Pear-Pumpkin Crisp for Breakfast, Dessert or Snack

The other day, I baked a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and it left me with about a cup of canned pumpkin to use in something else.  I was trying to decide which of my many favorite pumpkin recipes to whip up, when I had an idea ... How about a crisp made from pears and pumpkin?  It seemed like it might be a flavor combination that could be delightful.  Was it ever!  We gobbled up the whole pan in one morning!

Although a crisp is traditionally a dessert, and this one is really dessert-worthy, I felt comfortable serving it to my boys as a special Sunday-morning breakfast.  I used the gluten-free quick-cooking oats from Bob's Red Mill.  (They sent me a sample a while back.)  The oats provide some whole-grain wholesomeness plus a nice crunch.  The filling is pears and pumpkin, and I used maple syrup -- a breakfast favorite -- as the sweetener.  I think this would be a great option for kids who don't like traditional breakfasts, and you could even up the nutrition a little more by serving it with some vanilla coconut-milk yogurt.  For dessert, you could dress it up with some sorbet or dairy-free ice cream.  Yum!

This allergen-free, gluten-free vegan fruit crisp is a great example of how easy it can be to bake up a dish that everyone can enjoy.

Pear-Pumpkin Crisp
9 servings


Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
6 pears, peeled and thinly sliced (I used Bartlett.)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
canola oil to lightly oil pan

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.
Lightly oil a large baking pan (9x13 or lasagna pan).
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin with cinnamon and allspice.
Add pear slices and stir to toss pears with pumpkin mixture.
Spread into prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine oats with salt.
Add maple syrup, and stir to combine.
Spread on top of fruit mixture.
Bake 35 minutes, or until lightly golden and crispy on top.

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

My new book,  Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life), is available now! Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.