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Insanely Good Pear Crumble Bars Recipe

Insanely Good Pear Crumble Bars

Buttery shortbread pear bars layered with cinnamon-spiced fruit and a crisp old-fashioned oat crumble. This recipe makes about 16 bars in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 16 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Pear Filling
  • 4 pears Ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and sliced or diced
  • 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg, optional
Crumble Topping
  • 1 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides so the cooled bars can be lifted out.
  2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and salt for the crust. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until a soft, crumbly dough forms, then press it evenly into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until it is just lightly golden. While it bakes, prepare the pear filling and crumble topping.
  4. Toss the prepared pears with 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and optional nutmeg. Spread the pear mixture evenly over the warm crust.
  5. Mix 1 cup flour, oats, and brown sugar for the topping. Cut or rub in the cold cubed butter until coarse crumbs form, then scatter the mixture evenly over the pears.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden and the pear filling is bubbling around the edges. Cool completely before lifting the slab from the pan and cutting it into about 16 bars.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, cool the bars completely and refrigerate them briefly before cutting. Bosc or Anjou pears work especially well because they stay pleasantly firm while baking.