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Pear Cobbler is made with fresh spiced pears, luscious homemade salted caramel sauce, and flaky, buttery biscuits. It’s an easy dessert but it’s still impressive enough to serve for a special occasion!
Why you’ll love this Pear Cobbler:
- Fresh Pears – This cobbler uses fresh, juicy sweet pears! This seasonal fruit is completely underrated and shines in this easy pear cobbler recipe.
- Salted Caramel – Salted caramel sauce pairs perfectly with the pears in this sweet treat.
- Buttery Biscuits – The cobbler topping is crisp on top, and ultra light & fluffy inside. And, there’s no folding and turning required, keeping this an easy recipe.
Ingredient Overview:
- Ripe Pears – Use ripe bartlett pears. Check for ripeness by gently squeezing the pear – if there’s some give, they’re ripe. Avoid rock hard or mushy pears. They should be *just* ripe.
- All-purpose flour – Just a bit of flour helps thicken the cobbler so it’s still juicy, but not runny.
- Salted Caramel Sauce – Homemade salted caramel sauce adds extra depth of flavor to this cobbler recipe.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves enhance the pear flavor without overwhelming.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Cranberries – Feel free to omit 1-2 cups of pears and add in cranberries (fresh or frozen) in the same amount, for a Cranberry Pear Cobbler.
- Apples – Feel free to do the same as above with apples. Be sure to slice them 1/4″ thick so they aren’t too thick to cook through.
Recipe Variations:
- Buttermilk – You can use regular milk and lemon juice to substitute for buttermilk. Full details are in the recipe card below.
- Salted Caramel – You can use store bought caramel sauce in a pinch.
- Dairy-Free – Use your favorite dairy-free milk and butter to keep this recipe dairy-free.
- Pears – Use whatever type of pear you like best – use Bartlett, Green or Red Anjou, or Comice Pears. Or, use a mix!
How to Make this Pear Cobbler:
Step 1: Make the Salted Caramel Sauce. This can be done up to a week ahead. Cook sugar down in a pot until it liquifies, then whisk in butter and heavy cream. Let this chill until it’s semi thick but still pourable.
Step 2: Make the Pear Filling. Slice your pears, and toss in a buttered baking dish with the remaining filling ingredients. Let the pear mixture rest while you make the topping. (It’s not going to look super pretty at this point – that’s ok!)
Step 3: Make the Biscuit Topping. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a large bowl, then cut in the butter, and stir in the buttermilk until a dough forms.
Step 4: Assemble the Cobbler & Bake. Give the pear filling a stir, then pour on the salted caramel sauce and gently stir it in. Place scoops of the biscuit topping on the top of the pear filling. Bake until deep golden brown and bubbly!
This has a long bake time, but it needs it – just follow the directions in the recipe card.
Step 5: Dig In! Serve this while it’s nice and warm from the oven, with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or even caramel ice cream for a twist!
Serving + Storing:
This delicious cobbler is best fresh from the oven! The biscuits won’t be as crisp on the next day. But, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 more days.
Reheat in the oven to bring the crispness back into the biscuit topping. Try my Pear Dessert Pizza or my Savory Pear Pizza next – pears are so underrated!
Expert Success Tips:
- Fluffy Biscuits – Be sure your butter and milk are nice and cold going into the biscuit dough for the best results.
- Pears – Don’t use overripe pears or they will get mushy in the oven. They should be *just* ripe, and have a bit of give while not feeling too soft or mushy.
FAQs:
Somewhat. You could make the biscuit dough ahead, scoop it onto a sheet pan, and store it in the fridge, covered well. The caramel sauce can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge. Make the fruit filling when you’re ready to make the whole cobbler, it won’t hold up if you make it ahead of time.
Yes, feel free to cut it in half and bake in a 8 or 9 inch round or square pan.
Yes! See variations below for some excellent choices.
Special Tools:
- Cookie Scoop – I used this scoop for the biscuits in this cobbler, and I use it for making larger, bakery-style cookies.
- Pastry Cutter – A pastry cutter makes cutting butter into dry ingredients super easy for biscuits, pie crust, scones, and more.
More Fall Recipes to Love:
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- Banana Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Salted Caramel Pear Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cut into chunks, 85 grams
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream , 135 grams
- pinch of flaky sea salt
For the Pear Filling
- 11 large bartlett pears, About 13 cups *they should be justtt ripe – not rock hard, but not squishy.
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, 220 grams
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 87 grams
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
For the Biscuit Topping
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 390 grams
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar , 83 grams
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup salted butter, cold and cut into large cubes, 1 and 1/2 sticks or 170 grams
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk, cold, 270 grams
For Topping
- splash of heavy cream, cold, for topping
- sprinkle of raw sugar or cinnamon sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Follow the directions for my Homemade Caramel Sauce to make this. Let it cool in the fridge until it's not completely runny anymore, or make it up to a week ahead.1 cup granulated sugar, 6 tbsp salted butter, cut into chunks, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream , pinch of flaky sea salt
- Make the Pear Filling: Cut pear slices that are 1/4" thick, and add to a buttered 9×13 baking dish. Add remaining filling ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside.11 large bartlett pears, 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out , 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract , 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
- Make the Biscuit Topping: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, until the butter pieces are the size of blueberries or walnut halves, and are coated in flour. Add the buttermilk, and stir until everything is combined. You'll have a semi wet, shaggy dough.3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 3 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar , 1/8 tsp cinnamon , 3/4 cup salted butter, cold and cut into large cubes, 1 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk, cold
- Assemble & Bake: Preheat your oven to 400° F. Give the pear filling a good stir, then pour in 1/3 cup of salted caramel sauce and stir gently to mix it in. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop biscuits into blobs about 4 tbsp in size and place evenly over the top of the pear filling. Add a bit of heavy cream to a small bowl and brush it lightly over the tops of the biscuits, then sprinkle with raw sugar or cinnamon sugar. Bake for 58-66 minutes. The biscuits should be deeply golden brown and the filling should be very bubbly. Place an aluminum foil lined pan below the cobbler to catch any drips. (You can lift a biscuit in the center with a knife to check that it's baked on bottom, and to make sure the filling is bubbly all the way to the center of the cobbler.)splash of heavy cream, cold, for topping, sprinkle of raw sugar or cinnamon sugar, for topping
- Serve + Store: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and more salted caramel sauce. This is best fresh from the oven, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in the oven so the biscuits retain their texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
how long should you reheat the oven for?
Hi Aley! The oven needs to be at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for this recipe, as the recipe card states. Let me know how you like the recipe!
Made this yesterday for a dinner party after saving it over a month ago on TikTok. I wish I hadn’t waited, it is divine! So wonderfully flavorful and a perfect use of my favorite fruit and those biscuits… yum! My friends raved about it!
Definitely adding this to my dessert rotation, thank you!
Thanks so much for the rave review, Monica!
Can you use peaches instead of pears?
Hi Reisha! I think so. I would use the peach filling from my peach crisp – but double it to fill a 9×13 pan. https://bluebowlrecipes.com/peach-nectarine-blackberry-crisp/
Let me know how you like the recipe!
Amazing!! The caramel sauce with the biscuit dough was soooo good! It was gone in minutes. Perfect dessert
Thanks so much, Natalie!
Delicious!
The biscuit topping has a crispy top and softy pillowy center. My pears were perfectly ripe making the filling very rich and flavorful. Will definitely be making this again.
Glad you enjoyed this cobbler, Mae!
Absolutely delicious! Huge family favorite. Perfect blend of sweet and salty and the caramel!! OH MY GOODNESS! My son added extra caramel to his serving, ate it with apples, ice cream and anything he could find. My pears weren’t as firm as they should have been so I added more in hopes they wouldn’t get too soft and it seemed to work. Will definitely make this every year!
Thanks for the rave review, Valerie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Can this be made with apples instead of pears? How many apples would you use?
Hi Catherine! If you want to use all apples, I’d use the same amount of apples as the recipe calls for with pears. There’s also a note about subbing in apples or other fruits in the Recipe Variations section near the end of the blog post. I think you could also reduce the flour from 2/3 to 1/2 cup but that’s just my best guess, I haven’t tested this out with apples. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!