Caramelized Pears
Sweet, buttery and perfectly spiced, Caramelized Pears are the perfect fall or winter treat. This pear recipe is ready in less than 15 minutes and pairs beautifully with breakfast and dessert… or by itself!
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I have fond memories of eating pears as a child around the holidays when one of our family friends would send us a gift basket from Harry and David.
Those pears were absolutely magical and set me up for a lot of disappointment because not every pear is created equal.
When I had kids, I discovered that they both liked pears, and so I am constantly looking for excellent fruit at our grocery store.
Pears, very much like peaches, are not the easiest to find out of season and can be quite disappointing.
I have cooked a lot of pears and a lot of fruit. This caramelized pear recipe is an easy one for any occasion, especially in the fall in winter months.
This recipe ended up on my docket because I initially wanted to add it to a crostini to make a sweet-savory appetizer situation.
Turns out, these caramelized pears are fantastic on their own… and don’t need anything extra.
Why I love this recipe:
Real talk: this caramelized pear recipe could not be simpler, requires very little time and effort.. and the end result is delicious.
What’s not to love?
These spiced pears are sweet and buttery and perfectly cooked. You can slice the pears, like I did here, or you can dice them for a different texture. Either way, you are in for a treat… that’s naturally gluten-free.
These are excellent on top of breakfast items, like pancakes or waffles. You could serve it over a bowl of oatmeal or even yogurt if that’s more your speed. And these can serve dessert by themselves, or you can add it to ice cream, cake, whatever floats your boat.
The beauty of this recipe is quick, so it can be made last minute right before you serve dessert or breakfast. It does not require a ton of time; nor does it require a ton of skill.
More easy treats made with fruits: Caramelized Apples | Cranberry Crumb Bars | Fresh Blueberry Sauce | Apple Pie Bars
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Medium to large skillet
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get from the store:
- Pears — you’ll need two regular-sized firm pears. There are several varieties of pears, and you can use whatever pears you can get your hands on. Anjou pears, bosc pears and bartlett pears are both great. I chose to peel and slice mine to where they are a bit longer for these photos. You can dice them, as well.
- Unsalted butter — you just need a little bit of butter to make this happen, as the pears release a lot of moisture as you cook them. You could use a dairy-free or vegan butter, if desired.
- Brown sugar — light or dark brown sugar works for this recipe! The sweet molasses notes pair beautifully with the pears.
- Pure vanilla extract — this helps all the flavors come together and sing. The real deal stuff is where it’s at.
- Spices — we use a combination of ground cinnamon and ground ginger to spice the pears. You could also add a few shakes of fresh grated nutmeg. I also add a pinch of kosher salt to bring everything together.
What to use caramelized pears for:
While I love to eat mine by themselves, I know that toppings on a baked potato are never a bad idea.
Here are some ideas for you:
- Add it to breakfast. Be it oatmeal, overnight oats, pancakes, waffles or French toast, you can’t go wrong with these gooey, buttery, sweet pears.
- Use it as a standalone dessert.
- Serve them on top of other desserts, like vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt), spiced cakes, pound cake or more.
How to make caramelized pears:
Prepare the pears. Peel, then cut the flesh away from the stems. Slice or dice the pears.
Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
One that is melted, add the brown sugar, spices and pears.
Cook those together until the pears release their juices and sauce becomes gooey and sticky and delicious. This will take 3- 5 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner.
Keep an eye on the pears and their consistency because they can become too soft if you cook them down for too long.
Serve immediately or cool and reheat later!
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
I’m a really big fan of making a fancy sauce like this to go on top of various desserts for entertaining. It’s easy and it feels like when and it’s also super delicious to add to a store-bought treat.
I also really like that everyone can customize their experience with optional toppings.
- Double or triple the recipe, depending on the amount of guests you have. If you think your people will just want a small dollop of this, don’t do extra, but if you think your people are going to devour this, make more.
- Play with the spices. My testers enjoyed this, but one of them told me that she thought the ginger was too strong. She does not like ginger. If your people do not like ginger, consider skipping it and let the cinnamon shine instead.
- Serve it with other delicious, homemade dessert items, like sweetened whipped cream or spiced whipped cream.
- Add it to a brunch or dessert bar at a party for people to add to various items.
Quick tips and tricks to the best caramelized pears:
- Be intentional about how you slice the pear.
- Choose the best pears you can get your hands on. The sauce will make them taste amazing, but you want to start off with a good product, too. Underripe pears or over ripe pears will not be a good fit for this sauce.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator once the sauce cools.
Here’s how you can make this recipe in your own house…
Caramelized Pears
Ingredients
- 2 pears peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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Instructions
- Peel and slice the pears. You may slice them into longer pieces or dice them into cubes.
- Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
- One that is melted, add the brown sugar, spices and pears.
- Cook those together until the pears release their juices and sauce becomes gooey and sticky and delicious. This will take 3- 5 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner.
- Keep an eye on the pears and their consistency because they can become too soft if you cook them down for too long.
- Serve immediately or cool and reheat later!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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