This Apple Pear Crisp recipe is packed with tender apples and juicy pears, topped with a buttery cinnamon-oat crumble. Ready in under an hour, this easy fruit crisp is the perfect fall dessert!
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Move over, pumpkin bars. Step aside, caramel apple hand pies. There’s a new fall dessert favorite in town: Apple Pear Crisp!
When the air turns crisp and the fall fruits are at their peak, there’s nothing better than diving into a warm, bubbling fruit crisp. This recipe combines sweet-tart apples and juicy pears, all topped with a golden, oat crumble with plenty of cinnamon. It’s like the love child of an apple crisp and apple pie—but even easier to make!
Serve it fresh out of the oven with a drizzle of my boozy caramel sauce or scoops of vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got yourself a cozy, flavor-packed fall treat that’s perfect for chilly autumn nights. Bonus: it’s ready in under an hour!
And if you’re a fan of skillet desserts like my skillet chocolate chip cookie, you’ll love this one. There’s just something magical about grabbing a spoon and digging straight into a skillet of caramelized fruit topped with that irresistible crisp.
- Apples: I prefer Granny Smith or Cortlands but you can use any apple variety you like. See below for all my tips for the best apples to use!
- Pears: When it comes to the best pears for baking, Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou are my top picks. These varieties hold up well in the oven, giving you that sweet, juicy bite without turning mushy. Make sure your pears are ripe but still firm for the perfect texture.
- Lemon juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up the fruit filling and balances the sweetness.
- Flour and sugar: A light dusting of flour and sugar helps to thicken the fruit’s juices and adds just a little sweetness. We want those natural flavors to really shine through!
- Oats and brown sugar: The old-fashioned oats give the topping that irresistible crunch, while brown sugar brings a subtle caramel note.
- Cinnamon: Is it even fall baking without plenty of cinnamon? This spice is a must for that warm, cozy flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Best Apples for a Crisp
When it comes to making the perfect crisp, not all apples are created equal. Some varieties hold their shape and texture better during baking, while others can turn to mush and some are too sweet (think fuji and gala apples). Here are a few of my favorite apple picks:
- Granny Smith: Known for their tartness and firm texture, Granny Smith apples are a classic choice. They don’t break down during baking, giving you those perfect bites of tender yet slightly firm apple.
- Cortland: Slightly tart with a hint of sweetness, Cortlands are ideal for baking. They maintain their shape without turning mushy and resist browning when sliced, making them perfect if you’re prepping in advance.
- Honeycrisp: A sweeter, juicy apple that adds just the right amount of natural sugar.
- Golden Delicious: Mellow and sweet, these apples have a tender texture that complements tart apples perfectly.
Pro Tip: Mix and match two or more apple varieties, like Granny Smith and Cortland, for the best flavor and texture. A balance of tart and sweet gives the crisp an irresistible depth of flavor.
This apple pear crisp recipe can be made in a 10-inch skillet or pie plate. If you’re using a pie plate, I recommend placing it atop a baking sheet to catch any bubbling fruit juices.
- Make the fruit filling. In a large bowl, combine your diced apples, pears, flour, sugar and lemon juice.
- Pour the fruit filling into a buttered pie plate.
- Make the topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Then, stir in the melted butter until combined. Use your fingers to break up the topping mixture into clumps and sprinkle them evenly over the fruit filling.
- Sprinkle the crisp topping on the fruit in an even layer.
- Bake. Set your prepared pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes in a 350°F oven until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden brown.
All that’s left to do is top it off with a big ol’ scoop of your favorite ice cream or a dollop (or two!) of DIY whipped cream, grab the spoons and dig in.
Storage Tips
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or pop the whole crisp back into a 350°F oven to bring back that crunchy topping.
Ingredients
For the fruit filling:
- Unsalted butter, for greasing skillet
- 3 cups small diced and peeled apples (any variety)
- 3 cups small diced and peeled pears
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Make the fruit filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch skillet or pie plate with butter.
- In a large bowl, stir together the apples, pears, flour, sugar and lemon juice.
- Pour the fruit filling into the prepared pie plate.
Make the topping:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter until combined.
- Using your fingers, clump together the topping and sprinkle it on the fruit.
- Place the pie plate atop a baking sheet and bake the crisp until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
Kelly’s Notes
- This apple pear crisp recipe can be made in a 10-inch skillet or pie plate. If you’re using a pie plate, I recommend placing it atop a baking sheet to catch any bubbling fruit juices.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or pop the whole crisp back into a 350°F oven to bring back that crunchy topping.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Made this on Saturday and WOW! so delicious. I’ve never made a crisp before and this one was really easy to follow. I think I’ll make it again for Thanksgiving!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Marcy! I hope you make it again on Thanksgiving!
Absolutely delicious!!!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Cathy!
How far in advance can you prep this before cooking? Okay to prep it during the day and bake it in the evening, or would it make more sense to prep and bake it during the day and heat it up in the evening? Thank you!
You can prep it up to 1 day before baking, Cate! Just be sure to cover and refrigerate it. :)
This was delicious and easy to make.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Sue!
Also, if you don’t have much time, you don’t have to peel the apples/pears. You can just cut them up. That’s what I did. Annnd. You don’t have to use brown sugar for the topping. I used white, and just poured in a little bit of cinnamon, it still turned out great!
This recipe is legit amazing! I’ve already made it twice, and probably about to make it a 3rd time. It’s sooo good!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Kaia!
This was so so so good! I made it the other day for my family, and everyone loved it. Turned out perfectly. For the apples and pears, you don’t have to peel them if you don’t have much time. I didn’t peel them and it turned out perfectly. 5 star rating from me! Also, you can use white sugar if you don’t have brown sugar. that’s what I did.
Yesssss! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kaia!
I made this recipe tonight. I used asian pears and mcintosh apples. Very tasty especially the topping!. The pears are not as sweet as some varieties so next time I would add abit more sugar to the fruit mixture. This recipe was perfectly easy to follow and I am glad I tried it! Thank you very much and I will make this again for sure!!!!!
You are so welcome, Malie! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Made tonight using coconut sugar and whole wheat flour. Tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Candace!
Easy! Tasty! A winner!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Bubba!
First timer here! All I can say if it tastes as delicious as the smells permeating my kitchen right now. This is our Thanksgiving dessert today. I need strength not to prenibble
Haha! I hope you enjoyed the crisp, Cheri!
The best apple pear crisp I have ever had. I doubled up the recipe and made 2 round pie plates of it. I also used light brown sugar instead of white sugar and lessened it to let the natural sugars shine in the filing. I won’t make any other recipe now. Thank you! also, I used Asian pears and a honey apple.
AMAZING! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Maria!
Waiting for it to cook, but it smells fantastic, and is a really simple recipe. More to follow……
I hope you enjoy the crisp, Cheryl!
Fantastic recipe, and so easy to make. I used a couple of Granny Smith apples, a Dazzle variety apple, and two pears. It was perfect. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Rachel! Welcome to Just a Taste :)
This is the only apple ‘ pear crisp I make now. We all love it. I have made about 5-6 times now. I make it once a month
Love reading this, Carrie! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Fantastic recipe! I plan on making it again for Thanksgiving. :)
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Jane!