These Insanely Good Pear Crumble Bars start with a simple brown sugar crumble that serves as both the base and the topping. Between those layers sits a bed of thinly sliced pears finished with a quick 30-second microwave caramel — fall dessert perfection.
Pears are an underrated fall fruit: versatile, sweet, and just as satisfying as apples or pumpkin. If you can find local pears at an orchard, grab them — but grocery-store pears work beautifully for this recipe as well.
Think of these bars as the love child of a dessert bar and a crisp, only made with pears. Thinly sliced pears are layered over a soft, brown-sugar crust, drizzled with a quick caramel, and finished with more crumbly topping for contrast and texture.
The caramel is refreshingly simple: heavy cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stirred smooth. It’s an easy shortcut that adds a rich, buttery layer without fuss.
Once baked, the bars are lightly golden with a tender crust and a moist pear filling. They’re best the first day, but stored in an airtight container they’ll keep at room temperature for up to three days.
Ready to try them? These bars are straightforward to assemble and deliver classic autumn flavors with minimal effort — perfect for potlucks, afternoon coffee, or a cozy weekend bake.
Happy fall and happy baking — embrace the pear!
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Insanely Good Pear Crumble Bars
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Ingredients
For the Crust + Crumble Topping
- 1 stick + 3 tbsp salted butter (11 tbsp total)
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Filling
- 3 medium pears, thinly sliced
- 4 tsp heavy cream
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp salted butter
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or grease it well. Set aside.
- Make the crust + topping: Soften the butter (about 20 seconds in the microwave). Cream the butter and brown sugar together, then add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until a crumbly dough forms. Reserve about 1 cup of the mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 10–12 minutes.
- Make the filling: While the crust bakes, thinly slice the pears. For the caramel, combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds; stir until smooth. When the crust is finished, arrange the pear slices evenly over it (a little overlap is fine). Pour the caramel over the pears and sprinkle the reserved crumble over the top.
- Bake: Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the topping is lightly golden.
- Serve + store: Let cool slightly before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; best the first day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
This post was originally published in October 2017 and updated with new photos.
Love dessert bars? Try the Strawberry Caramel Crumble Bars or the Peach Butter Crumble Bars on this site for more seasonal treats.