These chocolate pear bars are easy to make and tastes so good! The fresh pear baked inside the crumbly crust topped with chocolate is a TO DIE FOR combination.
The inspiration...
I go to the farmer's market every Sunday to get fresh vegetables and fruit. I saw a ton of pears that were in season that I had to buy. I ended up with too many fresh pears in my kitchen and so I was inspired to make a baked treat with these delicious pears.
As we head into the fall season and colder months, summer fruits are no longer as accessible. Pears and apples are a staple in my house during September and October. They are easy to buy in bulk and they last the week. These pears were so juicy and delicious once they were ripe. Chocolate and pears pair so well together. It is not a combination that I see out in bakeries but I love to bake these two flavors together. You will have to try it out to see what I am talking about.
If you have tried my apple bars these are very similar but with an extra sweet surprise inside from the dark melty chocolate. These bars are addicting to eat! They will go fast.
A few tips:
Chocolate - use high-quality chocolate for these bars because it tastes so good with the pears. I use Guittard chocolate for this recipe.
Storage - these bars last for 2 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. They don't last too long because of the fresh pears in the bars.
Crust layer - feel free to be creative with the top crust layer. You can make an interesting pattern or you can lean into the randomness as I did!
Nuts - I love adding nuts into my baking because they add texture and flavor. The walnuts taste delicious in this crust but really any nut will do. Or you can completely leave our walnuts and it will still taste delicious.
Chocolate Pear Bars
Serving size: 16
Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
Pear Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, and cut into cubes
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup cold water
Pear Filling:
6 large pears, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
Step 1: Prepare the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. You can leave some overhang on the edges so the bars are easy to remove after baking.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into cubes and add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Use your hands to break up the flour-butter mixture into tiny pebbles. The mixture should resemble a coarse sand texture. Mix in the walnuts, cinnamon, and cardamom. Slowly add the cold water until a dough forms. Don't add all the water at once because you might not need all the water. You want the dough to just form and it may still be dry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in a refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3: After the dough is cooled, take 3/4 of the dough out of the fridge and press at the bottom of the cake pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 4: To make the filling, add the sliced pears, sugar, lemon juice, and spices to a bowl. Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pear mixture and cook until just starting to soften about 5-10 minutes. This will caramelize the fruit mixture. Remove from heat and cool. You can add the pear mixture to parchment paper on the baking pan to let it cool quickly.
Step 5: Once the crust is ready, spread the pear filling evenly over the crust with some extra juices. Don't add too much juice because you don't want to soak the bottom crust layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chunks on top of the pears. Then, take out the remaining crust and roll it out to place on top. Scatter large clumps of the top crust layer on top to make a nice arrangement then bake.
Step 6: Place the pear bars in the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown, 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. To serve, lift pear bars out of the pan and onto a large cutting board and slice them into bars.
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