Originally published in October 2015; updated March 2023
If you’re looking for a fun and impressive way to serve pears for dessert, try these Hasselback Pears!
We’ve always been interested in hasselback potatoes and sweet potatoes both from their accordion-like presentation to their crispy edges and tender insides, so when we saw Cooking Light’s Hasselback Apples last month, we decided it was something that could easily be done with Stemilt’s delicious D’Anjou Pears and had to give it a try.
How to Make a Hasselback Pear
If you aren’t familiar with the hasselback technique, you’ve got to try it! You’ll start by cutting a pear in half from stem to base and removing the core. Lay it cut side down – this is where we’ll “hasselback it.” At ¼ inch intervals, slice the pear but don’t cut all the way through: leave about ¼ inch at the bottom uncut. Repeat until there are slices all the way down the pear. Now, it’s “hasselbacked!”
From here, you’ll spoon on a brown sugar butter mixture and roast the pears while covered to soften them. Then you’re going to make a streusel mixture that’s similar to the first topping with the addition of flour and oats to provide some much needed texture to this delicious dessert! Add the streusel topping and cook until browned and crunchy.
Let’s Elevate Dessert!
Our favorite thing about an apple crumble or pear crumble is the golden brown pieces that poke out of the top of the dessert combined with tender and sweet bites underneath. This is exactly what we get with these Hasselback Pears because each slice crisps while remaining tender on the inside resulting in the perfect single serving dessert bite after bite. We love how the cinnamon-sugar glaze melts between the layers and pairs with the crunchy oatmeal topping.
The thing that really turns this dessert up a notch? A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a big dollop of whipped cream! This is bound to be a hit whether it’s just for you or you’re feeding a crowd.
If you are cooking this for an event, first of all: great choice. It’s incredibly simple to prepare but more importantly, it is so delicious. Second of all, you can prepare it in advance! Go through all the steps, but refrigerate the pears after the first bake. About 30 minutes before you want to serve the pears, remove from the fridge, add the streusel topping, and do the final bake. You’re good to go!
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