A sweet and crunchy crisp, topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, is the perfect dessert this holiday season. What better what to get into the Christmas spirit than with my Gingerbread Pear Apple Crisp? This warm and cozy crisp is filled with tender chopped pears and apples and is topped with a crunchy gluten-free crisp topping that is sweet and slightly spicy, thanks to the gingerbread flavor. Your family and friends are sure to love it!
Friends, after sharing the best classic gingerbread men recipe a few years ago, I have been scheming up new ways to incorporate gingerbread into your favorite desserts. After all, while gingerbread men are delicious, they are certainly not the only way to enjoy these perfect Christmas flavors! A prime example of this, is with this delicious Gingerbread Crisp that’s perfect for serving on Christmas Day, or at all of your festive holiday parties!
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good crisp recipe. It’s the perfect low-fuss recipe that has everything that you could want in a dessert: warm, soft fruit, a crunchy crisp topping, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. This recipe includes both fresh chopped apples and pears that, when stewed together with the spices, are tender, warm, and have just enough bite while practically melting in your mouth. If you love apple pie, then you will love this recipe!
Plus, I also think of this crisp as the perfect “clean out the fridge / pantry” recipe. If you have apples that are on the verge of spoiling, then this recipe is the perfect way to use and disguise them. If you’re looking for more delicious crisp recipes, then you need to try my Healthy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp or my Best Ever Paleo Peach Crisp. You’re going to love them!
What You Need to Make This Gluten-Free Gingerbread Dessert
- Apples and Pears: The combination of apples and pears are absolutely delicious in this recipe! I recommend using a sweeter variation of apple specifically, such as honey crisp apples and bosc pears, to ensure that this recipe has the best flavor.
- Orange and Lemon: The juice and zest of one lemon and one orange adds the perfect citrusy flavor to this recipe!
- Molasses: Molasses is a thick, dark, sugary syrup that adds a rich flavor to this crisp. it’s a quintessential ingredient when it comes to classic gingerbread, and this recipe is no exception.
- Sugar: You’ll need a combination of both coconut sugar and granulated cane sugar in order to make this recipe. If you don’t want to use cane sugar, you can also substitute monk fruit sweetener instead!
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: To keep this recipe gluten-free, I recommend using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. However, you can also use traditional all-purpose flour, if you prefer.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger: The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger is essential to making gingerbread, which makes them perfect for this recipe – don’t skip them!
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats not only add fiber, but also add a bit of crunch and texture to the crumble topping.
- Pecans: Pecans are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, making them a delicious addition to this recope.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use either dairy or non-dairy butter, in this recipe. Both work just as well!
- Kosher Salt: A pinch of kosher salt helps to balance out the sweetness in this gingerbread crisp.
How to Make This Festive Holiday Crisp
To make this crisp, start by preheating your oven to 375 F. Next, prepare the baking dish. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with oil spray and set it aside. You can also grease it with butter, if preferred. Prepare the apples and pears. Wash them thoroughly and peel them to remove the skins, then chop them into small pieces. Once they’re chopped, add them to a large bowl. Next, squeeze the orange juice and lemon juice on top of the apples and pears, then add in the orange zest, lemon zest, molasses, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
Toss to coat the apples and pears well, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to spread them out evenly, so that the apples and pears are in one layer. Next, prepare the crisp topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans. Then, cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices and use your hands to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients, until the texture begins to resemble a course, wet sand.
Transfer the crumble topping over top of the apples and pears and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
Then, cover the baking dish with foil and transfer the crisp to the oven and allow it to bake for 35-40 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, remove the foil cover and place the baking dish back in the oven to continue to bake for the last 15-20 minutes.
Once the crisp is done and golden brown on top, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with warm vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Any variation of apples or pears works in this recipe. I recommend using a sweeter variation of apples and pears, such as honey crisp apples or Bosc pears.
While you technically can leave the skins on, I highly recommend peeling them to ensure a softer and more delicious texture.
Yes! While this recipe calls for gluten-free all-purpose flour, you can definitely use conventional all-purpose flour, if preferred. As always, I recommend using what you already have!
Yes, you can! Simply follow steps 1-9 in the recipe card below. Once the crisp has been prepared, cover it with foil and transfer it to the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you’re ready to bake it, follow the rest of the instructions.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 4 Honey Crisp Apples, peeled and sliced
- 3 Bosc Pears, peeled and sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Molasses
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar or Monk Fruit Sweetener
- 3 Tablespoons Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
For the Crisp Topping:
- ¾ Cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup Rolled Oats
- ¾ Cup Coconut Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ Cup Pecans, chopped
- ½ Cup Unsalted Vegan Butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces – can also use regular butter
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- To make this crisp, start by preheating your oven to 375 F.
- Next, prepare the baking dish. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with oil spray and set it aside. You can also grease it with butter, if preferred.
- Prepare the apples and pears. Wash them thoroughly and peel them to remove the skins, then chop them into small pieces. Once they're chopped, add them to a large bowl.
- Next, squeeze the orange juice and lemon juice on top of the apples and pears, then add in the orange zest, lemon zest, molasses, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
- Toss to coat the apples and pears well, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to spread them out evenly, so that the apples and pears are in one layer.
- Next, prepare the crisp topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans.
- Then, cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices and use your hands to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients, until the texture begins to resemble a course, wet sand.
- Transfer the crumble topping over top of the apples and pears and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Then, cover the baking dish with foil and transfer the crisp to the oven and allow it to bake for 35-40 minutes.
- At the 20 minute mark, remove the foil cover and place the baking dish back in the oven to continue to bake for the last 15-20 minutes.
- Once the crisp is done and golden brown on top, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve with warm vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Rate & review
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What others are saying
SO GOOD – made this for a small dinner party and it was a hit. I had To use a bigger baking dish (might have had big fruits) and then wished I’d doubled the topping part because it was absolutely incredible. I will 100% make again.
Really good! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a hit! I am gluten and dairy free so I was super excited to come across this recipe on IG! I couldn’t find molasses so I used honey instead. Delicious and will definitely be making it again!