We used to have an old pear tree in our backyard that dropped fruit to the ground in abundance each fall. Pears may be my husband's favourite fruit. I really needed to make pear pie! Before the days of Pinterest, it was surprisingly difficult for me to find a basic recipe for fresh pear pie. There was a French cream pie and pear crumb pie, but not a basic one with a crust on both the top and bottom. So when I can't find a recipe, I create my own!
This is the recipe I developed. It's made with the Best Gluten Free Pie Crust, fresh pears, and a few basic ingredients that you're likely to have on hand.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Gluten-Free Pear Pie
- Pears: I used Bartlett pears for my pie. This is a very juicy variety not known for holding its shape well; nevertheless, I like them fine for this pie. Bosc pears would also be a good choice.
- Gluten-Free Pie Crust: This is the best gluten-free pie crust I've ever tasted. There's a video with the recipe, so you can see the texture of the dough and how it rolls out.
- Raw Sugar: I like to use raw cane sugar because it's the least processed sweetener that tastes like sugar. White sugar will also work in this recipe.
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch: If you don't have either of these, use tapioca starch.
A detailed ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
Gluten-Free Pear Pie Instructions
- I often have a batch of the Best Gluten-Free Pie Crust already made and sitting in the fridge or freezer. The recipe makes enough for three double-crust pies or six singles, so there is generally some available. If you haven't already, making the pie crust is your first step.
2. Peel, core, and slice the pears, tossing them in lemon juice as you go. The lemon juice helps them to retain their nice colour rather than turning dark.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together, and then toss that with the sliced pears. The dry ingredients will absorb some of the juice from the sliced pears as you roll out your bottom pie crust.
4. There are videos of the crust process with the recipes for the Best Gluten Free Pie Crust and Tortierre. Place the crust in your pie plate, roll out the top crust, pour the pear mixture into the bottom crust, place the top crust over it, and bake.
You'll have a lovely dessert to enjoy with family, friends, or by yourself!
Recipe FAQ's
Pears should be just ripe, but not overripe, for baking. If your pears are very firm when you get them, you can leave them out on the counter for one to three days to ripen up.
To speed up the ripening process, put pears into a brown paper bag and close the top to trap ethylene gas inside. Ethylene gas is released naturally by fruits as they ripen. Keeping it concentrated around your fruits will help them to ripen faster.
Once your pears have achieved ideal ripeness, store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator until you're ready to use them.
Storage
Store leftover pie, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.
Freeze leftover pie, separated into slices and sealed in an airtight container, for up to three months.
Top Tip
Use plenty of flour on the surface of your countertop as you roll out the pie crust to keep it from sticking. Be patient with yourself. If your crust breaks, you can fold it up and try again. Or you can simply piece it together. This Gluten-Free Pie Crust is very forgiving.
More Pies You'll Love!
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Recipe
Fresh Pear Pie
Ingredients
- 2 crusts gluten free pie pastry
- 5 cups fresh pears peeled, cored, and sliced (about 4 large ones)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup organic raw sugar
- ¼ cup organic cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Toss pear slices with lemon juice.
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Combine the sugar, starch, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Then stir the mixture with the pear slices.
- Pour it all into a 9-inch prepared pie shell. Top with a top crust. Poke a few holes into the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 450 F. Reduce heat to 350 F, and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, until pears check tender when poked with a knife.
Shirl Frana says
I do not see the recipe for the gluten free, dairy free pear pie. I wanted to make it for Thanksgiving.
Cathy says
I am so sorry for this glitch, Shirl! The recipe should be there for you now. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sally says
I too have a large, old, productive pear tree. I have frozen several bags of them and was wondering if you could substitute them for fresh in this recipe?
Cathy says
I think that would work. I have baked pies successfully with frozen apples. I would make the pie while they're still a bit frozen, if that's possible. I'm thinking they would be thawed just enough to move slices around. You might have to adjust the baking time accordingly. It's certainly worth a try!