerated.
The only difference is that a crisp has oats in the streusel topping and a crumble does not.
If the crisp filling is a little runny, be sure to allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. The filling will thicken as it cools.
Helpful Tips
* Allow the crisp to cool for at least 15 minutes to allow the filling to thicken.
* Softened butter is easier to crumble and mix together for the streusel topping.
* The streusel topping will start to soften slightly once refrigerated but still tastes yummy.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐ review below and tag me @whiskfulcooking on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Caramel Apple Pear Crisp Recipe
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 6 medium/large apples
- 4 medium/large pears
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce homemade or jarred (plus a little extra to drizzle on top)
Oat Streusel Topping
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter softened but cool
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray or grease a 9×13 inch pan and set aside.
- Prepare oat topping– in a medium-sized bowl, mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then add the cubed butter and mix together with a pastry cutter, a fork, or by using your hands until you have pea-sized pieces. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Prepare filling– in a small bowl, mix flour, white sugar, and cinnamon and set aside.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples and pears around 1/4 inch in thickness and place them in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice to keep from browning too quickly. Now add the cinnamon sugar filling mixture and stir together until all of the apples and pears are covered. Pour into the baking pan.
- Drizzle the caramel over the top of the apples and pears. Sprinkle the streusel oat topping over the top of the apples and pears.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until fruit is soft and topping is crispy and slightly golden brown. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
I made it for Thanksgiving. I love how you can make it the night before, which I did. I used canned pears and Granny Smith apples and I was told it is a keeper of a recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is so up my alley! I already have apples at home and I’m going to pick up some pears this week to try this. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Oh my gosh – that crumble topping looks divine! And any warm apple dessert topped with ice cream is a winner. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Perfect for fall!
This recipe looks so delicious and comforting. I want to make this as soon as possible! Thank you for the recipe Braghan.
I am so making this for Thanksgiving this year! I’m always looking for crowd-pleasing desserts and this one looks incredible. Thank you!
I love the addition of the pear and caramel sauce in this apple crisp. The perfect balance of fall flavors in one cozy dessert! Thanks so much for sharing!
Found this recipe scrolling. I had heard of apple crisp, but pear crisp is an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing.
I love that this recipe only takes 20 minutes! And perfect timing for the fall season.
Such an amazing idea to add apples and pear together! I am so much loving this recipe and can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
I cannot wait to make this recipe. I have made many apple crisp and many pear crisp but never thought of combining them together. Thanks for sharing.
Yum! I love the addition or caramel and this is easy to make gluten free so my whole family can enjoy it.
Oh my. What a great way to use up apples. My family loved this and why not, it was such a great combination of flavors.