Xanthan Gum Free Pear and Cranberry Crumble
Warm, bubbling fruit filling meets a golden, coconut-kissed topping in this cozy autumn dessert that feels like a hug in a baking dish. The combination of sweet ripe pears and tart cranberries is a classic for good reason — the contrast keeps every bite interesting, and the maple syrup ties it all together without any refined sugar. What makes this crumble especially clever is the topping: cassava flour and shredded coconut come together with coconut oil to form those irresistible coarse, irregular clumps that bake up crisp and golden without needing any binders or thickeners. Arrowroot starch handles the filling beautifully, giving you that glossy, jammy texture once the crumble rests and cools slightly after coming out of the oven. Warm spices — Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and a whisper of turmeric — add depth and a subtle earthiness that elevates this well beyond a basic fruit dessert. It's the kind of recipe that makes your kitchen smell incredible and looks impressive enough for a dinner party but is genuinely simple to pull off on a weeknight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the filling
- 5 medium ripe pears (about 2 lbs), peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch chunks
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For the topping
- ¾ cup cassava flour
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish with a small amount of coconut oil.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pear chunks, cranberries, maple syrup, arrowroot starch, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and sea salt. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated and the starch is no longer visible as dry powder.
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