Chewy Pear Bars

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These sweet yet perfectly spiced chewy pear bars are densely loaded with brown sugar, juicy fresh pear pieces, and graham cracker crumbs. Trust me, they’ll disappear from the kitchen counter in seconds!

chewy pear bars

Now, I’m no stranger to cooking with apples. There are many, many apple recipes across Southern Plate. But today I’m turning my attention towards pear, which isn’t baked quite so often (although I do have a pear crisp recipe here). But really, that’s a crime, because there’s something about juicy and ripe pears that just transform this bar recipe.

These chewy yet wonderful pear pie bars taste of butter, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs studded with bits of ripe and juicy pear. Oh my word, are they ever good! Has that description alone piqued your interest? If not, let me tell you that you probably have the remaining ingredients at home already: baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, eggs, salt, flour, and sugar.

These pear bars are so dense and scrumptious, your family will love them! You really should make them today because even if you don’t have pears handy, you only have to buy two of them.

Check out some of my other yummy bar recipes like Pecan BarsTropical Dream BarsTurtle BarsPeach Bars, and Tiger Butter.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Chewy Pear Bars:

ingredients for pear bars

  • Baking powder
  • Graham cracker crumbs
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt
  • Flour
  • Ground ginger
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Pears 

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Chewy Pear Bars:

add ingredients together in a bowl

For Pear Bar Crust

Place sugar, graham crumbs, and butter in a medium bowl and cut together with a pastry cutter or long-tined fork until well blended.

*Here’s a link to the Glass Mixing Bowl Set we love. Easy to store and easy to use!

mixed ingredients

It should look like this.

crumb mixture in a 9x13

Dump the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

press down on crumb mixture

Press down into the pan with your hands.

Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

While that is baking, we need to make our filling.

mix filling ingredients for chewy pear bars

Place your flour, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs for the filling in the medium bowl.

mix together

Cut together with a fork until it is well combined.

Add in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and stir again.

add eggs and vanilla

Add eggs and vanilla.

stir until it becomes a batter. Then add pears

Stir that up until it becomes a batter.

*It is going to be awfully thick but as the brown sugar starts to break down it will become much more liquified.

Peel and dice your pears and fold those in gently.

*Note: The pear juice adds a lot of liquid as well.

pour pear mixture over baked crust

Pour pear mixture over your baked crust.

Spread to the edges.

Bake this at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes or until set in the center. 

completed chewy pear bars

Voila, chewy pear bars!

enjoy pear bars

Enjoy these chewy, buttery, brown sugary bars of goodness!

chewy pear bars

How to Store Pear Bars:

Store leftover bars in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze bars for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes:

For added texture, fold 1/2 cup of nuts into the pear filling mixture, like sliced almonds or chopped pecans.

Recipe FAQs:

How do you serve pear bars?

They’re delicious on their own, but for an unforgettable fall dessert, serve your pear bar slice with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

What are the best pears to use for baking?

You can use any kind of pears, you just want to make sure they’re ripe (not over-ripe).

Check out these other delicious bar recipes:

Cherry Bars

Easy Lemon Bar Recipe (With Video Tutorial)

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Butter Bars From Scratch: Gooey Goodness Awaits!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

chewy pear bars

Chewy Pear Bars

These sweet yet perfectly spiced chewy pear bars are densely loaded with brown sugar, fresh pear pieces, and graham cracker crumbs.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, pear
Servings: 12
Calories: 225kcal

Ingredients

Crust

  • 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Filling

  • 2.5 cups dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup peeled and diced pears about 2 pears
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, place the crust ingredients. Using a long-tined fork or pastry cutter, cut and stir ingredients together until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
    3 cups graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/4 cup sugar
  • While the crust is baking, use the same bowl to combine brown sugar, graham crumbs for the filling, and flour. Stir well until flour is well incorporated. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, salt, and baking powder. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until batter forms. Fold in chopped pear pieces.
    2.5 cups dark brown sugar, 3 eggs, 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup peeled and diced pears
  • Pour the pear filling onto the baked crust and spread it to the edges. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture is set in the center. Allow them to cool completely before cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

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I am in it with all my heart.”

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72 Comments

  1. Hi Christy…You have a big batch of pears there. :^)) Have you thought about freezing some of them? You can use the fruit stuff that stops yellowing. A neighbor used to put them up and use later for pear preserves or for uing anywhere apples were used such as apple cakes. They are delicious for such
    uses. No one ever knows you did not use apples. Take care!

  2. Oh my..these look delicious! Thank you for sharing the story of your sweet Grandaddy!

    Bountiful Blessings dear Christy!

  3. Well….Here’s my contribution to this here “worshop”….Okay, Okay….take it easy! Jest tryin’ to be cute!!…..Anyhow I jest discovered these pear things and haven’t tried ’em yet….so RELAX. .. I jest wanna be cute…funny….friendly and lovin’!! I sure hope ya laugh…..’cause here it comes……. [By the way, I’m makin’ fun with my writing here. I am fibbing with the accent I’m using, .. I can`t tell you which area…..direction of anything else about where is might come from, because….HERE I Go….CONFESSION……I was born to a Canadian Ukrainian father, and an British, English Mum!!!! And I live in Southern Ontario, Canada!! Ha…Ha…..fooled ya, didn`t, right!! BUT HERE COMES MY QUESTION…….IF WE STORE EVERY RECIPE YA SEND US, CHRISTY……WHERE ARE WE GOIN`TO BUILD OUR RECIPE BARNS…….Sorry….NO QUESTION MARKS….can`t punctuate….Keyboard has gone nuts!!!
    Love to all!

  4. Christy you are so right about it tasting like apples. I make lots of pear fried pies and everyone always thinks they are apple. I can pears and stand them up in the jars with the inside of the pear turned outward. I place a cherry in the center. They look and taste great. Christy I also lived with my grandparents from the time I was three years old. Grandma made bread every day and at least once a month, we had a “treat”. She would pinch off some of the bread dough and fry it – oh my – heaven when we would eat those with honey. Love all of your posts and will make this recipe soon.

  5. Hey Christy,
    My mom made this w/ apples & served w/ whippedcream for the ladies bridge luncheons–always a piece left for me for after school! YUMMMMMMMM!!!
    Christy, made your “anytime muffins” last weekend–1/2 of the recipe, put grated carrot, apple & dates. Oh my goodness–sooooo good!!!! 1/2 recipe made 24 muffins & a small loaf of bread.
    Don’t know haow you do all you do, but PLEASE keep it up!!!!!!!

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