Single Serve Baked Pears with Oatmeal Crumble Topping

Natural sweetness oozes from these single serve baked pears stuffed with a vegan and gluten free oatmeal crumble filling that feels decadent, but is 100% nutritious. Your entire family will LOVE this recipe! 

So how about that weekend?! Congratulations to all of those incredible runners who survived the NYC Marathon yesterday…my hat goes off to you! I don’t know about where you are, but it was officially freeeeeeezing here in NY (OK, maybe not officially 32 degrees, but it sure felt that way!). I absolutely cannot believe it’s NOVEMBER! Thanksgiving is just *24* days away! Ahhhhhh!!! Before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk PEARS….

…Specifically Single Serve Baked Pears {with an oatmeal crumble topping, of course}…

Apples tend to get most of the hype this time of year…and I love them too…but pears hold a special place in my heart….Until I finish my pear and get really sad 🙁

Pears contain more water than apples, so they are typically softer, with a gentler bite than a crisp apple.

So I wait all winter, all spring, then allllll summer for one of my absolute FAVORITE fruits to be PERFECT! Sure you can find pears year-round…but they’re just not the same! Whether it’s an Anjou, Red Starkrimson, or Bartlett (my ABSOLUTE favorite), pear season is simply the best!

The juicy drip-down-your-face sweetness that is typically reserved for summer peaches exists during fall too!! 🙂 

And did you know that a medium pear contains 4 grams of FIBER, some protein and is just 80-100 calories?! It’s legit the perfect snack. 

{I know I’m throwing around the word ‘perfect’ a lot, but COME ON!}

This recipe is a take on my single-serve peach crumble that was a hit with you guys this summer, so I think you’re really going to love this one too….

There’s NO added sugar in this recipe, which means: 

1) It’s considered a healthy breakfast
2) You MUST use in-season pears so their natural sweetness oozes through
3) If you want to add a sprinkle of brown sugar or extra drizzle of maple syrup…go for it!

Whether you add a sprinkle of sweetness or not, these baked pears are nutritious enough to be a balanced breakfast {I’m looking at you protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats}, but decadent enough to impress as dessert. Either way, I have created a gluten free and vegan fall explosion of flavor! Plus this recipe is dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and heavenly! 

I suggest choosing the largest pears you can find (that are not genetically modified, of course…but that’s a conversation for another time!). You can use any variety, really, but I used Green Anjous this particular time. 

The hardest part of this recipe is carving out a small cavity in the center of each pear half. It is easiest to use a melon baller, but a spoon will do just fine. Don’t remove more flesh than is necessary to dispose of the seeds. Even if this hole seems small, that’s OK. We are going to pack in the crumble topping, and it’s perfectly acceptable for some to crumble over. 

When making the crumble filling, be sure all the dry ingredients are well incorporated into the sticky seed/nut butter and coconut oil. Keep working it even if you think you can’t any more…Using [clean] fingers may be messy, but it’s the easiest way.

Then pack the oat/seed butter mixture into the pear.

Bake, then enjoy…In less than 30 minutes you’ll have a fall-rrific melt-in-your-mouth single serve baked pear to savor!

Have a fabulous week and a healthy Meatless Monday!
XO