Caramel Pear Crisp

This easy caramel pear crisp combines tender, juicy pears, rich caramel sauce, and a buttery crisp topping for an irresistible fall dessert.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m dying! This was SOOO good! Luckily I was able to hide a little bit to enjoy tomorrow while my kids are at school before my teenager finished off the rest of it. -Jackie

Why This Pear Crisp is The Best Dessert

I am a die-hard chocolate fan, and yet, this caramel pear crisp is one of my all-time favorite desserts ever! Here’s why:

1. Pears and caramel are a perfect match. Juicy, ripe pears are naturally sweet and flavorful, and the rich caramel sauce makes them even more delicious.
2. Don’t get mad, but…pears make a better fruit crisp than apples. The flavor! The texture! Plus, pears soften more quickly in the oven than apples and lend a creamy texture to the fruit filling.
3. Homemade or store-bought caramel works. Use a homemade caramel sauce or take the easy route with a tasty store bought version. Both options work well here.
4. The buttery streusel is irresistible. It bakes up golden and crisp, with pockets of warm caramel bubbling through the topping.
5. This crips is an easy, impressive dessert. The caramel pear crisp is so much more than the sum of it’s (very simple!) parts. It is especially exceptional served warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce.

Ingredients Notes

• Pears: You’ll need about 8 large, ripe pears for this crisp (4 pounds). Peel, core and dice the 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. 
• Fresh lemon juice: This ingredient helps the pears retain their bright color and also adds a pop of fresh flavor.
• All-purpose flour: The flour is used to help thicken the filling and
• Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is used in the filling and in the streusel topping.
• Caramel sauce: Homemade or store bought caramel sauce sweetens the pear filling. See the recipe notes for the homemade recipes that work well in this recipe. For store bought, I like Trader Joe’s or Ghirardelli caramel sauce.
• Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe. Lightly pack it into the cup to measure.
• Old-fashioned rolled oats: The oats add delicious heartiness to the streusel topping. I prefer using old-fashioned rolled oats, but quick oats can be subbed, if needed.
• Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the streusel by 1/4 teaspoon.

Not listed, but deliciously optional: vanilla ice cream and additional caramel sauce, for serving with lightly warmed pear crisp.

Additional Notes

• Choose ripe pears: The pears should give slightly when pressed near the stem but shouldn’t be overly soft or mushy. Very ripe pears can break down too much while baking.
• Adjust the sweetness: Pears vary quite a bit in sweetness. If your pears are especially ripe and sweet, consider reducing the caramel sauce just a bit in the filling.
• Peel the pears: I know, I know, pears can be a bit annoying to peel, but don’t skip this step. The pear skins alter the texture of the filling (and not for the better!).
• Watch the salt: Salted caramel sauce will give the dessert more contrast. If the caramel sauce you are using is fairly salty, you may want to slightly reduce the salt in the filling or streusel.
• Let it rest before serving: A 20- to 30-minute rest allows the filling to thicken and set up.

This caramel pear crisp has become one of my favorite ways to enjoy pears! The pear filling, buttery streusel, and bubbling caramel are so good together.

If pear desserts don’t usually make it onto your must-make list, give this one a chance. It has won so many people over (including me!). I think you are going to love it.

Divine Caramel Pear Crisp

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

4.77 stars (86 ratings)

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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

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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.

Author: Mel

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake, Stovetop

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 555kcal, Carbohydrates: 99g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 390mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 65g

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Cookware

Wooden Spoon

Mixing Bowl

Recipe Source: caramel sauce from me, pear filling and topping adapted from Cuisine at Home “Celebrate the Seasons”

Recipe originally published October 2014; updated August 2026 with new photos, recipe notes, etc

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