Community recipe
Gingered Apple-Pear Crumble with Brown Sugar Oats
Tender apples and pears bake beneath a crisp, buttery oat topping. A little ginger makes this comforting fruit crumble taste especially bright and fragrant.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
Get ready
Ingredients
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juices
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.33 cup packed light brown sugar
- 0.25 tsp fine salt
- 85 g unsalted butters, cold, cut into small cubes
Make it
Instructions
- 01
Heat the oven and grease the baking dish
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C). Brush the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tsp vegetable oil. | Why: A greased dish releases the fruit easily, and a hot oven helps the topping crisp.
- 02
Prepare the fruit
Wash and dry 3 apples and 2 pears. Peel, core, and cut them into roughly 3/4-inch pieces; place them in a large bowl. | Why: Similar-sized pieces soften at the same rate.
- 03
Season the filling
Add 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger to the bowl. Toss until the pieces are evenly coated, then spread the mixture in the greased baking dish. | Why: The spices flavor the fruit, while the starch thickens its juices as it bakes.
- 04
Make the oat crumble
In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp fine salt. Cut 85 g unsalted butter into small cubes and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips until pea-sized clumps form. Scatter the clumps evenly over the filling in the greased dish; leave them loose rather than pressing them down. | Why: Distinct butter-rich clumps bake into a crisp, craggy topping.
- 05
Bake until golden and bubbling
Set the dish on the center rack of the hot oven. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–40 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and thick fruit juices bubble at the edges. If the topping browns before the filling bubbles, lay a loose sheet of foil over the dish for the remaining baking time. | Why: Bubbling at the edges signals that the filling has heated enough to thicken.
- 06
Cool briefly and serve
Remove the dish from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface. Cool for 15 minutes, then spoon the warm crumble into 6 servings. | Why: A short rest lets the juices settle so each portion holds together better.
