Citrus Free Maple-Ginger Pear Crumble Bars
Warm spiced pears, earthy maple sweetness, and a buttery oat crumble — these bars hit every note you want from a cozy baked treat without a drop of citrus anywhere in sight. So many fruit-based desserts sneak in lemon juice or orange zest to brighten the filling, but here fresh ginger does all that lifting, adding a gentle heat that makes the pears taste even more like themselves. The filling is cooked down on the stovetop first, so it turns glossy and jammy before it ever meets the oven, which means no watery, disappointing center when you slice in. Rice flour and tapioca starch keep the crust tender and just crumbly enough, while cold butter pressed in by hand gives you those irresistible pea-sized pockets that bake up golden and crisp. Maple syrup sweetens both the crust and the filling, so the flavor runs all the way through rather than sitting only on top. Let them cool completely before cutting and you'll get clean, sturdy bars that hold together beautifully — perfect for a lunchbox, a dessert plate, or honestly just standing over the counter.
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Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
For the pear filling
- 3 medium ripe pears (about 1 ½ lb), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides to use as handles for lifting the bars out later.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, rice flour, tapioca starch (the 1/4 cup amount), baking powder, and salt. Scatter the cold butter cubes over the dry mixture and work them in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, clumpy crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Drizzle in the 1/3 cup maple syrup and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together into a crumbly, slightly sticky dough.
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