Happy Friday!
Just a quick note about the pancake recipe I posted yesterday. I tried the pancakes this morning using a couple different methods after a reader mentioned the pancakes stuck to the pan after making a couple small substitutions. I went back into the kitchen to see if I could figure out why the pancakes might have stuck to the pan for someone else. For the first trial, I used an old skillet that wasn’t non-stick. The pancakes completely stuck to the skillet, just as I suspected. I also tried using my non-stick skillet, but I didn’t grease it first, and the pancakes stuck more than I’d like.
My suggestion is to use a non-stick pan and lightly grease it with oil before making the pancakes. I’ve made 5 batches this way and I didn’t have any problems with sticking. I’m also not sure how modifications to the recipe will hold up, such as flour substitutions, so I suggest following the recipe as written. It’s really anyone’s guess when changing a vegan & GF recipe!
In other news, I have a cute, little dessert for you today that is a cinch to whip up.
I had a couple pears on their last legs and thought it would be fun to make a 2-serving pear crisp in tiny little 8-oz ramekins.
Sometimes it’s nice to make a smaller portion when you don’t want to spend a lot of time prepping ingredients. It’s just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth!
Using my Strawberry Apple Breakfast Crisp (image above), I cut it down to make just two servings and then swapped out the fruit and spices. The result is a healthy pear crisp that is just sweet enough without going overboard.
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Cardamom Almond Pear Crisp for Two
By
This crisp is flourless, all-natural, low in sugar, and vegan. I love the chewy topping thanks to the almond mixture. To make this gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
Adapted from my Flourless Strawberry Apple Breakfast Crisp
Yield
2 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients:
For the fruit mixture
- 2 cups chopped pears, unpeeled (about 2)
- 1 tbsp Sucanat or brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
For the topping
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted (or olive oil)
- 3 tbsp almonds
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 tbsp Sucanat or brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F and grease two (8-oz) ramekin dishes with oil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the fruit mixture ingredients (chopped pears, sugar, cornstarch, cardamom/cinnamon, and vanilla).
- In a processor (I used my mini processor), process the almonds until finely chopped. Now add in the oats and process just until chopped. If you don’t have a processor, you can probably do this by hand.
- In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Now stir in the rest of the topping ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons of the topping mixture into fruit mixture and stir until combined. Divide the fruit mixture into ramekins. Sprinkle the rest of the topping on top of the fruit mixture.
- Cover ramekins with lid (or cover with tin foil and poke a couple holes). Bake, covered, at 400F for 22-25 minutes. The topping will burn if you don’t cover it. Allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes before serving with a scoop of vegan ice cream. Dig in!!!
A light and healthy dessert that will leave you feeling refreshed and satisfied just in time for spring!
You can serve it naked, but I definitely recommend serving it with a scoop of vegan ice cream. :) That one is a no brainer. The ice cream gets all melty and warm, creating a gooey, comforting dessert.
Can I just say how pumped I am over the spring-like weather forecast next week?
Anyone else being blessed by warmer weather?
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{ 103 comments… read them below or add one }
Your dessert looks wonderful and I love the napkin with the purple in it…so pretty and festive for spring!
Thanks for the pancake/greasing report. I plan to make these so thanks for the tip!
Love, love, love the new winter banner for the blog! Keep it coming! As a healthy living blogger myself, this site is one of my top 5 that I read every day on my lunch break!
Thanks Melissa!
Confession: I’m already sick of my new header. Isn’t that bad? lol
i LOVE it Angela! do you miss your autumnisn one?
I’m not sure if it’s that, or just that I’m anxious to shoot the next one! I love photography. :) It’s fun playing around with it.
If you don’t want it, I’ll have it! ;-) I love the new banner! Speaking of, do you have any good photography tips? I just started a blog and have been trying to self-teach food photography. I love your pics and would love some advice! (btw…I tried to find an email for you and couldn’t :-(
Pear crisp sounds amazing! I’d love to try this with some blueberries added in too! a
Cardamom has been a recent discovery to me, but I love the funky spice it gives desserts. Have you made cardamom whipped cream? Love that as a topping and I bet it would also be good on this crisp!
I haven’t but that sounds unreal. It’s such a sassy lil spice.
This looks delicious! And I have to ask – where did you get your ramekins? I’ve been looking for some just like yours. Thanks!
Good question- they were a gift from Eric for Xmas so I will have to ask him. It was a holiday white, green, & red set by le creuset, so Im not sure if they are available year round.
it took me only 94753489694 minutes to do the C to F math in my head. I am SUCH an annoying american.
yum, I am going to make this tonight. We are having leftovers and I needed something yummy to end it with!
Looks yummy :D Well I just looked out my window and it looks like a blizzard out there! lol Hopefully the weatherman will be correct for the week though.
Aloha! Just got home from my trip to Hawaii! I already miss the fresh fruit! I was bad and had a few tiny pieces of fish, then felt guilty later!:(
I see you vamped up your website! I missed reading your blogs everyday so I just played “catch up.” I can’t wait to try all of the recipes (especially the pancakes!)
I was bad in Hawaii and had a few tiny pieces of fish, then felt guilty later!
Looks delicious– and I LOVE those purple napkins! I’m looking forward to some warmer weather next week, too.
Looks AMAZING! I LOVE Cardamom…….sooooo spring like and warming :) I’ve made a shortbread with cardamom and it was divine!!
I heard you guys were getting heat, we are still in like 3-5 degree weather in Vancouver :( BOOOOO and rain!
xxoo
Really? I would’ve expected it was warmer there by now. Hopefully that changes soon!
Brrr!!! It’s 70 here!! Do you think you’ll ever move or are you attached to Canada? If so, come to North Carolina :)
We’ve been having warmer weather here too! I love it. Only a few more weeks and spring officially arrives. :-)
Ooh the Mr is gonna love that dessert! Pears are his favorite!
Your forecast looks about like ours. Spring is around the corner!
This is exactly what I’ve been craving lately! YUM
Looks amazing! Perfect for two :)
That is my exact weather forecast here in Markham :) And I am so totally excited about it!
hollaaaa
Ok, this looks delicious, but even more so because it’s served in cute ramekins!!! I love yours! The photos are absolutely beautiful. Ooh, and I am so so pumped for this weather we’re about to have… I think spring is coming (and that means outdoor running!!!) :D
These look so great! I’m really weird and only like pears when they’re slightly under-ripe. Now, I’ll know what to do when they ripen a bit to much for my tastes. Beautiful pictures, as always.
We’ve been getting weather in the 70’s around here (in F!), and it’s been so nice. I’m glad spring is almost here!
you don’t seem pumped about the weather at all, Angela! check out my green monster post for today! :D :D
heh, I saw it…lookin good!
That dessert looks scrumptious!
Love it!
I really don’t think there is a more perfection combination of sweet foods than a crisp with vanilla ice cream. (Except maybe french toast with vanilla ice cream..)
I was on a huge cardamom kick over the last few months that started with these cookies: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2607
but now I’m kind of burnt out. That being said, your recipe sounds pretty darn tasty!
YES for spring weather- it’s pretty much all we’ve had this “winter” in DC!
those look killer!
Ooh I’m such a fan of cardamom; it really adds something special to taste – and fruit crisps always taste so healthy and yet comforting at the same time!
I love mini-ramekin desserts :) And the weather here (Indiana) is shaping up for a great weekend!
Cardamom is the best! I lived with a Pakistani woman who used it in a lot of her desserts. She’d always beg me to try them, and even though I knew what she was up to, I couldn’t resist. Then she’d say, “Okay, now you do the dishes.” Tricky lady!
haha I like her style.
Hi Angela!
Do you think you could use melted Earth Balance instead of coconut oil? I have actually never bought coconut oil or butter yet. This might be a reason to give it a try!
Thanks!
yes for sure you could!
Yum. I just happen to have pears, so this will be a perfect dessert for Saturday night. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. I put it in cold water and bring to a boil, then steep my tea. Why don’t you move down here? Our temp is mid-60 today, but will be in the mid-70’s all next week. Southern NC. Would love to have you nearby :)
This sounds perfect! I’ll have to make it for my fruit dessert loving husband.
Oh, this looks really good. I haven’t bought pears in a long time, but I may give the strawberry-apple crisp a go.
I don’t like most cooked fruit, but cooked pears are totally DELICIOUS to me. I love how they get soft and sweet :)
such a lovely sweet treat for the colder weather :)
I make a really similar crisp at work. We use walnuts instead of almonds, and grilled pineapple instead of pears. Maybe I will have to swap it out.
What vegan ice cream do you guys recommend?
i enjoy coconut bliss
I’m super jealous of the those little raindrops on the forecast for you next week – I miss showers! I’m one of those weird people who love the rain … I think I want to move to Vancouver so I can be surrounded by rain clouds for 95% of my life ;)
Yes, we are finally having some nice weather here in Colorado too:) I have a question for whomever, I never used a treadmill before this winter for running. So I have been trying to train throughout the winter on one and this week got out to run outside and I stink. Is the treadmill not even close to real running or is there a trick (like run on a treadmill twice as long as you would outside)? Anyone else have this problem?
I notice that too Alyssa. When I run on the treadmill, I always leave it at 2% (sometimes 1%) incline to “make up for” the lack of resistance that I’d naturally get outdoors with hills, wind, etc. So far my transition has been a lot more smooth by doing this!
YESSSS so excited for the weather next week! I can’t believe it snowed today and it’s supposed to be 12 on Sunday…Ontario weather keeps the wardrobe a’changin :)
As far as Im concerned it’s bikini season next week. LOL
Today is beautiful and sunny here in Australia….a nice change from the torrential rain we’ve been having! This crisp looks fab angela! my favourite crisp/crumble is good ol apple, but I think i need to mix it up a bit. Oh and ice cream is essential!
Oooo..YUM!!! This sounds perfect! It is a beautify day here in SUNNY Colorado!!
I’m ALLL about dessert for two. well, as if you couldn’t tell by my name ;)
Although, my desserts aren’t as healthy as yours. I eat mainly vegan/vegetarian food to make up for the fact that I eat my rich desserts. In my head, I pretend it’s all even, but I know it’s not haha
This is sooo cute :)
It was 70 here yesterday but then went back down to 50 today :(
And I love small serving dessert recipes!
This looks delicious and simple!
This looks fantastic!! The perfect sweet treat :D
The weather has been weirdly warm in Winnipeg this winter. This week it’s highs of 5 degrees. With the daylight saving time adjustment this week I can finally start running outside after I put the kidlets to bed. I’m kind of a wimp and I don’t like running in the dark in the suburbs. If I slipped and fell on the ice somewhere and knocked myself out, the snowbanks would hide me. :)
BEAUTIFUL new header on your site! It’s my first time visiting in a month or so.
Your pictures are always amazing, but today’s are really stunning. They evoke a feeling of sitting in a cafe somewhere … sounds lovely!
Thanks Maureen!
Looks tasty! I have some apples that are close to their end, I might do something similar.
This looks scrumptious!!! And very beautiful!
That ice cream, melting into the crisp! Oh my goodness, I want some of that!
You’re so lucky to be blessed with warm weather. I’m expected to have TEN days of rain!
ooo these look so yummy! wish i had cardamom….it’s always so expensive >_<
I am dying to make a fruit crisp! I haven’t made any kind of legit dessert in such a long time. Sounds awesome. I’ll have to hunt down some ramekins though, don’t believe I have any.
Hi Angela,
I know I have already asked you to take a gander at the apple-chestnut recipe. I will let you know that I attempted at making my own vegan version and they came out good but I wasnt blown away so maybe your recipe will be better.
Anyhow, I have recently discovered loquats (japanese plums) and I am wondering if you have ever cooked/eaten these? I am finding a lot of homemade jam recipes for them.
Also, what about farina or crema de arroz? Also known as cream of wheat. I usually eat this for breakfast and I LOVE it but I am wondering you are familiar with any strange recipes that use this?
Thanks for the awesomeness!
Thank you for this! I’m always looking for smaller dessert recipes. I’m the only one in my house who eats sweets, so I don’t need a billion cookies kicking around tempting me!
Yay! Finally someone appreciates pears :D Looks delicious though!
I love crisps of all kinds and pear comes in second next to apple. Wonderful recipe!!
oh yum, love cardamom! one of my favorite spices
This looks so amazing, delicious, scrumptious, and absolutely perfect! I’ve been having a sweet tooth lately and need some inspiration for lighter sweets to keep me satisfied. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I have been making individual pear crisps for night time snacks all week! :) SO good. So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean ice cream on the side has been my weakness. Have you tried it? Heavenly. We are going to be having some unusually warm weather next week too! Can’t wait!
This sounds so delicious and your photos are beautiful! I’m not a HUGE pear fan, but I would like to be.. ha, does that sound weird? Maybe this is the recipe to get me into them!
know what you mean Im not a huge pear fan either!
What a beautiful bowl of goodness!
Made a personal apple version of this last night with walnuts… saving my only pear for a walnut salad today. Regardless, it was delicious (and I took your advice with the ice cream topping, too)! Thanks for the inspiration/recipe. :)
Also, I’m loving the weather as well… went for my first run outside in a couple months and that air felt great! I did 5.6 miles in 54 minutes; pretty slow but hey, gotta start somewhere. I wish I could keep that pace that you do… although I have to say, I have been switching it up on my treadmill warm-up before weights, kind of like your treadmill workouts, and I think it’s made a difference!
I love how much care and attention you put into your recipes, Angela – going back to test and re-test the pancakes shows so much dedication.
The crisp looks wonderful – I wish I had a ramekin of it sitting in front of me right now! I’ve been loving the use of cardamom lately, and in combination with the pears… oh my! I’ll definitely have to give this a try sometime. :)
Awesome recipe! My hubby has a disease and even his allowable fruit list is small. I’m pretty sure I can make this for him with no subs. Thanks!
Here’s to the weather! Spring is coming Angela, even in Ontario! ;)
Both the pear crisp and the apple strawberry recipe look delicious! I can’t wait for summer berry season. Yum!
Your blog has changed the way I see food and eating.
Thank-you so much for what you are doing.
You are changing lives!
Thanks Kyle, that means so much to me!
This looks so delicious! I bought some pears this week and they were all unripe… and still haven’t ripened. I think they’re doomed. :(
Have fallen in live with oh she glows! Thank you so much for such great recipes and ideas. Been having VOO’s all week and had my first green monster this morning- not as scary as I thought!
I’m happy to hear that Harriet!
Your timing is impeccable – I wanted to make a not too sweet, healthy dessert for supper last night and low and behold you posted this blog. I was excited about the combination of pears and cardamom and thus was disappointed to discover that I was out of cardamom and had to substitute cinnamon :( Oh well, it was still fabulous. I can’t wait to make it again when I do have cardamom!
I made this last night & it was so good. I have never thought of using pears like that. The sun is shining it’s 49 degrees here & I want to run!
BEAUTIFUL spoons!!! woweeeee!
This desert looks very (very-very) delicious! Not to mention that with the still slightly chilly weather here (today we had our first real spring-ish sun) – a warm dessert like this one is extra appreciated.
I usually make something similar (replace the pears with apples, change some of the herbs and add more things like rolled oats and other healthy grains) for breakfast. But I never thought of pear and cardemon before. Which is silly, because I love both – so thank you for this recipe! :D
I also never had vegan ice-cream before but then again: there is a first time for everything. I must admit that I have gotten more than curious about it after all the praise from various people!
I love the idea of using cardamom spice in a crisp or cobbler! Especially perfect for pears, yum! =)
I made this last night but I used Granny Smith Apples. It was soooooooo good. The topping is so addicting. I am going to make a cherry one tonight. THANK YOU
Hey Holly, Im happy you enjoyed it!
That crisp looks delicious!
YES! I LOVE MINIATURE DESSERTS! you rock ange. Keep it up. Also, im getting antsy about the cookbook…I just want it HERE ALREADY!
I love making 2 serving desserts. It’s perfect for me and hubby without overindulging for days. Plus, I love a good fruit crisp!
We are enjoying absolutely beautiful weather in NH! All week it’s supposed to be nice. Keep your fingers crossed that Spring is here!
Ohh this looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it!
I am allergic to almonds- do you think I should just omit them or would another nut work well as a substitution? Thanks!
Hi Angela!
I love your blog and have been reading it for years. Keep up the yummy cooking! Like you, I’m a runner, and have been vegan for about 5 months. Recently though I found out that I am anemic, and was wondering what you do to make sure you get enough iron? I would love if you had a “super iron meal” recipe or something like that. (Spinach, quinua, lentil, tofu sort of thing? It sounds yummy already). I’m taking supplements now but I would much rather be able to get my iron from my diet than a pill!
And yes, we’ve had warm weather in Ithaca, NY too! Yesterday was beautiful, went on an 11 mile run, and I was so happy.
Best,
Kathleen
I had four pears looking at me somewhat sadly so I whipped this up for dessert last night. It was so delicious and because I doubled the recipe, we had leftovers to take to school/work today for lunch. Perfect! :)
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post :)
I’ve been making this for the past couple of years so I thought I should let you know that I (and many others) think it’s delicious! I usually times the recipe by 5 to 8 for a group and it works splendidly – just needs a much longer cooking time. Everyone loves it and using cardamom puts it into the ‘interesting and mysterious’ realm!
I just wanted to drop a comment to say that you are my go to blog for literally any idea I have. Today I had some extra pears and here I am! I recommend you to everyone who asks about plant-based foods. Thnx for maaaaany great meals!
Aww Lindsay, THANK YOU this means the world to me! :) Enjoy that pear crisp! I have some pears on hand this week and I can’t wait to experiment with a new recipe idea.