This rustic pear cobbler is a perfect fall and winter dessert! It's made with spiced fresh pears and is topped with a simple cobbler topping made from Bisquick. As it bakes, the pear juices become thick, syrupy, and irresistible. Serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream or milk for the coziest treat!
This quick pear dessert is divine as is, but it's really easy to play around with mix-ins for a fun spin! Try adding different fruit like cranberries for some added tartness or nuts for some added crunch. In my opinion, it's hard to go wrong with any sweet, warm fruit and fluffy biscuit topping, so throw this together and enjoy!
Cobblers and crisps are some of the easiest (but most delicious) ways to use in-season fruit. They can almost always be combined, substituted, or swapped for other fruits, and toppings can be made to your liking.
For similar cobbler-type recipes, try:
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Cobbler vs Crisp
Cobbler and crisp have a lot in common, but the topping is the key difference. A cobbler has a fruit filling that is covered with a batter, biscuit dough, dumplings, or a pie crust. The topping is typically softer rather than crunchy. A crisp is a fruit filling topped with crumbled sugar and flour topping, often with oats mixed in, similar to a streusel topping. This is typically crunchy rather than soft.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Fresh pears - I think pears are an underappreciated fruit. They pair perfectly with warm spices and have a subtle, floral taste that is so unique! This cobbler really highlights its sweet flavor.
Warm spices - When the weather starts to get colder, there's nothing I crave more than baking spices. The combination of cinnamon and cardamom in this cobbler hits the spot.
Quick - The cobbler topping only uses 2 ingredients - milk and Bisquick. Mix them up in a bowl and dollop over the spiced pears. It doesn't get much easier than that!
Ingredients
- Pears. Use semi-ripe baking pears such as Anjou, Bosc, or Bartlett. They will get peeled, cored, and diced.
- Bisquick. This is the easiest, quickest way to make the recipe, and the way my family always grew up eating cobbler.
- Cornstarch. This ingredient helps to thicken the pear juices and create a spiced syrup. Flour can also be used.
- Milk. Whole milk is used in this recipe, but any dairy or non-dairy milk can be used.
- Spices. Cinnamon and cardamom are used to flavor the pears. Nutmeg (or more cinnamon) can be used in place of cardamom if desired.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Best Type of Pears for Baking
Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett pears are the best for baking because they are large and firm. This makes them perfect to stand up to the heat while baking.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use canned or frozen pears if you can't find fresh pears.
- Substitute half of the pears with sliced apples for an apple pear cobbler.
- Mix oats into the biscuit dough for extra texture in the topping.
- Add fresh cranberries for extra color and a pop of flavor.
- Bake the cobbler in a cast iron skilled or casserole dish.
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Pear Cobbler Mix Ins
There are lots of great options for mix ins for this pear cobbler. Try adding blackberries for a juicy, sweet burst of flavor. Or swap out some of the pears for apple slices. Cranberries are a great addition to add color and tartness. Or add some nuts for crunch such as pecans, walnuts or almonds.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Peel, core, and chop the pears into bite-sized pieces.
Two: Toss the pears with the sugar, spices, cornstarch, and vanilla.
Three: Mix together the Bisquick and milk until a thick biscuit dough forms.
Four: Butter the bottom and sides of the casserole dish, then add the pears and spread evenly.
Five: Use two spoons to dollop the biscuit dough on top of the pears. Leave a bit of space in between each biscuit.
Six: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the biscuits, if desired, then bake until the biscuits are lightly golden and the pear juices are bubbling. Serve with ice cream, milk, or whipped cream.
Expert Tips
- Use semi-ripe pears. If they are too ripe, they will turn mushy during the cooking process.
- If using canned pears, make sure to drain them thoroughly first, but canned varieties can turn mushy when baking.
- The cobbler is done when there are no wet spots on the biscuit dough and the juice around the edges is bubbling.
- Leave some space between the biscuit dollops to allow some steam to escape while baking.
Recipe FAQs
Any warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, allspice, and honey.
Unlike peaches, peels on pears actually become tough and thicker when baking, so it's best to peel pears before baking (though not necessary).
The cobbler is done when you see the fruit juices bubbling and don't see any raw looking dough around the bottom of the biscuits.
Storage
Store the pear cobbler covered at room temperature for one day. Transfer to the fridge for an additional 2-3 days.
Reheat the entire dish in a 350℉ oven until warmed, or warm individual servings in the microwave. Alternatively, enjoy at room temperature.
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📖Recipe
Spiced Pear Cobbler
Equipment
- Casserole dish or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 6 cups pears peeled, cored, and sliced into 1 inch wide pieces or chunks ~6-7 medium to large
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- turbinado sugar optional, for on top of the biscuits
- 2 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted, softened
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Peel, core and slice the pears and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and toss gently to combine.6 cups pears, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg, then add to the pears and toss to combine. Set aside.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom
- In another bowl, mix together the bisquick and whole milk until a thick batter forms.2 cups Bisquick, ⅔ cup whole milk
- Butter the bottom of a 10” cast iron skillet (or similar-sized casserole dish), then add the pears, including any sugars or juices left over in the bowl.2 tablespoon butter
- Spoon the dough over top of the pears in dollops, leaving some areas where the fruit shows through.
- Sprinkle the coarse sugar over top of the dough, then bake for 30 minutes until the pear juices are bubbly and the biscuit topping is lightly browned.turbinado sugar
- Allow the cobbler to cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream or milk.
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