Apple Pear Crisp for 2
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Looking for an easy to make dessert for two? Warm and delicious Apple Pear Crisp is sweet and cinnamon spiced then topped with a buttery crumble topping.
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. I’ve been thinking about what to plan for dinner and what I keep coming up with is a small Charcuterie, Grilled Porterhouse Steaks, potatoes, a winter salad, dessert, and champagne.
In theory this is a great idea. However, we’ve been eating healthier and this sounds like a high calorie meal, especially with dessert.
In hopes of cutting some of the calories I started looking at ways to make this dinner leaner. I thought I could still make the steak but maybe cut out the Charcuterie and potato side dish. Then I started looking at dessert. Every dessert I looked at was filled with calories.
I finally started thinking of desserts with fruit. One of my favorites is apple crisp and it is so delicious with a nice glass of wine. I figured it would be awesome with champagne as well.
What is apple crisp?
Apple crisp is a delicious dessert made with chopped apples topped with a mixture of flour, oats, butter, sugar, and spices. When making apple crisp, you typically want to choose apples that hold their shape well during baking and offer a good balance of sweet and tart flavors.
Since apple crisp usually comes in a big pan and we could probably eat the entire pan, I decided to make apple crisp for 2. I’ve made Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies for 2 which is rich and delicious but I didn’t want a cookie. I also have a Rich Chocolate Molten Lava Cake for 2 which is the perfect sweet bite.
Because I was making a dessert for two people I took out 2 large ramekins. I could have gone with smaller ones but the 6 oz. ones were perfect for a special occasion.
Next I looked at what I had in the fruit basket. Originally I was going to just make apple crisp but I had both apples and pears so I decided to make an Apple Pear Crisp instead.
What type of apples should I use for Apple Crisp?
The type of apple you choose depends on what you are looking for. Granny Smith apples are known for their tart flavor and firm texture, which holds up well during baking. Honeycrisp apples are crisp and juicy with a balanced sweet-tart flavor. Gala apples are another sweet variety with a crisp texture and they provide a good balance of flavor in apple crisp.
I made just enough of the apple pear mixture to fill the ramekins three quarters of the way full. Then I topped them off with a sweet and buttery crumble topping.
Ingredients:
- Apple (use your favorite type-I used Honeycrisp but I also like to use Gala or Granny Smith)
- Pear (I used Bartlett but I prefer to use an Asian pear or Bosc pear.)
- brown sugar (you could use granulated but brown sugar is so much better)
- lemon juice
- cinnamon
- all purpose flour
- butter (I prefer unsalted in this recipe)
- oats (quick oats or old fashioned oats are fine)
- sea salt
To make the crisp preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place two ramekins on a small baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl add the apples and pears. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, all purpose flour, and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Divide the mixture between the two ramekins.
In a small bowl combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour mixture. Sprinkle over top of the fruit int he ramekins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumble begins to brown and the filling is hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and top with your choice of toppings.
WHat do you put on top of the apple pear crisp?
One of my favorite toppings for this crisp is whipped cream. It gives it a nice creamy topping without all the calories. If you want something rich and creamy then vanilla ice cream is the topping of choice. Another favorite of ours is to put whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
The crisps smelled amazing as they were baking! When I took them out I opted for whipped cream on top instead of ice cream because it tastes almost as good and it’s way less calories.
This was the perfect way to end our special dinner for 2. The apple crisp went well with the champagne. There was enough that it satisfied our craving for sweets but didn’t kill our healthy eating. Definitely give this a try for Valentine’s Day or any other time you’re making dessert for 2!
Apple Pear Crisp for 2
Equipment
- 2 ramekins
Ingredients
For the apple pear crisp:
- 1 apple diced
- 1 pear diced
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
For the crumble topping:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter broken into small pieces
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 c. oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl toss the apple, pear, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
- Divide the mixture between two 6 ounce ramekins set on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl combine the butter, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Use your fingers to mash the butter into the other ingredients to form a crumble.
- Sprinkle it over top of the apple pear mixture in the ramekins.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumble begins to brown.
- Remove from oven and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Heather, sounds like a lovely meal! And I do love a crisp for dessert anytime. This one sounds wonderful. You’ve reminded me I don’t do enough with pears. Must pick some up along with some cider.
Thank you! I’ve been having a lot of fun mixes apples and pears together in desserts. They really compliment one another.