Brown Butter Amaretto Pear Crisp (Regular + GF Options)
I am fully committed to pears right now. Well, I guess to be accurate, I’m *always* fully committed to pears, but I can’t always find good ones. And sad pears are…sad. But I’ve been finding the most insanely ripe, juicy, delicious Bartlett pears lately and I am HERE FOR IT. It’s been full steam ahead on pear crisps, pies, and cakes in this kitchen lately, and this brown butter amaretto pear crisp has been #1 on the list!
You might also like: Spiced Brown Butter Pear Cornmeal Cake (literally the best)
Fruit crisps are one of the unsung heroes of desserts. They’re so fast and easy to make, endlessly versatile based on the fruit you have on hand, great for making ahead, can be healthier or more indulgent based on your needs, and can accommodate quite a lot of dietary restrictions.
For instance I’ve made this one gluten-free for myself (notes on how below) and it’s naturally egg-free, but if you need it to be dairy-free, nut-free, or something else, that’s usually possible without sacrificing its deliciousness.
My #1 non-negotiable for this brown butter pear crisp is that you ABSOLUTELY have to have really great ripe juicy pears. I strongly prefer organic Bartletts (the newer Happi variety is similar), but if you have another variety you love, go with your heart.
One additional note, this pear crisp includes both amaretto and almond extract…counterintuitively those likely do not include tree nuts (e.g. Disaronno is safe for nut allergies), but check both yourself if that’s a concern. You don’t have to use both, so if you don’t have amaretto on hand you’ll still get the almond vibes from the almond extract.
How to make brown butter amaretto pear crisp
I’ve got the full detailed recipe instructions below so will just summarize here. Preheat your oven to 350 F, and you’ll need a 9×13.
First, brown the butter. I’ve got a detailed post on how to brown butter if you’re not used to it, it’s really easy. Set aside to cool slightly.
Next, dice your pears (I don’t remove the skin if it’s thin and soft), and add to a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, ginger, salt, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and lemon juice, and stir together.
Set aside for 10 minutes. Then add the amaretto and tapioca flour and stir everything together.
While the fruit is sitting, stir together the topping. Add the browned butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir together so everything is moistened.
Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish. Use your hands to distribute the topping as evenly as possible.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes…it will very much depend on the thickness of your filling and topping, but you want the filling to be bubbling up around the sides and the topping to get golden and smell amazing.
Let it sit for at least 10 minutes (more like 30 is ideal) to let the juices thicken and set.
Other fruit desserts you’ll obsess over:
- Apple Fritter Cookies with Spiced Maple Glaze
- Brown Butter Bourbon Peach Crisp
- Caramelized Apple Snack Cake
- Fresh Apricot Cherry Coffee Cake (a.k.a. Buckle)
- Easy Cranberry Snack Cake
- Pear Bourbon Crumble Pie
- Bourbon Cherry Crisp with Brown Butter Streusel
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Brown Butter Amaretto Pear Crisp (Regular + GF)
Ingredients
FILLING
- 6-8 large ripe juicy Bartlett pears
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to taste may need more if pears aren’t super sweet
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- A few drops of almond extract
- 3-4 tablespoons tapioca flour see notes
- 3 tablespoons of amaretto liqueur
TOPPING
- 10 tablespoons butter 1 stick
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cup flour I like combo white & white whole wheat; can use GF
- 3/4 cup of old fashioned oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of cardamom
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Get a glass (Pyrex) 9×13 pan out.
- First, brown the butter. Cut the butter into pieces slices and add to a medium skillet. Heat on medium until it melts , then continue to heat and stir as it starts to foam, then bubble and crackle, and finally quiet down and the bottom will get dark quickly. You want it to be a nice nutty brown but pull before it burns! I have a post on how to brown butter if you need more info. Set aside.
- Dice your pears (I don’t remove the skin if it’s thin and soft), and add to a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, ginger, salt, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and lemon juice, and stir together.
- To make the topping, add the browned butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir together so everything is moistened.
- Let sit for 10 minutes or so, while you can make the topping. Then add the amaretto and tapioca flour and stir everything together.
- Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish. Use your hands to distribute the topping as evenly as possible.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes…it will very much depend on the thickness of your filling and topping, but you want the filling to be bubbling up around the sides and the topping to get golden and smell amazing. Let sit for at least 10 minutes (more like 30 is ideal) to let the juices thicken and set.
Notes
- The trickiest part here is amounts on the fruit, as pears vary in size. I usually use 6 to 8 pears, but just use your judgment on amounts—the recipe is very flexible.
- Tapioca starch/flour best. Arrowroot or cornstarch can sub, but I haven’t had as great of experience with them really thickening.
- This can be made gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free flour. A 1:1 GF mix is best (like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur), or you can use a combination of 1:1 GF mix plus either oat flour or the Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose GF.
