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    Home / Desserts / Crisps & Cobblers
    5 from 4 reviews

    Gluten-Free Blackberry Pear Crisp Ginger

    By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Oct 12, 2016 (updated Nov 23, 2022) / 84 Comments Jump to Recipe

    This super-simple gluten free pear crisp recipe is made with rolled oats, pecans, and maple syrup. It's naturally gluten-free and kissed with zingy fresh ginger and juicy blackberries. Adapted from Gluten-Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne. 

    delicious and golden Gluten Free Pear Crisp with Ginger & Blackberries

    This gluten free pear crisp recipe comes from a beautiful new book by one of my favorite authors Sam Seneviratne. Sam also contributes recipes to The New York Times, and I've had the pleasure of baking and styling some of her recipes too. Her new book Gluten-Free for Good: Simple, Wholesome Recipes Made from Scratch is a total gem.

    This recipe uses no flour, only oats, in the topping, which is a great formula to have on-hand for times when the cupboard is bare of all the alternative gluten-free flours. If you're wanting a more classic topping, avail yourself of my almond flour crumble topping and apple crisp, or try my oat and almond flour crisp topping and blueberry crisp. Have a look through my library of crisp and cobbler recipes for more fruit dessert love.

    But first, a wee rant.

    ingredients on table

    Amazon reviewers are the worst:

    When I was doing research for my book proposal, I came upon a lovely looking book on Amazon which had a poor rating. The book came from the UK, thus it only had a handful of reviews, one of them with only one star. As I read the review, it became clear that the reviewer had made an error that he then blamed on the cookbook author. "A cake recipe called for polenta, but the polenta was listed with the dry ingredients, which was wrong. I used the pre-cooked polenta in a tube. The cake batter was too wet and never baked - it was disgusting. This book stinks."

    I wanted to grab that reviewer by his ignorant shoulders and scream "Polenta IS a dry ingredient, you moron! Only an idiot would buy precooked polenta in a tube to put in a cake when it was clearly listed as a dry ingredient. The book is fine - you're the one who stinks!" The fact that the review remained up, tarnishing the rating of the book, seemed a gross injustice.

    Gluten Free Pear Crisp with Ginger & Blackberries pre cooking

    I realized then that when my own gluten-free baking cookbook was published, I'd need to toughen up and be ready for annoying Amazon reviews (and take up kickboxing to get out my aggression, clearly).

    "Don't read the Amazon reviews," more than one cookbook author warned me. But did I listen? I was thrilled to get my first positive reviews, calling Alternative Baker "My Baking Bible," "utterly gorgeous" and full of "jaw-dropping photographs, meticulously crafted recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and tasty results." I was thrilled! Maybe I would manage to dodge psycho reviewers after all.

    big dish and bowl of Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}

    Alas, I was as naive as an inexperienced baker buying polenta for the first time. The first annoying review came in the other day, complete with 3 stars. "I guess there wasn't enough info when I ordered this. It seems every recipe I have looked at uses dairy. It's just Gluten free. Bummer, I will have to give it away." I found this incredibly frustrating because 1) there are several recipes in the book that are dairy-free, including 4 that are completely vegan, and vegan crust options for both the pie and tart sections that make it easy to convert those recipes to being dairy-free, and 2) nowhere does the book claim to be dairy-free, so there was no need for the reviewer to slam my book for their own mistake in purchasing a book that didn't meet their dietary needs.

    big dish of Gluten Free Pear Crisp with Ginger & Blackberries

    I took some deep breaths, visualized floating down a quiet stream with the breeze in my hair and no pesky vegans, then wrote a (hopefully) calm and kind note back to the reviewer letting them know about the dairy-free recipes in the book, and explaining my rationale for including dairy in the recipes. Since the book already asks for 14 different flours, and many recipes are made with highly seasonal fruit, I wanted to keep the other ingredients as accessible and familiar as possible. I was also careful to keep plenty of nut-free options in the book, since many GF baking books use a lot of almond flour that can be difficult to substitute out for allergies, and I even included some naturally-sweetened recipes.

    Luckily, all was not lost. Some kind soul also saw the reviewer's rating as unfair, and replied, "Like you I'm gluten and dairy free so I know it's hard to find recipe books that accommodate that. I haven't seen this particular book but from the cover and description it simply says 'gluten free' and makes no claims to be dairy free so I think your three star review is perhaps a little unfair? Most gluten free recipe books (unless they state otherwise) will use dairy, you just need to look out for that."

    Boom.

    top down shot of Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}

    Gluten Free for Good

    Speaking of books that are gluten-free but full of (some) delicious dairy, I'm currently obsessed with Gluten-Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne. Like me, Sam isn't 100% gluten-free, but her love of cooking and baking for everyone she knows drove her to rock some deliriously good GF recipes. The book is filled with stunning photos and streamlined, everyday fare, from breakfast through to dessert, all loaded with vibrant colors and flavors. Sam's baking recipes all use alternative grains and flours rather than relying on pre-fab baking mixes, and most recipes are free from gums as well, using psyllium powder instead. The book is mostly vegetarian, and it even has some dairy-free and vegan options. Paging through the book makes we want to run to the kitchen and cook every time I open it up. Which is a lot.

    bowl of Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free} on cloth

    Elevated Gluten Free Pear Crisp

    Sam's gluten free pear crisp exemplifies the recipes in GF for Good, with easy-to-source ingredients, a seasonal fruit base, streamlined instructions, and clean flavors. I added blackberries this time around, but the recipe is just as good without (and I bet pomegranate, cranberries, or poached quince could be tasty, as well). A dose of fresh ginger adds zing and acidity to the filling – just pears, maple syrup, and a little cornstarch.

    The gluten free crisp topping is simply oats, nuts, brown sugar, butter, and just the right level of salt, and it bakes up into a topping that reminds me a bit of tender, clustery granola. In fact, this crisp works as well for breakfast with plain yogurt as it does for dessert with ice cream. I'm especially glad to have this recipe in my arsenal for when I don't have a pantry full of alternative flours at hand.

    bowl of lovely Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}

    I've made this crisp twice, and Sam's hazelnut flour scones (they're super addictive), and I have a ton of other recipes bookmarked, including:

    • Sweet Potato Spinach Hash
    • A Simple Loaf of Bread
    • perfect looking Cinnamon Buns
    • Smoked Gouda Grits with Eggs and Arugula
    • Creamy Breakfast Quinoa with Roasted Strawberries
    • Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Gomasio
    • Red Quinoa and Brussels Sprout Salad
    • Rosemary Amaranth Crisps

    and loads more. Gluten-Free for Good gets five stars from this reviewer!

    Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free} and cook book
    bowl of delicious Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten free pear crisp, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}
    5 from 4 reviews

    Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free}

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    A stunningly simple fruit crisp with a granola-like topping that's naturally gluten-free, all kissed with the zing of fresh ginger.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    Filling:

    • 1 ¾ pounds firm-ripe pears (such as Bartlett; about 4 medium)
    • 12 ounces ripe blackberries, halved if large
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
    • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

    Topping:

    • 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if needed)
    • ¾ cup (80 g) chopped pecans
    • ¼ cup packed (55 g) light or dark brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
    • 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
    • ice cream, for serving
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
    • In a large bowl, toss together the pears, blackberries, maple syrup, ginger, and cornstarch until well-combined. Scrape into an 8x8” pan or the equivalent.
    • In another large bowl, combine the oats, pecans, brown sugar, salt, and butter, rubbing the butter with your fingers until the mixture forms large clumps. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake the crisp until the top is deeply golden and the fruit is bubbling, 35-45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream if you like.

    Notes

    Adapted from Gluten-Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne.
    Nutritional values are based on one of six servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 202mgPotassium: 387mgFiber: 10gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 17.6mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1.5mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!
    Blackberry, Pear & Ginger Crisp {gluten-free} on table

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

      I love reading your comments, reviews, and questions! If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. These help people discover my recipes online. Thank you for your support and for being part of The Bojon Gourmet community!

      xo, Alanna

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      Rate this recipe after you've made it:




    1. Fiona says

      October 17, 2016 at 6:27 am

      When huckleberries and pears are in season, I love combining them in a crisp.

      Reply
    2. Laura | Tutti Dolci says

      October 17, 2016 at 9:56 am

      Crisp is my favorite because leftovers always become breakfast ;). This is gorgeous!

      Reply
    3. Leslie says

      October 17, 2016 at 10:32 am

      First, crisps of any kind are a big favorite.
      Second, I was browsing Amazon the other day and, loving your blog, checked out your book. I, too, noted the review regarding dairy. My first thought was 'what does that have to do with anything, you silly person?' Wish my second thought had been to comment, but I am glad someone else did. Your book looks great and I am looking forward to cooking with it!

      Reply
    4. Susan Litman says

      October 17, 2016 at 11:53 am

      My lifelong favorite seasonal dessert has always been my mom's apple cake, which she makes every fall for the holidays. When I was diagnosed with celiac, this was the one thing I truly missed more than anything, because to me, it isn't fall until I eat this cake. Now, I'll be honest--I finally tried it GF with Bob's Red Mill 1-1 flour. It's good . . . but I know deep down it could be so much better. If I had skillz, I'd tinker with flours and come up with the right blend, but I'm not that talented. (Smitten Kitchen has a similar apple cake recipe on her site, also titled something like "Mom's Apple Cake." We differ in how we slice the apples :) She does chunks, I slice. She mixes them into the batter, I layer them on top and press them in.)

      Looking forward to more of your book and Samantha's, and love all these great new GF recipes, so thanks to you both for exploring this arena! :)

      Reply
    5. Kristin says

      October 17, 2016 at 5:01 pm

      The fruit recipe most often in rotation in my kitchen is your Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, which I've made with almost every fruit imaginable-- just today with apples and cranberries!

      Reply
    6. Hillary says

      October 18, 2016 at 8:27 am

      My favorite seasonal fruit dessert has to be the apple cake that my mom made when I was growing up. There were big chunks of apples surrounded by a brown sugary batter. Of course, it tastes best when made by mom 😊

      Reply
    7. Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says

      October 18, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Thank goodness for sane reviews coming to the rescue! I already own both of Sam's cookbooks and they are incredible. I was just flipping through it last night trying to decide on what to make.

      Reply
    8. Jacqueline Caughey says

      October 18, 2016 at 9:48 am

      I love making a red raspberry and rhubarb galette every spring/early summer that not only looks beautiful, but tastes amazing.

      Reply
    9. Edye says

      October 18, 2016 at 12:27 pm

      I love blueberry strudel with cinnamon! SO yummy :)

      Reply
    10. marta says

      October 18, 2016 at 12:41 pm

      Fresh cranberries always and forever. perfect for the fall days with anything specially my morning oats :)

      Reply
    11. Bonnie says

      October 18, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Pumpkin cake!

      Reply
    12. Cat says

      October 18, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      I love an apple crumble tart - it's got the lovely crisp texture, but with a butter-rich crust that makes it easy to cut and take along for lunch!

      Reply
    13. Katja says

      October 18, 2016 at 8:51 pm

      Good old apple crisp...yum!!!

      Reply
    14. Beata Macklin says

      October 19, 2016 at 7:21 am

      Your book is amazing, thank you. I borrowed it from my local library and together with my daughter we are testing recipe after recipe. We haven't come across anything we didn't like.
      As to my favourite fruit dessert, I would say it would be strawberry "cake/tart".
      When I was in high school, every June I would meet with my two best friends and we would bake this strawberry cake/tart. We made bottom crust which resembled shortcake and we would fill cookie sheet with it and on top we would put rows of strawberries. Before we put it in the over, we would sprinkle cinnamon on top. While we waited for it to bake we would make a pot of tea and set the table.
      The aroma of cinnamon and strawberries would fill the kitchen. We could never wait for it to cool, we would it still warm. For four years of high school we always looked forward to strawberry season. My mom would make a version of this dessert with Italian prune plums, equally delicious.

      Reply
    15. Stephanie says

      November 19, 2018 at 5:33 am

      This was absolutely delicious. I upped the amounts to 1 1/2 of the recipe. I had to bake longer. I didn't have enough blackberries so I threw in some cranberries also as well as chopped candied ginger. It was definitely the favorite of my Thanksgiving party. I was sad to see it go so fast.

      Reply
      • The Bojon Gourmet says

        November 19, 2018 at 11:31 am

        Your variation sounds wonderful Stephanie! :)

        Reply
    16. Kari M says

      February 01, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      Needed to do this as dairy free so I substituted the butter with the Nutiva Shortening for cooking/baking. Measure for measure and it was perfect; I had never used the product before but wasn't sure if coconut oil alone would suffice. Will use it again for this if I have to do another dairy free rendition!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 01, 2020 at 8:57 pm

        I'm so glad it worked out! Thanks for the note. :)

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef and award-winning cookbook author. I love sharing well-tested, from-scratch recipes for your favorite desserts and sweet treats made (undetectably) gluten-free with alternative flours. Because everyone deserves to eat good food. Bojon appétit! About →

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    🍑Must-make summer dessert: #glutenfree peach co 🍑Must-make summer dessert: #glutenfree peach cobbler with *floofy* almond flour biscuits. Don’t forget the ice cream! 😋

Comment “recipe please” and I’ll DM it to you. 

I make this with @bobsredmill almond, cassava, and tapioca flours, @miyokoscreamery dairy-free butter, @foragerproject cashew yogurt, topped with @greengirlbakeshop coconut milk ice cream. 

It’s paleo-friendly and dairy-free too. Because everybody deserves to eat good food!

#peachdessert #peachcobbler #glutenfreebaking #summerdesserts 

https://bojongourmet.com/vegan-paleo-peach-cobbler-gluten-free/
    This favorite springtime recipe made the cover of This favorite springtime recipe made the cover of my cookbook Alternative Baker so it has a special place in my heart … and stomach because I ate so much of it! 

It starts with a flaky gluten-free crust made with sweet rice, oat, and millet flours filled with loads of fresh strawberries and rhubarb. 

The cut-out top crust is fun to make and prettier than a traditional lattice IMHO. 

I just shared the recipe on TBG. Comment “recipe please” and I’ll send it to you. 

Bojon appétit my sweets! 👩🏻‍🍳

#glutenfreepie #glutenfreebaking #strawberryrhubarb #rhubarbrecipes 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-strawberry-rhubarb-pie/
    Just popped the recipe for these GF rhubarb streus Just popped the recipe for these GF rhubarb streusel muffins on TBG. Comment "recipe please" and I'll DM it to you! 

This one's dedicated to my amazing husband Jay, a.k.a. chief bottle-washer at TBG and best cat dad ever. 😻

Jay did not have a sweet tooth when we first started dating and he also didn't want any cats. Fast-forward a couple of decades and he hoards rhubarb muffins and falls asleep with two fuzzy fourteen-pounders purring on his lap each night. 

It's no wonder he didn't want to let these muffins go. They're moist and tender, loaded with jammy rhubarb, and topped with spice-kissed brown sugar streusel. A blend of almond, oat (or sorghum), and sweet rice flours makes them tender and sneakily gluten-free. 

As for why Zeppo and Hank choose him instead of the die-hard cat lady with the soft lap – that's one of life's great mysteries. 

Bojon appétit, my sweets!

#glutenfreemuffins #rhubarbrecipes #glutenfreebaking #almondflourrecipes #rhubarbmuffins 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-rhubarb-muffins/
    I’m always on the hunt for bold, creamy plant-ba I’m always on the hunt for bold, creamy plant-based cheeses so I did a happy dance when I spotted @miyokoscreamery Jalapeño Plant Milk Cheese Spread at my local Nugget Market! #ad 

It’s the perfect match for these extra-crunchy cassava flour crackers—naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and full of toasty seeds. The combo? Snacking magic.

I’m seriously impressed with the flavor and texture of this spread—spicy, creamy, and totally scoopable. Highly recommend picking some up at Nugget Market and giving this duo a try! 

Want the cracker recipe? Comment “recipe please” and I’ll send it your way.

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    Sunday forecast: 100% chance of pancakes! 🥞☀️

These buckwheat pancakes are everything I want on a slow morning: tender, floofy, and full of deep, toasty flavor from dark buckwheat flour (I love using @arrowheadmills which is certified #glutenfree).

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🌾 dark buckwheat flour
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🧈 butter

Crisp edges, moist middles, serious cozy vibes. 

✨ Comment "recipe please" and I'll send you the full recipe!

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    I just scored a bunch of rhubarb from my mother-in I just scored a bunch of rhubarb from my mother-in-law's garden, so I knew it was time to share this gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp!

The sturdy crumble topping uses a unique mixing method: a beaten egg gets rubbed with the dry ingredients, sprinkled over the fruit, and drizzled with a stick of melted butter. Made gluten-free with sweet rice and oat flours, the texture ends up similar to a crisp-chewy oatmeal cookie.

The crunchy topping soaks up the juices from crimson strawberry rhubarb compote and the whole thing tastes like spring in a bowl. Sweet-tart deliciousness.

Comment "recipe please" and it will be DMed to you via magic. 

Bojon appétit, my sweets! 

#strawberryrhubarb #glutenfreebaking #oatflour 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-strawberry-rhubarb-crumble/

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