This Paper Bag Pear Pie is a good recipe to try if you have some delicious, ripe pears on hand!
Paper Bag Pear Pie
If you’re not so familiar with the idea of a pear pie, think of it just like an apple pie. A fresh pear pie is made in the same way that you make an apple pie.
Pears are peeled, cored and sliced. They’re tossed with sugar and spices and baked into a pie crust. In this paper bag pear pie recipe, it’s topped with sugary crumbles. And it’s baked unconventionally inside of a brown paper bag!
Just like an apple pie, the pears soften in the baking process. They’re wonderful and tender, and they taste delicious combined with sugar and nutmeg.
If you’ve never tried baking a pear pie, it’s time to try it! And this Paper Bag Pear Pie is the perfect recipe to start with.
Apple season also happens to be prime pear season. You’ll find the best pears in the fall.
What are the best kind pears to use for baking?
Bosc and Anjou varieties are tops at holding their shape and texture in baking recipes. In a pinch, Bartlett pears work fine, too. I used Bartlett pears for this paper bag pear pie, and it turned out great! Avoid using Comice pears for pie. Their tender, juicy flesh tends to fall apart when used in pies.
Why would you want to bake a pie in a paper bag?
It turns out that baking a pie in a brown paper bag is an old fashioned method. It has been around for years! A pie baked in a paper bag turns out golden brown, the crust is a bit more flaky, and the filling cooks perfectly.
Oh, and the pie drippings that sometimes ooze over the side of the pie and mess up your oven… that doesn’t happen with a paper bag baked pie. The paper bag takes on any (possible) bubbling overflow mess of this Paper Bag Pear Pie!
The paper bag won’t catch on fire if you don’t let it touch the top of the oven. I take one of my racks out when baking this pie. When it’s time to bake, you put the pie pan in a brown bag and sit it on a cookie sheet. Roll the end up and staple shut.
So if you’re already thinking about pies for Thanksgiving, you might consider adding this Paper Bag Pear Pie to the menu. It adds fun discussion to the dessert table when you get to share how this pie was baked!
If you’re looking for more recipes to make with pears, you might like to try my Pear Bread or this Spiced Pear Cake. Autumn Spice Pear Cobbler, Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter and Pear and Ginger Muffins are great recipes starring pears too!
Paper Bag Pear Pie
Ingredients
PIE:
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
- 4 to 5 cups peeled, cored and sliced pears
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
TOPPING:
- 8 tablepoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
PREPARE THE PIE:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges.
- Add the sliced pears to a medium bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over the sliced pears. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the pears to coat. Pour the pears into the unbaked pie crust.
PREPARE THE TOPPING:
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the topping ingredients. Spread over the pear mixture.
- Insert the pie pan into a brown paper bag. Fold the edge and fasten securely with staples to create a sealed environment. It's helpful to take a rack out of the oven so you can put the pie on a lower rack. As long as the bag isn't touching the heat element, it won't catch on fire. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove bag and let pie cool on the counter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks awesome! Just one question… Could it be prepared using canned pears when fresh pears are out of season? Or would they end up way too mushy?
I’m not familiar with the texture of canned pears, so I’m not quite sure.
A nice alternative to Apple Pie. I prefer the Bartlett pears. My favorite. Now how about adding some Ceylon Cinnamon to this? Cinnamon works well with Apple for example. Oh and you you say fasten the paper bag to the dish. How do you do that? Fold the paper bag underneath the dish ? Will it catch fire?
Sounds good. You can staple the bag shut to create a sealed environment. Take a rack out of the oven and place it on a lower rack. It won’t catch fire if it isn’t touching the heat element at the top of the oven.
I’m afraid that the bag would burn at such a high temperature. Can you bake without placing in the bag? If so would the time and temp change?
As long as the bag is not touching the heat element at the top of the oven, it will not catch fire. People have been baking pies this way for years! I haven’t tried this particular recipe without the bag, so I’m not sure of timing when baked the regular way.