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!

Chewy pear bar on plate.

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~.

Pear bars ingredients.

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

Cut together sugar, graham crumbs, and butter in a bowl.

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.

Pear bar crust.

It should look like this.

Place crumb mixture in baking dish.

Dump the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Press into pan and bake.

Press down into the pan with your hands.

Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Place flour, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in bowl.

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.

Pear bar filling mixed together.

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 in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and stir again.

Add eggs and vanilla to mixing bowl.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Stir together to make pear bar batter.

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.

Fold in diced pears.

Peel and dice your pears and fold those in gently.

Note: The pear juice adds a lot of liquid as well.

Pour filling over baked crust.

Pour pear mixture over your baked crust.

Spread to edges and bake.

Spread to the edges.

Bake this at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes or until set in the center. 

Baked pear bars.

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:

Cherry Bars

Easy Lemon Bar Recipe (With Video Tutorial)

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Butter Bars From Scratch: Gooey Goodness Awaits!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Chewy Pear Bars

These sweet yet perfectly spiced chewy pear bars are densely loaded with brown sugar, fresh pear pieces, and graham cracker crumbs.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, pear
Servings: 12
Calories: 225kcal

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

Calories: 225kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

“I am seeking, I am striving,

I am in it with all my heart.”

~Vincent van Gogh

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72 Comments

  1. Thanks for your story. It has left me in tears – so touching. Both my boys are divorced and have been for awhile. I know how hard it must be to be alone. So, I pray daily for them to find the perfect soulmate and helpmate for their lives. Would appreciate your prayers, too.
    I will try the bars – might try apples instead, but sounds wonderful. Thanks for another recipe to try. You’re so amazing!

  2. Hi Christy,
    Did you use canning pears…I didn’t know if it would make a difference since they are a little harder in texture?

    Thanks for your wonderful recipes and life stories!

  3. Christy, these look and sound sinfully good. Have all the ingredients and trying tonight. You are so like my sister. throw things together and they taste so good. But I have all your recipes and I have not fixed one yet that my guys haven’t liked. Thanks for taking to time to give us all new ideas. And good ones to boot.

  4. My heart is always touched by your stories but I truly lost myself when I read this wonderful story of your granddaddy. How loving he was and how he & your grandmother set such a fine example for you to follow.

    Quick question, could I use peaches instead or would it be too gooey? My husband doesn’t like cooked pears.

    Thanks so much, I look forward to your recipes & blogs and your videos are so precious too. I love them all and love how your love of the Lord just flows through you to all of us!

    Be blessed!

  5. I love, love your story about God & Granddaddy! He left you such a wonderful legacy, as well as your Grandmother! Our legacy, especially our Christian legacy, is what I think about more & more as I get older (I am only 56!). If I should die tomorrow, how would my children & grandchildren remember me? I hope they would say that I loved the Lord, and was the spiritual example that they would want to imitate in their lives. God bless you!

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