Pear & Dried Cherry Crisp with Walnut Streusel
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A comforting combination of sweet pear & tart dried cherries, plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup.
Rustic desserts that pair soft, tart fruit with buttery-crisp toppings are one of my favorite things to bake: they’re easy to throw together, completely foolproof, and always warm and comforting. Recipes abound but this one, modestly adapted from Bon Appétit, is a stand-out thanks to the combination of sweet D’Anjou pear and tart dried cherries, which are plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup before baking.
“It’s fantastic! I could eat the entire pan, but won’t.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pear And Cherry Crisp
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the base structure for the streusel topping. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and a crisp texture to the streusel. In the filling, the sugar sweetens the fruit and helps create a caramel-like sauce.
- Nutmeg & Cinnamon: Infuse warm, spicy flavors that complement the pears and cherries.
- Butter: Creates a crispy, crumbly texture in the streusel and adds richness to the fruit filling.
- Walnuts: Add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the streusel.
- Orange Juice & Orange Zest: Provide a bright, citrusy note that balances the sweetness of the fruit.
- Vanilla: Enhances the flavor of the fruit and adds warmth.
- Dried Cherries: Add tartness and a chewy texture to the filling.
- D’Anjou Pears: The main fruit component, offering a soft texture and sweet flavor when baked.
- Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream: Optional (but delicious!) for serving with the crisp.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by making the walnut streusel topping.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
Add the cold butter.
Rub the butter in with your fingertips until mixture begins to clump together.
It should look like this.
Stir in the walnuts, then cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Combine the sugar, butter, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a medium pan.
Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
Add the cherries.
Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cherries begin to soften and the liquid is caramel colored and thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then add the pears (it’s important to do this right away, as the pears cool the mixture and prevent it from over-caramelizing); stir until pears are evenly coated with caramel sauce.
Transfer the fruit mixture to a small baking dish.
Sprinkle the walnut streusel mixture evenly over top.
Then bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pears are tender and the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
This dessert is best served warm out of the oven. You can prepare the streusel and fruit filling ahead of time, but keep them separate in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, top the fruit with the streusel and bake as directed. The recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
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Pear & Dried Cherry Crisp with Walnut Streusel
A comforting combination of sweet pear & tart dried cherries, plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup.
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
For the Filling
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 4 large D'Anjou pears, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and generously butter a 1½ or 2-quart baking dish (I use a small 1½ quart ceramic oval dish, but an 8 x 8 square baking dish will also work).
- Make the streusel: Whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture begins to clump together. Stir in the walnuts. Cover and refrigerate.
- Make the Filling: Combine the sugar, butter, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a medium pan. Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Add the dried cherries, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cherries begin to soften and the liquid is caramel colored and thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the pears (it's important to do this right away, as the pears cool the mixture and prevent it from over-caramelizing); stir until the pears are evenly coated with caramel sauce.
- Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pears are tender and the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm or room temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Note: This dessert is best served warm out of the oven. You can prepare the streusel and fruit filling ahead of time, but keep them separate in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, top the fruit with the streusel and bake as directed. The recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The crisp can be frozen tightly covered for up to 3 months. Before serving, reheat it, uncovered, in a 300°F oven until heated through and crisp on top.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 471
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Sugar: 41 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 103 mg
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Do the pears need to be ripe ?
Hi Kim, they don’t need to be super ripe, but you also don’t want them to be rock hard.
This is so delicious!! Will definitely make this again and again.
Forgot to tell yall I am allergic to walnuts so I substituted Costco’s Praline Pecans. So Yummy
I am not an apple crisp fan so this crisp was right up my alley. I like how unique the flavor is with the walnut and nutmeg topping, and the cherry, orange and pear filling. My husband (who is an apple crisp nut) wasn’t sure about it at first, because it is such a departure from a traditional apple crisp but after finishing his first serving, he has not been able to stop eating it. Really cool recipe, Jenn!
Hi Jenn,
Is it ok to use sweetened dried cherries in this recipe? Dried cherries are hard to find here in Sydney, Australia at the moment! Alternatively, I have cranberries which, I note in the comments, another person has used. Perhaps they are a better option? Thanks so much!
Anne.
Hi Anne, Yes, I actually use sweetened cherries (I just updated the recipe to make it more clear). Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Thanks so much Jenn. I made it with dried cranberries and oooh la la!! Amazingly delicious!!
I have since found plain dried cherries but great I can also use sweetened onesl!! If anyone from Australia is making this, I used a red pear called Red Angel. Apparently only available at Woolworths. They are quite large and worked beautifully in this recipe.
Jenn every recipe I have made has been fabulous except for tiramisu….I suspect the biscuits weren’t the right kind. Need to try that one again sometime. Really appreciate your help.
So glad it came out well – thanks for reporting back!
It’s fantastic! I could eat the entire pan, but won’t.
Delicious dessert! All the flavors came together so well! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Can this made with canned pears?
Unfortunately not — they will be too mushy. Sorry!