Pear and Blackberry Crumble

I have got the perfect fall dessert for you! My pear and blackberry crumble. It is filled with fall flavors and really easy to throw together. Plus it tastes like fall all in one bite. 

Couple things about the recipe. First I know technically blackberries are not really seasonal to fall but I love the way that it adds a little tartness to the dessert, as well as turns the filling a gorgeous red. You could also use frozen blackberries or fresh cranberries, but if you use cranberries, add a little more sugar to the filling.  Also if you wanted to make this gluten-free just replace the flour in the topping with something like almond flour or oat flour. Lastly, the bake time is going to depend a lot on the size of your dish. I used an Apilco souffle dish that was really deep but if you would rather use another baking pan, feel free to, but adjust the bake time accordingly.  And finally if you don't have a food processor for the topping you can use your hands to combine it, just make sure to finely chop the pecans before adding them. 

Pear and Blackberry Crumble

For the filling: 

  • 2 1/2 - 3 lbs firm but ripe pears
  • 1 1/2 cups blackberries (1 pint or 6 oz.)
  • 1 Tbs. orange zest
  • 2 Tbs. orange juice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 Tbs. corn starch 

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of cloves
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut up into cubes

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. 

In a large bowl combine the pears, blackberries, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and corn starch. Mix well to combine. Carefully pour mixture into a a medium to large sized baking dish - (I used a large soufflé dish with 1 1/2 quart capacity)

In the bowl of a food processor pulse to combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, pecans, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has come together and pulls away from the sides of the food processor.  Sprinkle topping over fruit mixture evenly and bake for 1 hour or until the crumble is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving. 

Serves 6 to 8 people