Pear and almond are maybe my favorite flavor combination. I have an overbearing love for almond and the texture of pears is practically perfect, especially in this Vegan Pear Almond Crumble.
This crumble is my go-to dessert on a lazy night. The most time-consuming thing about prepping for this recipe is peeling the pears. In order to really make this pretty effortless for me, I usually outsource peeling the pears to Paul. He gives in because he knows that this dessert is so worth it.
I’m a really avid fan of crumble toppings (or streusel) and I literally want to eat streusel all the time. I add it to a lot of my desserts at home, and this has become my staple streusel recipe. It uses mostly whole, plant-based ingredients, which is important to me when I’m eating it a lot!
Vegan Pear Almond Crumble: Little details
I typically don’t use extremely ripe or soft pears when I bake. Usually I look for pears that have just a slight softness, where I wouldn’t be able to press on them or leave a mark. I prefer the pears to become soft and delicate in the oven, but not overly mushy.
If you prefer more of a mushy/sweeter/jam-like consistency, you can use softer fruit. Just a note: the peeling process will be much messier as well if you use very soft pears, but do as you please!
The crumble topping has almond butter in it. It’s rare to see nut butter be used in a crumble but I’m telling you – it’s adds another flavor layer. It also gives this crumble a texture with a little more mouth feel than your average crumble topping. Since this recipe highlights an almond flavor, I recommend using almond butter. But if you don’t have it or would rather use another nut butter, any of them would work.
I also use almond flour in this recipe because I like the softness it adds to a recipe. Here are my other recipes that use almond flour if you're, like, super into that ingredient or anything like I am.
If you make this recipe, don't forget to rate and comment on it below! I'd love to hear what you think. Also, you can tag me on Instagram @higheralchemybaking with your bake!
Vegan Pear Almond Crumble
Equipment
- 9"x5" loaf pan
Ingredients
For topping
- 1 tablespoon (15g) almond butter
- 3 tablespoons (39g) coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons (39g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (24g) almond flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (54g) all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
For filling
- 3 ½ cups (525g) diced, peeled pears (about 5 pears)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (45g) brown sugar (light or dark)
For serving
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with coconut oil, vegetable oil, or vegan butter.
- In a small bowl with a fork, stir together the almond butter, coconut oil, and almond extract until well combined. Add the sugar, flours, and salt, pushing the fork through the mixture until crumbly and the flour is no longer visible. Some crumbs will be larger and others will be smaller.
- Cover the topping mixture and place in the fridge while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and stir until no flour is present and the pears are well coated. Cover and set aside.
- Spread the pear mixture evenly into the greased loaf pan. Crumble the topping over the pears evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour, covering the pan with tin foil after 40 minutes to prevent the crumble from being too dark. After taking the pan out of the oven, sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on top (optional). Eat warm and enjoy!
Notes
Yum.