Pear Pie with Streusel Topping

Mix up your holiday table with this spiced pear pie topped with a buttery oat-flecked streusel topping!

No holiday season is complete without homemade pie. If you’re looking for a break from the classics and want to try something new this season, this Pear Pie with Streusel Topping is for you!

This pear pie offers the best of both worlds, especially if you have a hard time choosing between a traditional fruit pie and crisp.

This pie has it all: a flaky pie crust base, juicy fruit filling, and lightly spiced streusel topping.

As you may have noticed, we’re big fans of pear desserts around here. This tender Spiced Pear Cake and classic Pear Frangipane Tart are two personal favorites, but this pear pie recently joined the list.

Pear Pie Filling Ingredients:

• Peeled, Cored, and Chopped Pear – I recommend peeling the pears for best texture!
• All-Purpose Flour – this helps thicken the filling, similarly to cornstarch or tapioca starch
• Light Brown Sugar – for an extra dose of sweetness with that touch of molasses
• Fresh Lemon Juice – a touch of acid is essential in every pie and helps balance everything
• Baking Spices – including ground cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. The perfect trifecta of fall spices that pairs wonderfully with pear.
• Pure Vanilla Extract

Streusel Ingredients:

Similar to a fruit crisp, the streusel topping for this pie is a simple combination of: all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, and allspice to keep things consistent!), salt, and cubed unsalted butter.

Make-Ahead Tips:

Since this pie is a bit more labor-intensive, I recommend prepping various components in advance, particularly if you are serving this dessert during the holiday season. Here are my best make-ahead tips!

• Single Pie Crust: Pie dough can be prepared, shaped into a 1-inch round disc, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking. Pie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow frozen pie dough to thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator before using. You can also shape and assemble the dough in your pie dish up to 24 hours in advance; be sure to cover the surface of the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Streusel Topping: The streusel topping for this pear pie can be prepped ahead and stored in an airtight container (or Ziplock bag) in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Use it straight from the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Use straight from the freezer.
• Bake Ahead: While I love freshly baked pie, you can assemble and bake the pie the day before serving. To reheat, tent with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F/175°C oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and heat for an additional 15 minutes or until heated through.

How to Serve Pear Pie:

While you’ll be tempted to slice into pie as soon as it comes out of the oven, it is very important to allow the pie to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

This step allows the fruit filling to set and avoids a messy, loose filling. I love to serve this pie slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or drizzle of heavy cream. Lightly sweetened whipped cream or homemade custard are other great choices.

Pear Pie with Streusel Topping

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Yield: 8 Servings

Prep: 3 hours hours

Cook: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 2 hours hours

Total: 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Move aside apple pie, this Pear Pie offers us the best of both worlds, especially if you have a hard time choosing between a traditional fruit pie and crisp. This pie has it all: a flaky pie crust base, a juicy fruit filling, and a lightly spiced streusel topping!

For this recipe, it is important that you use firm, just barely ripe pears for best texture. Fully ripe or over-ripe pears will lose their shape and become mushy during baking. Please see additional notes in the article above.

Tips for Success: Be sure to factor in proper chill time (minimum 1-2 hours) for homemade pie dough or prep it a day or two in advance. See the note section for more make-head tips and instructions.

Equipment

• Half Sheet Pan
• Emile Henry Pie Dish

Ingredients

Single Crust Pie Dough:

• 1 ¼ cup (150 g) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick; 115 g) cold unsalted butter cut into ¼-inch cubes
• 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 mL) cold ice water plus more if needed *see instructions

Streusel Topping:

• ¾ cup (90 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (75 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons (70 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Pear Filling:

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 lbs (about 5-6 large) pears (*the pears should be firm and just barely ripe) such as Anjou, Bartlett, Comice, or Bosc
• ⅓ cup (75 g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Egg Wash (Optional):

• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon milk

Instructions 

Prepare and Assemble Pie Dough:

• Equipment Set aside a rolling pin, 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate (I highly recommend ceramic), pastry brush, bench scraper, kitchen scissors, and plastic wrap. You will need these items as you prepare and assemble the pie dough.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the cubed cold butter pieces and toss gently, so that each piece of butter is lightly coated in the flour mixture. Using your thumb and forefinger on both hands, press the butter cubes using your thumb and forefinger of both hands into shingles or thick discs. Break up any large pieces of butter with your fingers so they're no bigger than the size of a half walnut. If the butter pieces are too large, it can result in butter leaking during baking. If the dough becomes at all greasy, allow the mixture to chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before continuing.
• Add 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of the cold ice water, then toss and mix the ingredients together with your hands until the water has been evenly incorporated. If any bits are particularly dry, add a touch of water to those bits as needed. *Note: You will most likely need to use the full 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup; 60 mL) of water, but this can vary depending on your flour and the humidity of your kitchen. The dough will be slightly shaggy, but should be able to be pressed together with your hands. Transfer to your kitchen countertop, press the dough together, folding it over itself once or twice to laminate the dough and help bring it together.
• Gently shape the dough into a round disc, roughly 1-inch thick, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours (minimum) or 1-2 days ahead. Make-Ahead Tip: Pie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
• Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured countertop. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes if it is too cold. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 14-inch (35-cm) diameter circle rotating the dough continuously to ensure it is not sticking to the countertop. Be gentle and avoid stretching the dough. If the dough becomes too soft or difficult to work with, chill in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
• Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch (22-cm) pie pan. Gently lift and nudge the dough into the edges of the pan without stretching the dough. Using kitchen scissors, trim the overhang so that it extends no more than ¾-inch to 1-inch past the edge of the pan. Fold the edges under and crimp as desired. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush, cover the surface, tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the streusel topping and pear filling.

Preheat Oven and Prepare the Streusel Topping:

• Set a half sheet pan in the center rack of the oven and preheat the oven (and sheet pan) to 400°F (204°C). Note: If you have a baking stone or steel, set the half sheet pan on top for an extra blast of heat.
• Make the Streusel Topping: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ¾ cup (90g) unbleached all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (75g) rolled oats, ¼ cup (55g) light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon allspice, and ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Add 5 tablespoons (70g) cubed unsalted butter and toss to coat.
• Using your fingertips, work and press the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is well dispersed and there is a good mixture of smaller and larger crumbs. Chill topping in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the Filling:

• Put the lemon juice into a large mixing bowl. Peel the pears, cut in half, and core (*I use a small melon scooper for this). Chop into roughly ½-inch chunks and add to the lemon juice, tossing the pieces gently to coat. This will help them from oxidizing. Note: I like to peel, core, and chop one pear at a time, adding it to the lemon juice, and tossing before proceeding with the next pear.
• Add the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt to the bowl with the chopped pear. Toss the mixture together gently to incorporate the ingredients evenly.

Assemble and Bake:

• Prepare Egg Wash: Combine the egg and milk in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• Remove the shaped and chilled crust from the refrigerator. Gently transfer the pear filling with any juices into the pie shell, spreading it into an even, thick layer.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping over the pear mixture (it will be a thick and generous layer!). Brush the crimped edges of the pie dough lightly with the egg wash mixture. Transfer the pie dish onto the preheated half sheet pan in the oven. The added heat from the sheet pan will help the bottom crust cook through and brown, as well as catch any potential bubbling juices during baking.
• Bake the pie at 400°F (204°C) for 30 minutes; reduce the oven to 350°F (176°C) and continue baking for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden and the pear filling is just bubbling.
• Set pan on a wire rack and allow pie to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving. Allowing the pie to cool is important as it helps set and prevent a runny filling.
• Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of heavy cream. Custard or lightly whipped cream are other great choices.
• Storage Tips: Leftover pie can be covered with plastic wrap and kept out at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 4 to 5 days.

Make-Ahead Tips: 

• Single Pie Crust: Pie dough can be prepared, shaped into a 1-inch round disc, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking. Pie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow frozen pie dough to thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator before using. You can also shape and assemble the dough in your pie dish up to 24 hours in advance; be sure to cover the surface of the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Streusel Topping: The streusel topping for this pear pie can be prepped ahead and stored in an airtight container (or Ziplock bag) in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Use it straight from the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Use straight from the freezer.
• Bake Ahead: While I love freshly baked pie, you can assemble and bake the pie the day before serving. To reheat, tent with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F/175°C oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and heat for an additional 15 minutes or until heated through. 

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 539kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 429mg, Potassium: 179mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 589IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 4mg

Course: Pies, Tarts, and Pastries

Cuisine: American