
Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 40 mins
The apple pie might be the reigning Miss America, but this pear pie would like a word with the judges. It has all the warm, gooey, spiced flavor you expect, but where apples swerve slightly tart, pears are all soft sweetness for a cozy, comforting pie any time of the year. A buttery crust cradles the filling—which is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves—and a sugary crumble coats the top. Then, as if we’re not already drooling, the finished pie gets drizzled in caramel sauce. It’s a little slice of heaven!
You'll notice that this dough has a bit of vegetable shortening added to it. Why, you might wonder, would a buttery pie dough need shortening? Well, butter has a high water content, so it adds a lot of flaky layers as it bakes and that water evaporates. (It’s also delicious!) Meanwhile, shortening is like the glue of the crust, giving it body and holding it together, making rolling and shaping easier than with an all-butter crust.
What kind of pears are best for pie?
A firm pear that won't break down when baking is best for pear pie. We call for Bosc pears here, but you could use Bartlett or Anjou too.
Do pears have to be ripe to bake?
Pears that are ripe, but still slightly firm, are best for baking. If they're too ripe, they'll fall apart in the oven. Too firm and they won't get tender enough.
How do you store pear pie?
This pear pie will last for up to 3 days, refrigerated. Reheat in a 350º oven until warm and serve à la mode.
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups
(180 g.) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 Tbsp.
granulated sugar
- 2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp.
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 2 Tbsp.
vegetable shortening
3 to 5 tbsp. ice water
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup
(60 g.) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup
(packed) light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp.
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
Filling and Assembly
- 6
medium Bosc pears (about 3 lb.), peeled, cored, and cut in 1/2" pieces (about 8 c.)
- 1 cup
(200 g.) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
(60 g.) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp.
ground ginger
- 1 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp.
ground cloves
- 1/4 cup
homemade or store-bought caramel sauce
Directions
Crust
- Step 1In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt about 3 times to mix together. Add butter and shortening and pulse about 6 times until a sandy, crumbly mixture forms.
- Step 2With the motor running, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough clumps together and forms a ball. Turn out dough onto a work surface. Pat into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
- Step 3Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured work surface, press chilled dough into a disc. Roll to a 11" circle, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Gently fold dough over rolling pin and unfurl into a 9" deep-dish pie plate. Make sure dough fully covers bottom and side of plate, then tuck edges under and crimp border in any pattern.
- Step 4Set pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover dough with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and continue to bake until bottom of crust is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let cool slightly.
Crumb Topping
- Step 1In a small bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to combine.
- Step 2Add butter and squeeze with your hands until a crumbly dough forms. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.
Filling and Assembly
- Step 1In a large bowl, toss pears, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves to combine, then transfer mixture to crust. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over top of pie.
- Step 2Bake until crumbs are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Loosely tent pie plate with foil and continue to bake until filling is soft and gooey, about 40 minutes more. Let cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Step 3Drizzle pie with caramel before slicing.
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