Apple and Pear Crisp

As mentioned before, I have recently come to find that I really like pears. Not only am I adding them to salads and eating them as a snack, but I also decided to toss them into my apple crisp.

This crisp is great because it’s sweet, sour, crunchy, and absolutely guilt-free. I made this dessert this past Sunday for an “Oscar Party” and not one person there knew it was a healthy dessert. When you use seasonal, fresh, and flavorful ingredients you don’t need to mask it with 3 pounds of butter and sugar. Let the ingredients shine!

 

Apple and Pear Crisp

Makes 9 servings

1 serving = 5 Points Plus

• 1 # Granny Smith Apples, cut into medium-sized chucks
• ½# pears (I used Bartlett but Bosc would be great as well), cut into medium –sized chunks
• ½ cup dried cranberries (I used organic dried cranberries which are more tart than Craisins)
• ¼ cup apple juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp brown sugar, divided
• ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¾ cup old-fashioned oats, cut into cubes, cold
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

 

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine the apples, pears, and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Toss them with the apple juice and vanilla extract. Mix with cornstarch and 2 tbsp of the brown sugar. Set aside.

Spray a 9×9 glass-baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the apple and pear mixture in the bottom of the pan.

 

In a separate bowl, combine 4 tbsp brown sugar, whole-wheat flour, oats, butter, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with your hands until it’s a homogenous mixture. You want to “cut” the butter into the flour and oats, like you are making pastry dough. Crumble the topping over the apples and pears.

Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream. I am obsessed with Haagen Daaz Lowfat Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. It tastes just as rich and creamy as their ice cream and even more flavorful because I like the tang of frozen yogurt. No one at the party on Sunday night had any complaints about this skinny version of the apple and pear crisp.