Baked pears with crunchy topping are pears that are baked, filled with whole grain cereal, and topped off with yogurt.
I didn’t grow up in a cereal-for-breakfast family. Actually, my parents aren’t big breakfast eaters [no surprise there since I’m not either]. But something happened when Joey was born and we began his journey with solid foods: he became a cereal aficionado. I’m pretty sure you can give any toddler that title because there’s something that’s so snackable and delish about crunchy cereal and their little teeth and taste buds.
And lucky for my boys, Mom knows some tips and tricks to picking healthier options down that cereal aisle at the grocery store. And she even knows there’s more to pairing cereal with milk [I’ll get to these baked pears with crunchy topping in a minute].
Here’s my criteria for fueling Joey’s and Anthony’s cereal obsession: the cereal needs to be a good source of fiber, made with whole grains, and relatively low in sugar. So when Post Foods reached out to me to try their Great Grains whole grain cereal, Joey happily accepted the samples— and I did too, because they met my criteria! Joey also obliged to being my assistant in developing a new recipe that included this healthy Great Grains cereal: baked pears with crunchy topping.
While we enjoyed a bowl of the Great Grains Crunchy Pecans with a glass of milk, the sweet crunchy texture of the cereal reminded me of a lighter granola— there’s whole grain clusters and pieces of pecans right in the mix. And because granola with yogurt is like peas are to carrots, I knew I wanted to make a recipe that a. included yogurt and b. a serving of fruit.
Because whether or not you eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, you should round out the meal with dairy and a serving of fruit [says the registered dietitian Mom]. And that’s the long-story short as to how and why I created these baked pears with crunchy topping. Joey concurred with Mom’s reasoning and will happily develop recipes and be my taste-tester for future Great Grains recipes!
Craving a piece of holiday pie? Try these baked pears with crunchy topping instead! Share on X
- 1 cup Great Grains Crunch Pecans cereal
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large fresh pears
- Optional: vanilla Greek yogurt, extra cinnamon for topping
- Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Cut pears lengthwise. Scoop out the core and seeds. Cut ¼ inch from the skin-side of the pear so they lay flat in baking dish.
- Place each pear half skin-side down in baking dish. Top with ¼ cup of cereal mixture. Add a tablespoon or two of water to the baking dish [so the pears do not stick to the pan when baking].
- Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Disclaimer: I am proud to partner with Post Foods to bring you this recipe. Because of these great partnerships I am able to share delicious and nutritious family-friendly recipes. As always all opinion and ideas are 100% my own.
Deanna Segrave-Daly says
YUM – I did grown up in a cereal eating family and still love it to this day (though I tend to eat it more as a snack these days 🙂 Love this idea of using as a quick and healthier crumble topping over fruit.
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
Like Joey, we’re cereal aficionados and Great Grains is awesome! We love all the different varieties. I’ve added it to yogurt before but what you’ve done here looks amazing! Have a great weekend Katie 🙂
rachel@ athletic avocado says
this would make the most perfect snack! Nice, quick, easy and crunchy, just the way i like it 🙂
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
We were cereal crazed as kids – I had a favorite of the week from cocoa krispies to cinnamon toast crunch. Clearly I had a sweet tooth and a mom who didn’t deprive us of anything! These baked pears look so delish – and definitely a healthier way to enjoy cereal!
twitchetts.com says
These look A-Mazing!! I love the crunchy topping for it!
Stephanie says
I love pears and this would be perfect for this time of year when I want a warm, crunchy snack that isn’t a cookie.
Lauren Harris-Pincus says
Those sound delish and a great idea! I have a pile of pears I’ve been playing around with…my soon to come baked pears are similar but with sorghum syrup/oats/nuts.