Black Pepper Free Pear Crumble Bars with Cinnamon and Cardamom
Warm pears, fragrant cinnamon, and a whisper of cardamom come together in a buttery oat crumble that feels like autumn in every single bite. The filling is cooked down on the stovetop until it turns glossy and jam-like, so each bar holds together beautifully when sliced. Ceylon cinnamon brings a softer, more floral heat than the cassia variety, and paired with cardamom it creates a spice profile that is genuinely complex without a single note of pepper anywhere in the recipe. That matters more than it sounds — plenty of spice blends and even some baking mixes sneak in black pepper or white pepper, so building the flavor from scratch here keeps things clean and completely safe. The crust doubles as the crumble topping, which means less prep and more of that golden, clumpy texture on top. Coconut sugar and maple syrup add a gentle caramel depth that plays off the natural sweetness of ripe pears without tipping into cloying territory. Let the bars cool fully before cutting and you will be rewarded with neat, satisfying squares that hold their shape and taste even better the next day.
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Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ½ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
For the pear filling
- 4 medium ripe pears (about 1 ½ lbs), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 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, stir together the rolled oats, rice flour, coconut sugar, Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until evenly combined. 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 maple syrup and toss with a fork until the mixture just holds together when pressed.
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