Air Fryer Recipe
Spiced Pear Crisp
A simple, gently spiced pear crisp that’s just right for making in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium pears (Bosc, Anjou, or Conference), peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (360°F). Lightly grease a small baking dish, or a few ramekins, that will fit inside the air fryer basket.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir well so the pears are evenly coated.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and salt. Rub or cut in the butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Spread the spiced pears evenly in the prepared dish. Scatter the topping evenly over the pears.
- Set the dish in the air fryer basket. Cook the crisp at 180°C (360°F) for about 15-18 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the pears are tender.
- Leave the crisp to cool slightly before serving. It’s lovely as it is, or with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries the oat-flour topping quickly, so the butter melts and fries the crumbs before the pears overcook. Lemon and sugar draw pear juices into a syrup, while the dish’s sides trap enough steam to soften the fruit without making the topping soggy.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket holding a shallow 18 cm dish or 3–4 ramekins with air space around them; in a single-drawer fryer place the dish centrally, while in a dual-zone model use one drawer only or rotate ramekins between drawers, checking 2–3 minutes early as smaller zones brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Topping dark brown but pear slices still firm at 12–14 minutes? The fruit is cut too thick or packed too deep; cover loosely with foil, reduce to 170°C and cook 4–6 minutes more.
- Wet, sandy topping with pale patches? Butter pieces were too large or the layer is uneven; rub to pea-sized crumbs next time and break up pale clumps with a fork before adding 2–3 extra minutes.
- Juices bubbling over into the basket? The dish is overfilled or pears are very ripe; leave at least 1 cm headroom and place a small square of baking parchment under the dish to catch drips without blocking airflow.
- Topping tastes floury although it is golden? The crumb layer is too thick for the dish diameter; use a wider shallow dish or split into ramekins so convection can cook the flour through.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap half the pears for firm apples; they release less juice and usually need 2–4 extra minutes to become tender.
- Use wholemeal plain flour in the topping; it tastes nuttier but browns faster, so start checking from 13 minutes.
- Add 40 g chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumble; the nuts toast quickly in the air fryer, so scatter them mostly under the top layer to prevent scorching.
- Replace ground ginger with mixed spice or cardamom; the cooking time is unchanged, but cardamom is stronger so use about 1/4 teaspoon.
Storage & reheating
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 5–7 minutes until the fruit is hot and the topping has crisped again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
