Vegan Pear Cranberry Crisp with Almond Oat Topping
Juicy cinnamon pears and tart dried cranberries baked under a crunchy almond oat topping sweetened with maple. Easy fall dessert for a cozy crowd.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
Vegan Pear Cranberry Crisp with Almond Oat Topping is a vegan dessert recipe made with ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), dried cranberries, maple syrup. It takes 65 minutes of hands-on time, plus 15 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 441 calories, 6 g of protein and 10 g of fiber.
Ripe but still-firm pears hold their shape in the oven, and a little cornstarch turns their juices into a glossy sauce instead of a puddle. Dried cranberries plump up in that sauce and add tart bites to the sweet fruit. The topping uses almond flour, oats and chopped almonds bound with coconut oil and maple syrup, plus a spoonful of brown sugar so it bakes up crisp instead of chewy.
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 medium1.07 kgripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), cored and cut into 3/4-inch chunks, peeling is optional
- ½ cup60 gdried cranberries
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup
- 1 tbsp15 glemon juice
- 1½ tbsp12 gcornstarch
- 1 tsp2.6 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp0.5 gground ginger
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
- 1 pinch0.4 gsalt
Topping
- 1 cup81 grolled oats
- ½ cup48 galmond flour
- ⅓ cup47 graw almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp28 gbrown sugar
- ½ tsp1.3 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt
- ¼ cup54 gcoconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp60 gmaple syrup
- ¾ cup170 gcoconut yogurt or vegan vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Kit: 8x8-inch or 9-inch baking dish, 2 mixing bowls, baking sheet
Tips
- Use pears that give just slightly near the stem. Very soft, juicy pears turn to mush and release too much liquid.
- The crisp is done when the juices bubble in the center, not only at the edges. That's when the cornstarch has fully thickened them.
- For a gluten-free crisp, use oats labeled certified gluten-free.
Swap ideas
- Chopped pecans or walnuts instead of almonds
- Gives a richer, toastier crunch. Pecans in particular go well with maple.
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries instead of dried, with 1 extra tbsp maple syrup in the filling
- Makes the filling brighter and more tart, with juicy pops of fruit. Bake about 5 minutes longer.
- Coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in the topping
- Adds a deeper caramel flavor and a slightly darker color, with the same crunch.
- Half the pears swapped for apples
- Gives a firmer, tangier filling that holds its shape a bit better.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
441kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 8.3 g 42%
- Sugars
- 40.1 g
- Sodium
- 131 mg 6%
- Potassium
- 393 mg 8%
- Calcium
- 92 mg 7%
- Iron
- 1.6 mg 9%
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg 10%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Pears, raw, bartlett (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Cranberries, dried, sweetened (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Syrups, maple, Lemon juice, raw, Cornstarch, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Spices, ginger, ground, Vanilla extract, Salt, table, Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Nuts, almonds, blanched, Nuts, almonds, Sugars, brown, Oil, coconut
Method
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch or 9-inch baking dish with a little coconut oil.
In a large bowl, toss the pear chunks with the dried cranberries, 2 tbsp maple syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, 1 tsp cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and a pinch of salt until the cornstarch disappears. Spread the fruit evenly in the dish.
In a second bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, chopped almonds, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt.
Pour in the melted coconut oil and 3 tbsp maple syrup. Stir, then squeeze handfuls of the mixture so it forms damp clumps of different sizes.
Scatter the clumps evenly over the pears, all the way to the edges. Don't press them down. Set the dish on a baking sheet to catch drips.
Bake until the topping is deep golden and the juices bubble thickly around the edges and in the middle, 40–45 minutes. A knife should slide easily into the pears. If the topping browns before the fruit is tender, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the crisp cool for at least 15 minutes so the juices can thicken. Serve warm, with coconut yogurt or vegan ice cream if you like.
Storage: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes to re-crisp the topping (the microwave works but softens it). You can also bake ahead and freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping?
- Each of the 6 servings has 6 g of protein, 10 g of fiber and 441 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, so 65 minutes of hands-on time, plus 15 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping ahead?
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes to re-crisp the topping (the microwave works but softens it). You can also bake ahead and freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.
- What can I substitute in vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping?
- Chopped pecans or walnuts instead of almonds — gives a richer, toastier crunch. pecans in particular go well with maple.. 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries instead of dried, with 1 extra tbsp maple syrup in the filling — makes the filling brighter and more tart, with juicy pops of fruit. bake about 5 minutes longer.. Coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in the topping — adds a deeper caramel flavor and a slightly darker color, with the same crunch.. Half the pears swapped for apples — gives a firmer, tangier filling that holds its shape a bit better..
- Does vegan pear cranberry crisp with almond oat topping contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 3, 2026 ·American