Description
These smoker-baked chai spiced pear crumble bars offer a unique smoky depth with a tender pear filling and crunchy oat streusel, making them a perfect autumn dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large ripe pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, cored, and diced
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons chai spice blend (or 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp cardamom, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp black pepper)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Optional Glaze: ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 teaspoons milk or cream, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 325°F (160°C) using mild wood like apple or cherry.
- Peel, core, and dice pears into ½-inch cubes. Toss with ¾ cup sugar, lemon juice, chai spices, ground ginger, cardamom, and cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, ½ cup sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats.
- Press about 1 cup of the oat mixture into the bottom of a 9×9 inch metal baking pan to form the crust.
- Pour the spiced pear mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of oat streusel loosely over the top.
- Place pan in the smoker. Smoke for 45 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, tent loosely with aluminum foil if the top is browning too quickly.
- Bars are done when edges are browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from smoker and cool completely on a wire rack (at least 30 minutes).
- If using glaze, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over cooled bars.
- Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Keep butter cold for a flaky crust. Use firm pears like Bosc or Anjou to prevent a soggy filling. Do not cut bars while warm as they need time to set. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, substitute butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 3
Keywords: smoker dessert, chai spiced pears, pear crumble bars, autumn dessert, smoked baking, oat streusel, fall recipes