Chewy Pear Bars
These sweet yet perfectly spiced chewy pear bars are densely loaded with brown sugar, juicy fresh pear pieces, and graham cracker crumbs. Trust me, they’ll disappear from the kitchen counter in seconds!
Now, I’m no stranger to cooking with apples. There are many, many apple recipes across Southern Plate. But today I’m turning my attention towards pear, which isn’t baked quite so often (although I do have a pear crisp recipe here). But really, that’s a crime, because there’s something about juicy and ripe pears that just transform this bar recipe.
These chewy yet wonderful pear pie bars taste of butter, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs studded with bits of ripe and juicy pear. Oh my word, are they ever good! Has that description alone piqued your interest? If not, let me tell you that you probably have the remaining ingredients at home already: baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, eggs, salt, flour, and sugar.
These pear bars are so dense and scrumptious, your family will love them! You really should make them today because even if you don’t have pears handy, you only have to buy two of them ~grins~.
Recipe Ingredients
- Baking powder
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Dark brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Flour
- Ground ginger
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sugar
- Pears
How to Make Chewy Pear Bars
For Pear Bar Crust
Place sugar, graham crumbs, and butter in a medium bowl and cut together with a pastry cutter or long-tined fork until well blended.
It should look like this.
Dump the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Press down into the pan with your hands.
Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
While that is baking, we need to make our filling.
Place your flour, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs for the filling in the medium bowl.
Cut together with a fork until it is well combined… or until you get tired of fooling with it, whichever comes first.
Add in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and stir again.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Stir that up until it becomes a batter.
It is going to be awfully thick but as the brown sugar starts to break down it will become much more liquified.
Peel and dice your pears and fold those in gently.
Note: The pear juice adds a lot of liquid as well.
Pour pear mixture over your baked crust.
Spread to the edges.
Bake this at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes or until set in the center.
Voila, chewy pear bars!
Enjoy these chewy, buttery, brown sugary bars of goodness!
Storage
Store leftover bars in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze bars for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
For added texture, fold 1/2 cup of nuts into the pear filling mixture, like sliced almonds or chopped pecans.
Recipe FAQs
How do you serve pear bars?
They’re delicious on their own, but for an unforgettable fall dessert, serve your pear bar slice with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
What are the best pears to use for baking?
You can use any kind of pears, you just want to make sure they’re ripe (not over-ripe).
Check out these other delicious bar recipes:
Easy Lemon Bar Recipe (With Video Tutorial)
Butter Bars From Scratch: Gooey Goodness Awaits!
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
Filling
- 2.5 cups dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup peeled and diced pears about 2 pears
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place the crust ingredients. Using a long-tined fork or pastry cutter, cut and stir ingredients together until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.3 cups graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/4 cup sugar
- While the crust is baking, use the same bowl to combine brown sugar, graham crumbs for the filling, and flour. Stir well until flour is well incorporated. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, salt, and baking powder. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until batter forms. Fold in chopped pear pieces.2.5 cups dark brown sugar, 3 eggs, 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup peeled and diced pears
- Pour the pear filling onto the baked crust and spread it to the edges. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture is set in the center. Allow them to cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition
“I am seeking, I am striving,
I am in it with all my heart.”
~Vincent van Gogh
Loved your story…..and that recipe looks delish too.
Oh my this sounds good! I just happen to have a few pears left after spending the weekend peeling, coring, chopping and cooking down a 36 pound box of pears into Pear Butter and Pearsauce! I thought I never wanted to see another pear again, but I think this changed my mind lol! Thanks for another great recipe!
hehe, you sound like me! I actually got a blister on my index finger from my paring knife from peeling so many! I still have a fridge full but I’m taking a few days off, then I plan on making some pear butter, too!! Thank YOU for being here, Peggy, and for being my “partner in pears” 🙂
Those look great and with fall on its way I will get into baking mode. Wonder if apples would work? Canned pears would probably be too mushy I am thinking.
Hey Elaine! I think apples would work fine. I’ve been developing this one with pears because I was given a few laundry baskets full of them, but the odd thing is, the pears taste like apples in this recipe! lol I agree on the canned pears but I think you’re right on the money with apples!
I have a ladies’ gathering tomorrow – now I know what to make & take! Looks WONDERFUL! And possibly a silly question here, since there’s all that butter in the crust, but does the 9×13 need to be lightly greased or anything? Thanks, Christy!
Excellent question Lee! I made this several times in the course of getting it just right and half the time I greased my pan, half the time I didn’t. In the end, from what I experienced, it doesn’t make a difference one way or another.
Hope you get to try them soon!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Hi Christy,
These look so yummy. Will be making these. My sweet brother had an abundance of pears this year and shared wth me. Been looking for ways to use them. Thanks so much .
What a sweet brother, indeed!!!! I have a few more pear recipes I’ll be bringing you this week so stay tuned!
Gratefully,
Christy
Those look so yummy ! I think I add every recipe you post to my recipe box !Thak-you from Ethridge TN
Hey Mary Anne! We keep hoping to take the kids to Ethridge for a day trip, we’ll make it eventually! Thank you for your constant kindness!
Gratefully,
Christy
Oh MAN those look good!! You da woman Christy Louise!
I so wish you were close enough for me to feed you, brotha bill!
Bill just old on you. I have a friend named Louise and everyone, even her former students, call her WEEZIE! Just wait until you make another book signing close here or I send someone there! Love it!