Pear Crumble with Canned Pears

Name: Pear Crumble with Canned Pears
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 46 oz canned sliced pears in heavy syrup ((drained)); 2 tsp cinnamon; 2 tbsp lemon juice; ¾ cup salted butter ((melted; 1.5 sticks)); 1 ½ cup packed light brown sugar; 1 cup rolled oats; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ cup crushed pecans ((optional))

This easy pear crumble with canned pears has a warm cinnamon filling and buttery oat topping. This is a quick pantry dessert with minimal prep!

a spoonful of pear crumble, featuring crispy topping, canned pears, and pecans.

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Pear Crumble: What You Need to Know

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

This recipe might look a little familiar - and that's because it is! I took our Applesauce Crisp recipe from Tuesday and gave it a pear-inspired remix. This Pear Crumble comes together with almost no prep and can be made any time of year thanks to canned pears.

Underneath a buttery brown sugar topping is a warm cinnamon pear filling with just enough lemon juice to balance the sweetness. It's perfect for a cool fall night, but works year-round as a last-minute dessert!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 8

Baking Difficulty: Easy

Made with pantry staples

Optional pecans add a delicious crunch

Easy to serve with ice cream or whipped cream

I hope you love this easy dessert recipe!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for pear crumble with canned pears, oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)

Canned sliced pears: Use pears packed in heavy syrup, but drain them before adding them to the baking dish. No need to rinse or blot them completely dry, but do not add any of the drained syrup to the baking dish.
Salted butter: Melt the butter before mixing the topping. Salted butter helps balance the sweetness of the pears and brown sugar.
Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the topping the best texture. Skip steel-cut oats - they stay too firm.
Pecans: These are optional, but they add a great crunch and a nutty flavor. You can totally leave them out if you prefer, though.

Additions & Substitutions

Add ginger: Stir ¼ teaspoon ground ginger into the pear filling for a little bit more spice without overpowering the pears.
Add nutmeg: Mix in a tiny pinch of nutmeg to complement the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Use walnuts instead of pecans: Replace the pecans with the same amount of crushed walnuts for a slightly earthier flavor and plenty of crunch.
Add vanilla: Stir a splash of vanilla extract into the pears along with the lemon juice for a more bakery-style flavor.
Make individual pear crumbles: Divide the filling and topping among oven-safe ramekins. Begin checking them before the full 35-minute baking time, since smaller portions may bake quicker.

How to Make Pear Crumble with Canned Pears

combining canned pears, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a glass baking dish.

mixing flour, oats, pecans, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a glass bowl.

Prepare the oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 7x11" baking dish or another 2-quart baking dish. A square ceramic or glass dish works best, but any oven-safe dish with a similar capacity is fine to use.
Make the pear filling. Add the well-drained pear slices right into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and pour the lemon juice over the top. Gently stir until the pears are evenly coated.
Mix the crumble topping. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and optional crushed pecans. Stir until evenly moistened and the mixture looks like wet sand. A few larger chunks are actually good - they bake into those buttery pieces.

pouring the pecan crumble topping over the canned pear mixture.

pear crumble after baking in a baking dish, on a cutting board.

Add the topping. Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the pear filling. Do not press it down. Keeping the topping loose helps it bake up golden and crispy.
Bake. Bake the pear crumble for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown. Since the canned pears are already tender, the baking time is mainly needed to heat the filling and bake the topping.
Cool before serving. Allow the crumble to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. The filling will be very hot and fairly loose when it first comes out of the oven, so resting helps the juices settle and makes the crumble easier to serve.

Leftovers & Storage

Storage: Allow the crumble to cool, then cover the baking dish or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating: For the crispiest topping, reheat the crumble in an oven-safe dish and warm it at 300°F until heated through. The oven is the best method when you want to restore some crispness to the topping.

You can also reheat it in the microwave - the topping just won't be as crisp. Microwave an individual serving in 30-second intervals until warm.

Freezing: While the finished crumble can technically be frozen, I wouldn't recommend it. Freezing and reheating can soften the canned pears and oat topping too much, giving you a soggy mess.

Close-up of pear crumble with canned pears in a glass baking dish.

Leslie's Testing Notes

Drain the pears well. Extra syrup will create more steam, which can make the bottom of the topping soft. You want just enough syrup clinging to the pears to coat them - nothing more. I found that letting the pears sit in a colander for about 5 minutes gave me enough moisture for the filling without making the topping soggy.
Keep the topping loose. Scatter it evenly over the fruit instead of pressing it into a thicker layer. Looser crumbs bake more evenly and give you a better texture.
Look for bubbling edges. The crumble is done when the topping is golden brown and the pear filling is bubbling around the sides of the dish.
Cover it if needed. If the topping browns before the filling starts bubbling, loosely cover the dish with foil and continue baking for a few more minutes.
How to serve: Pear crumble is so yummy with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, a little bit of sweetened Greek yogurt, or caramel sauce.

FAQs

You need 46 ounces of canned sliced pears before draining. That's roughly 3 standard cans of pears, but check the total weight on the labels rather than relying on the number of cans.

I love a resourceful question! 🙂 After draining the pears, you can save the syrup for smoothies, oatmeal, cocktails, homemade fruit sauce, or sweetening tea. It can really sweeten just about anything!

Absolutely! For the crispest topping, prep the pears and crumble mixture separately, cover, and refrigerate. Scatter the crumble over the fruit just before baking.

The melted butter might not have been mixed evenly through the flour, oats, and sugar. Keep stirring the crumble until the mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when gently squeezed.

This can be because of too much butter, or the topping may have been packed down too firmly. Measure the butter carefully and scatter the mixture loosely over the pears, so the crumbs can brown instead of melting into one thick layer.

Brown sugar is going to give that topping a deeper caramel flavor and a little bit softer texture. In a pinch, you can use granulated sugar, but the finished crumble will taste lighter and may be a little more crispy.

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I hope this one lands in your dessert rotation! If you give it a try, let us know what you think by leaving a rating/review in the comments. And don't forget to follow along for the latest recipes from Lamberts Lately!