One of my happy places is my kitchen. I love creating new recipes and putting my RGE spin on it by using better-for-you ingredients on comfort food and childhood classics. Another thing I love: pears. Especially when they are in peak season. And since I could go for a bite of something sweet at basically any time of day, it was the happiest day in my kitchen when I perfected the recipe for these easy 20-Minute Paleo Pear Crisps. They are pretty much mini cobblers that I know you’ll be just as obsessed with the moment you make them. In fact, I love these so much that this recipe very quickly became one of two crisps in the “Sweets” section in my first cookbook, Rachael’s Good Eats.
COZY CRISPS
I’m gluten-free and dairy-free so I end up eating paleo-ish a lot of the time without really thinking about it, but I promise you won’t even notice how this incredibly delicious sweet treat is made with only simple, unprocessed ingredients. The crisp mixture is completely paleo, crunchy and delectably healthy – and the baked, sweet, juicy pears are just heaven on earth. It’s the perfect single serve dessert that you definitely don’t need an excuse to make at any time of year, but I think would be a great contribution to any Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or cozy holiday gathering.
PERFECT PEAR-ING
Now it wouldn’t be a dietitian-approved dessert without a few health-boosting ingredients. We’ll start with the most obvious of them all – the pears. Not only does this delightful little fruit taste subtly sweet but they’re actually good for your heart, digestion and blood glucose levels. Pears contain pectin, which is a fiber that helps to nourish gut bacteria. A dessert that’s bursting with taste and health benefits; what’s not to love?
The crisp mixture in this recipe is packed with nutrients like potassium, magnesium and healthy fats from the walnuts, pecans and almond flour. And did you know that coconut flakes are a good source of fiber, protein and healthy fats too? It’s almost too good to be true. Oh, and one other thing – the ground cinnamon used in the crisp mixture brings even more subtly sweet flavor and provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Cinnamon also helps to reduce blood sugar levels after eating, and I love that for all of us.
SIMPLE AND SWEET
Last but definitely not least – the flavor of these pear crisps is so insanely good. It’ll have you thinking it’s one of those more complex, intricate desserts, but what’s most ideal is how quick and easy it is to whip up. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes in the oven… and just like that, you have yourself a gourmet sweet treat. To top it all off, it’s going to make your house smell unbelievable. Need I say more?
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
- Coconut oil cooking spray
- Raw walnuts
- Raw pecans
- Almond flour
- Ground flaxseed
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- Coconut oil, melted and cooled
- Honey
- Vanilla extract
- Ripe pears (Anjou or Bosc preferred), halved and seeded (leave stem on one of the halves of each pear, if you wish)
HOW TO MAKE 20-MINUTE PALEO PEAR CRISPS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8” baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse together the walnuts, pecans, almond flour, ground flaxseed, coconut, and cinnamon a few times to create a mixture with a rough, crumbly texture.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Transfer the nut mixture to the bowl, and mix well with a silicone spatula to combine.
Lay the pear halves cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. Feel free to leave the stem on one of the pear halves if you wish (this provides more of a rustic appearance). Also, pro tip: I like to cut a small slit at the bottom of the pear halves to allow them to easily lay flat in the baking dish.
Divide the nut topping between the pears, sprinkle with additional cinnamon, and spray once more with coconut oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the pears are tender, and the topping is golden brown and fragrant. Let cool for five minutes before serving. Hope you love it!
RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS
While Bosc or Anjou pears are what I recommend for this recipe as they tend to maintain their shape and texture best when baking, Bartlett or other pears will work in a pinch too – just make sure you monitor the texture as they’re baking and adjust accordingly if needed.
Because this is a paleo crisp mixture, I stuck with one made of nuts, seeds and honey as a natural sweetener. I haven’t tested this swap, but you could try using maple syrup instead of the honey, if you’d like. If your style of eating is not paleo, there’s the option of making a filling mixture using oats, butter, sugar, etc. – but I recommend keeping it as close to paleo as possible if you have the option, so that it remains a more balanced (though not at all lacking in flavor) dessert.
WHAT KIND OF FRUITS CAN YOU EAT ON A PALEO DIET?
There are a ton of different fruits you can eat on a paleo diet! To clarify what paleo style eating is, means that it needs to be grain-free, refined sugar-free and exclude inflammatory ingredients like dairy and gluten. So, really any fruit is fair game, like berries, bananas, apples, peaches, oranges, melons, and of course pears.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PEARS FOR BAKING?
Considering there are so many different varieties of pears available, it can be tough to choose which one is best for different cooking or snacking needs. For baking, typically Bosc or Anjou (both my go-to’s), or Bartlett, will hold up their form and flavor best at higher baking temperatures. These three also tend to be the most widely-available in grocery stores year-round, which is helpful when that pear crisp craving kicks in any day.
SHOP THE POST
LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTHY SWEET TREATS? TRY THESE:
High-Protein Froyo With A Chocolate Shell Topping
Healthy Twix Bars (GF, DF, Refined-Sugar Free)
Looking for more healthy recipes? Check out my New York Times Best Selling Cookbook, Rachael’s Good Eats. 110+ easy, laid-back, nutrient-rich recipes.
Click here to watch the reel I made of this recipe 🙂
20-Minute Paleo Pear Crisps
Ingredients
- 2 ripe pears, Anjou or Bosc preferred, halved and seeded (leave stem on one of the halves of each pear, if you wish)
Crisp Mixture
- Coconut oil cooking spray
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8” baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse together the walnuts, pecans, almond flour, ground flaxseed, coconut, and cinnamon a few times to create a mixture with a rough, crumbly texture.
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Transfer the nut mixture to the bowl, and mix well with a silicone spatula to combine.
- Lay the pear halves cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. Feel free to leave the stem on one of the pear halves if you wish (this provides more of a rustic appearance). Also, pro tip: I like to cut a small slit at the bottom of the pear halves to allow them to easily lay flat in the baking dish.
- Divide the nut topping between the pears, sprinkle with additional cinnamon, and spray once more with coconut oil.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the pears are tender, and the topping is golden brown and fragrant. Let cool for five minutes before serving. Hope you love it!
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