Move over apples. This fall, pears deserve a little more of that spotlight and it's all thanks to this delicious, autumn-inspired Pear Cobbler! It comes stacked with a sweet and gooey, cinnamon-spiced, fresh pear filling with a fluffy, golden buttermilk biscuit crumble on top.
Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dreamy dollop of whipped cream at the holiday table! It's the perfect dessert for a crowd!
Love cobbler? Bookmark this Peach Cobbler for next time!
HOW TO MAKE PEAR COBBLER
Pear Cobbler is a simple, 3-part recipe that comes together easily and quickly. You'll begin by assembling the filling, and then making a sweet buttermilk crumble topping to go on top!
There's not too much prep required ahead of time, but you'll want to be sure you have your oven properly preheated and a greased 9x13" pan ready to go. Also, peel and cut your pears into ¼" slices.
1. MAKE THE PEAR FILLING
First, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Then, add the sliced pears to the sugar mixture and use either your hands or a wooden spoon to toss and coat. Once the pears are evenly coated in the mixture, squeeze in the fresh lemon juice, add the vanilla, and toss once more.
Add the filling to the prepared casserole and move on to making the topping!
2. MAKE THE COBBLER TOPPING
To kick off your sweet, buttermilk biscuit crumble for this Pear Cobbler, first add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Then, add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mix and work it into the dough using a pastry blender or two butter knives. Stop once the mixture resembles small coarse peas.
Lastly, add the buttermilk and stir until a dough forms.
If you want to try something different next time, you should definitely check out our Crumble Topping. It works great on a number of desserts! If you are a pie fanatic, bookmark our Pie, Crumbles, and Tarts for next time!
QUICK TIP
Do you have a food processor? If so, you can bypass all the elbow grease by adding the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted blade attachment.
Process briefly to mix, then, add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the butter is broken up. With the food processor running, stream in the buttermilk through the feed tube. Once the dough comes together, stop the food processor, and you’re done!
3. ASSEMBLE AND BAKE
Once the crust comes together, pinch off and drop small clumps of it over the pear filling. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350°F. Allow the Pear Cobbler to cool and set up slightly before serving and enjoy! Do you love to bake? Check out these crowd favorite Baking Recipes!
INGREDIENTS FOR PEAR COBBLER
- Pears | Green Anjou pears were used when developing this recipe. This specific variety of pear has a firmer texture than most and bakes very much like an apple. If you have another type of pear on hand, you can use it, just keep in mind the filling might not require as much time to soften up. More on that below.
- Sugar | You will need both granulated and brown sugar for this Pear Cobbler recipe. The granulated sugar will be used in both the filling and the cobbler topping. The brown sugar, on the other hand, will go only into the filling. This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but feel free to sub in dark brown sugar if it is all you have.
- Spices | Cinnamon, ground allspice and cloves are all the spices you need to add warm and cozy fall feels to your Pear Cobbler! Cinnamon is used both in the filling and in the topping.
- Vanilla | Vanilla boosts the flavor of both the spices and the pears in the filling! Pure vanilla extract is best.
- Lemon Juice | Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bright, tart undertone to this fall dessert, while simultaneously enhancing the flavor of the pears.
- Flour | Flour is used for both the topping and as a thickener in the filling. Be sure to use only all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Baking Powder | Baking powder enables your cobbler topping to puff up into gorgeously golden, fluffy crumbles. Do not confuse it with baking soda!
- Butter | You'll need cold, unsalted butter for the Pear Cobbler topping. Keep in mind, cold and unsalted are keywords and matter when it comes to the success of this recipe!
- Buttermilk | Buttermilk adds tang and tenderness to the cobbler topping.
WHAT TYPES OF PEARS TO USE
Green Anjou pears were used to develop this recipe and therefore work best, but (as mentioned above), if you have another variety on hand, feel free to use it.
A word of caution: super soft pear varieties and overly ripened pears will soften and cook through faster than a crisper pear. If this is the case, you'll want to shave 5 or so minutes from the bake time.
HOW TO SERVE IT
Pear Cobbler can be served warm or at room temperature. However, you'll want to allow 20-30 minutes of rest time before serving it. As the cobbler cools, the sugar mixture coating the pears will thicken up into a sweet, cinnamon-spiced, gooey masterpiece!
Serve it with a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream, a heaping spoonful of homemade whipped cream, or a decadent drizzle of Créme Anglaise.
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
Store any leftover Pear Cobbler in the refrigerator. You can leave it in the casserole dish and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Or transfer it to an airtight container. Your cobbler will stay good for about 3 days.
To reheat it for a single serving, transfer a serving to a microwave-safe plate and heat it on high power for 45 seconds to one minute.
CAN I FREEZE IT?
Yes! Pear Cobbler will freeze and reheat wonderfully! Freeze your leftovers in an airtight container with very little headspace for up to 3 months.
5 MORE DESSERT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Pear Cobbler
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed and separated
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, separated
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, separated
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 ½ pounds (about 8) Anjou pears peeled and cut into ¼" slices
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING:
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into ¼" cubes
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and have ready a 9x13" greased casserole dish.
MAKING THE FILLING:
- In a large bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves. Add the pears, as well as the lemon juice and vanilla, and toss until the pears are coated with the sugar-spice mix. Spread across the bottom of the casserole dish and set aside.
MAKE THE TOPPING:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and cut it into the dry mix using a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles small, pea-sized crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough forms.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
- Pinch small handfuls of the dough together, tear, and drop in small clumps onto the pear filling.
- Bake for 45 minutes, allow to cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!
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Meagen says
We loved this so much. I always see apple and peach recipes but I've never tried a cobbler with pear, it was incredible! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Sandra Shaffer says
This came out fantastic! I've been looking for a pear dessert idea because pears are my favorite fruit. I doubled the topping - love that thick cobble part and served with whipped cream. This is a keeper!
Jane Saunders says
Makes a great change from our regular crumble but is just as easy to prepare. Delicious - thanks for this recipe.