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5 from 2 votes

Sugar-Free, Oil-Free Pear Crisp

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 1 8" x 8" crisp
Author: All recipes on jenniferskitchen.com are property of jennifer's kitchen and cannot be republished without written permission.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups pitted dates (Deglet Noor dates work best, but Medjools can also be used)
  • 1 cup almond flour (Cold almond flour works best. See note #1.)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate (found in the freezer section of grocery stores)
  • 1 cup regular rolled oats (See note #2.)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • 1/2 cup date paste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder optional (See note #3.)
  • 6-7 medium Bartlett pears (about 6 to 7 cups of diced pears) (See note #4.)

Instructions

  • Place dates, almond flour, coconut, and salt in food processor. Process until dates are finely chopped, mixture is thoroughly combined, and resembles crumbly brown sugar. Do not overprocess or mixture will become too sticky.
  • Add oats and orange juice concentrate, and process until date mixture and oats are very thoroughly combined. Add walnuts and pulse until mixed. Set aside.
  • Place date paste in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 2 teaspoons starch or arrowroot.
  • Wash and peel pears. Cut in half lengthwise and remove core. Dice into approximately 3/4-inch pieces and add to date paste mixture in mixing bowl. Cut pears quickly so pears don’t turn brown.
    Mix well. (I find that a fork works well to mix this.)
  • Transfer pear mixture to an oiled 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish. Evenly distribute topping mixture over pears.
  • Cover and bake on a lower rack (not the bottom rack) of the oven at 350°F for 18 minutes. Remove cover, reduce temperature to 325°F and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until topping in nicely browned. Watch closely so topping doesn’t burn.
    Serve warm or cold.

Notes

1. If your almond flour and coconut are cold, they will help the dates chop better in the food processor and the mixture will not be too sticky.
2. Regular rolled oats work best in this recipe, but quick-cooking oats will work fine too.
3. The amount of cornstarch or arrowroot powder you need really depends on preference and how juicy your pears are. If your pears are extra juicy, you may want to add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder. (I don’t mind if my crisp has a little pear juice on the bottom, so I omit the starch altogether when making this for myself.)
4. Bartlett pears are best for this recipe. Bosc pears result in a crisp that is lacking flavor and D'anjou get too soft and mushy when baked. Crisp will thicken as it cools.