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Double stack of white plates with serving of caramel pear crisp and vanilla ice cream.

Divine Caramel Pear Crisp

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

Pear Filling:

  • 4 pounds ripe pears (about 8 medium pears), peeled, cored and diced into 3/4-inch pieces (see note)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons (27 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup (340 g) caramel sauce, homemade or store bought (see note)

Streusel Topping:

  • 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170 g) (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces

For Serving:

  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Additional caramel sauce

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside (a slightly smaller pan will work fine, too).
  • For the pear filling, in a large bowl, add the pears, lemon juice, flour and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
  • Add the caramel sauce and stir to combine well.
  • Spread the pears evenly in the prepared pan.
  • For the streusel topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Add the butter and use a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
  • Spread the streusel topping evenly over the pears.
  • Bake the crisp until the pears are tender and the streusel is golden and edges are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Remove the crisp from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes for the filling to thicken and set up.
  • Serve the crisp warm or at room temperature.
  • If desired, serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and/or a drizzle of additional caramel sauce.

Notes

Pears: Don't dice the pears too small or they'll cook down too much/get mushy while baking. I prefer using Bartlett pears for this recipe. 
Amount of Caramel Sauce: For a less sweet filling, the caramel sauce can be reduced by 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
Homemade Caramel Sauce: This homemade caramel sauce or this 10-minute caramel sauce work great in the recipe.
Streusel: This recipe makes a delightfully thick layer of streusel. For a more moderate amount, use the following ingredient amounts: 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup oats, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2/3 cup butter.