Pear Pie

Perfect on the Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table, this pear pie has a buttery and flaky homemade crust and a brown sugar crumble, through which the evenly dispersed and tender fruit peeks enticingly. With textures and flavors like an apple pie, but more unexpected, this spiced pear pie is sure to be a standout at any festive seasonal celebration.

Here, learn how to make a pear pie. Plus, find out why pear pie is so delicious cold.

Pear Pie Ingredients

To make the single-crust pie pastry, you’ll need only a few basic ingredients: all-purpose flour, salt, unsalted butter, and shortening. In a pinch, feel free to use store-bought pie crusts.

For the filling, you'll need:

• Firm-ripe Bosc pears: These pears hold their shape and texture without turning mealy in the pie.
• Granulated sugar: Elevates the sweetness of the pears.
• Lemon: Lemon zest helps make the flavor of pears more pronounced, and lemon juice keeps the pears from turning brown.
• Ground ginger and cinnamon: Warming spices makes this pie extra cozy.
• Vanilla extract: Elevates the rest of the pie's flavors.
• All-purpose flour: This is used to make the bulk of the crumble on top.
• Kosher salt: A bit of salt enhances sweetness.
• Unsalted butter: Butter is used to moisten the crumble.
• Light brown sugar: For extra rich caramel notes, brown sugar is preferred in the crumble for the pie's top.
• Ground nutmeg: A final warming spice in the crumble is the perfect way to finish off this pie.

For serving, you’ll need vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (if you like). 

How To Make Pear Pie

Without a complicated lattice crust, this pie is among the easier ones you can make. Find the full directions below and see step by step images that show you how to make this pie. Here's just a brief outline to get you started:

• Step 1. Preheat the oven, and fit the pie pastry in a pie plate. Crimp and fold the edges to get the pie crust as you like it. Lightly prick the bottom of the crust with a fork several times.
• Step 2. Place a piece of parchment paper and beans or pie weights in the pastry.
• Step 3. Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes. Then, remove the pie weights and parchment paper, and bake the crust another 5 minutes until golden brown.
• Step 4. Make the pear pie filling, and scoop it into the par-baked pie crust. Top with pieces of butter.
• Step 5. Make the crumble with the remaining flour, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg.cinnamon, and salt. Mix with butter until the mixture sticks together when pressed. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the pie.
• Step 6. Bake the pear pie, using pie crust shields if needed to keep the crust from being too brown.
• Step 7. Let the pie cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce if desired.

Pear Pie Recipe Tips

After fitting the pastry to a pie plate and lightly pricking the bottom with a fork, refrigerate it for 20 minutes before lining it with parchment paper, and filling it with pie weights or dried beans. The weight helps to prevent slumping as it gives the pie crust something to push against.

Then, bake the crust for about 15 minutes before removing it from the oven and taking out the weights and the parchment, and then returning to the oven for 5 additional minutes. The par bake helps to prevent a soggy bottom after the pie is loaded up with pear filling.

What Kind of Pears Are Best for Pear Pie?

This recipe calls for Bosc pears. Other types of pears good for baking include D’Anjou, Bartlett, Concorde, and Forelle, which all keep their flavor and cook evenly at high temperatures. 

How Ripe Should Pears Be for Pear Pie?

The best pears to use in this recipe will be ripe but not too ripe, with a bit of firmness still. They should yield a bit when pressed. If they’re too hard, they’re not ripe enough and won’t be as soft, flavorful, or sweet in the final result. 

How To Ripen Pears Fast

Plan ahead for baking pear pie: If your pears are too firm ahead of the day you plan to bake, you can help them ripen more quickly by putting them in a paper bag, which keeps the gas near to the fruit. Speed the ripening process even more by placing them in the bag alongside another ethylene-producing fruit, such as a banana. Keep the bag at room temperature. 

How Do You Store Pear Pie? 

Store pear pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. And don’t worry about warming it to serve: This pie is especially good cold.

How To Serve Pear Pie

Serve pear pie at room temperature with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. It slices easily, and you can serve it at any temperature you prefer, alongside beverages of any temperature.

More Thanksgiving Pies

Finish out your dessert plans with one of these incredible pie recipes:

• Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Raisin Pie
• Granny Smith Apple Pie
• Sliced Sweet Potato Pie With Molasses Whipped Cream
• Caramel Apple Blondie Pie
• Utterly Decadent Southern Pecan Pie

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.