This Pear Whiskey Pie is my very favorite autumn pie. I love pears, and I gravitate toward pies with surprising spices besides basic sugar and cinnamon. This pear whiskey pie has an intoxicating and complex flavor from the freshly grated ginger, allspice, white pepper, cardamom, whiskey, and bitters. It is a big crowd pleaser.
This is a crumble pie which means it is topped with a delicious spiced oat topping. Prepare the pie crust and oat crumble before you slice your pears. You may choose to buy a pie crust to save time, but I encourage you to try making homemade crust. I recently posted my mom’s fabulous pie crust technique. The texture, layers, and buttery flavor are worlds away from a simple store-bought crust. Don’t be intimidated. You’ve got this!
This pie is inspired by the pear pie in The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. My additions are the freshly grated ginger instead of dried, and whiskey instead of bourbon. I’ve also had good experiences using spiced dark rum or Italian Amaro.
Pear Whiskey Pie
Ingredients
- All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch pie
- 1 lemon
- 6-7 medium pears (makes about 5 cups sliced)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons whiskey (or bourbon, spiced dark rum, or amaro)
- 2 dashes bitters or orange bitters
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Oat Crumble
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature
Instructions
For the Oat Crumble
- Stir together all the oat crumble ingredients except the butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the butter pieces and toss to coat. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is chunky but not homogenous.
- Chill the crumble mixture in the refrigerator about 15 minutes while you make the pear filling.
For the Pie Assembly
- Have ready and refrigerated one crimped 9-inch pie shell and oat crumble topping.
- Juice the lemon into a large bowl, removing any seeds. Core, peel, and slice the pears with a sharp knife. Dredge the pear slices in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Set aside to soften slightly and release some of the juices, 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, ginger, allspice, white pepper, and salt. Drain any excess juices from the pears. Toss the pears with the sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the bourbon, bitters, and vanilla. Tightly layer the pears in the prepared pie shell so that there are minimal gaps, mounding them slightly higher in the center.
- Top the pie with the oat crumble.
- Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven.
- Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the heat to 375F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 30-35 minutes longer. Test the pears with a skewer or a sharp knife. They should be tender.
- Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack, 2-3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
- The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.