Pear Cobbler
Pear Cobbler couldn’t be easier to make. Fresh pears scented with vanilla bean are baked under a cream biscuit topping. It’s the perfect dessert for casual dining.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
I love a great fruit cobbler almost as much as I love a great fruit pie, and this is a great fruit cobbler.
This skillet Pear Cobbler, with the juices still bubbling from the oven, is exactly the warm and cozy dessert you want to serve as the weather turns cooler.
This recipe makes a big cobbler than can feed about 12 people. For a smaller group you can halve the recipe and bake it in an 8″ skillet or 8″ cake pan.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pears – Use any variety of pear for this cobbler. The pears should be fully ripe.
- Vanilla Bean – Vanilla and pear are beautiful flavor partners. You can use a teaspoon of vanilla extract in place of the bean, but the flavor won’t be as complex.
- Egg – Adding an egg to the biscuit dough makes the topping cakey and light so it can absorb more of the pear juice.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the biscuit topping extra rich and tasty.
- Vanilla Sugar – Vanilla sugar is the perfect topping for the biscuits and is very easy to make. You can use plain sugar if you don’t have vanilla sugar.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Place butter into your skillet and place the skillet in the oven while it preheats.
- While the pan preheats, peel, core and chop the pears. Mix the pears with sugar and vanilla bean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and pour the pears into the pan. Return the skillet the oven while you make the dough.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the butter cubes in the same bowl from the pears. Whisk the egg and vanilla into the cream.
- Work the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Add the cream to the dry ingredients.
- Mix until the ingredients come together to form a wet dough.
- Remove the pan from the oven.
- Dollop the batter over the pears and sprinkle the biscuits with vanilla sugar.
- Bake until the juices are bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown.
How to Serve Pear Cobbler
- Serve the cobbler warm from the oven. The cobber can be baked several hours ahead and put back into a 200F oven to rewarm.
- The cobber is delicious by itself, but even better with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Storage
Pear Cobbler is best enjoyed warm from the oven or within a few hours of baking. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Rewarm refrigerated cobbler in the oven before serving.
More Cobbler Recipes
More Pear Recipes
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Pear Cobbler
Ingredients
Pear Filling
- 2 oz unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla bean (split)
- 3 pounds ripe pears
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 3 ¾ oz all-purpose flour (¾ cup, see note)
- 3 ½ oz cake flour (¾ cup)
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter (cold, cut into ½" cubes)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz heavy cream (1 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Place 2 oz unsalted butter in a 12" cast iron skillet (or 13" x 9" baking pan) then set the pan into the oven to preheat.
- Meanwhile, peel, core and cut 3 pounds ripe pears into 1" cubes. In a large mixing bowl combine the pears with 4 oz granulated sugar, the seeds from 1 vanilla bean, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Pour the pears into the preheated skillet. Return the pan to the oven while you mix the topping.
- In the same bowl from the pears, whisk together 3 ¾ oz all-purpose flour, 3 ½ oz cake flour, 2 oz granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon table salt. Toss the 4 oz unsalted butter cubes into the flour. Use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the pieces are no larger than a pea.
- Whisk 1 large egg with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 8 oz heavy cream. Pour the cream into flour mixture. Toss the mixture with a spoon or spatula until it forms a wet dough.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop 12 large dollops of batter over the pears. Sprinkle the top of the biscuits with granulated sugar or Vanilla Sugar.
- Slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 25 minutes.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
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