22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Home Recipes Dessert Fruit Crisps, Crumbles, and Cobblers

Pear & Dried Cherry Crisp with Walnut Streusel

Jump to Recipe
By Jenn Segal
Save Recipe
Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

A comforting combination of sweet pear & tart dried cherries, plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup.

Baking dish of pear and dried cherry crisp with walnut streusel.

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.

Table of Contents

“It’s fantastic! I could eat the entire pan, but won’t.”

Pam M

What You’ll Need To Make Pear And Cherry Crisp

Crisp ingredients including pears, dried cherries, and an orange.
  • 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.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Add the cold butter.

Pieces of butter in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Rub the butter in with your fingertips until mixture begins to clump together.

Person rubbing butter into dry ingredients.

It should look like this.

Bowl of dry ingredients with butter rubbed in.

Stir in the walnuts, then cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Walnuts in a bowl with a butter mixture.

Combine the sugar, butter, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a medium pan.

Butter, sugar, and flavorings in a sauce pan.

Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.

Sauce pan of boiling butter mixture.

Add the cherries.

Dried cherries in a pan with a butter mixture.

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.

Dried cherries in a sauce pan with a butter mixture.

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.

Pears in a pan with a cherry mixture.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a small baking dish.

Pears pouring into a baking dish.

Sprinkle the walnut streusel mixture evenly over top.

Baking dish topped with a streusel topping.

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.

Baked-Pear-&-Dried-Cherry-Crisp-with-Walnut-Streusel

You May Also Like

Print

Pear & Dried Cherry Crisp with Walnut Streusel

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal, adapted from Bon Appétit

A comforting combination of sweet pear & tart dried cherries, plumped up in an orange-scented caramel syrup.

Servings: 6
Total Time: 1 Hour

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

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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.

See more recipes:

Comments

Load Previous

  • If I want to omit the orange juice and zest, do I need to substitute anything in its place? Specifically, do I need to substitute another liquid in the caramel mixture in place of the orange juice? Thanks!

    • Hi Lesley, No need to substitute the orange juice with another liquid. Hope you enjoy!

  • Hello, Could I make this in individual (8 oz) ramekins? If so, what baking time and temperature would you recommend? Thank you!

    • Hi Debbie, I’ve never prepared this in ramekins, but I think it will be nice that way. I’d suggest checking them at about 20 minutes; just keep an eye on them!

  • Can I substitue dried cranberries for the cherries?

    • Sure! 🙂

  • Would this recipe work with frozen cherries?

    Thanks!

    • Unfortunately, they won’t work in this recipe – sorry!

  • Just tested this recipe for Thanksgiving. Oh my, it’s wonderful! Problem solved! Thank you. You never disappoint.

  • Can this be made with Bartlett pears?

    • Unfortunately, Bartletts won’t work here; they will get too mushy when baking. Sorry!

  • This streusel is absolutely delicious! I am not a big fan of desserts but made it for a girls dinner last night. I served it with ice cream and it was a huge hit! This will become a regular. What a great recipe to start your new weekly newletter!

  • I read this and I had to make it that night and it was Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing

  • Fruit desserts are my absolute favorite! This is a really nice variation on the classic Pear/Apple crumble. The flavors remind me a little of mincemeat.

  • This sounds so delish. I think this will be my next recipe to try. Sounds like something that would go great with vanilla ice cream.

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.