These baked pears are made with honey, butter and vanilla and baked until tender and syrupy.
Baked Pears Recipe (Easy Honey Baked Pears)
These easy baked pears are a simple way to turn ripe pears into a simple seasonal dessert. Baked with honey, butter and vanilla until tender and syrupy, they make a cozy ending to any fall or winter meal. Serve them warm on their own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. Pears, honey, butter, vanilla and lemon are all you need.
- Mostly hands-off. Once the pears are prepared and in the oven, there's very little to do besides spooning the juices over them as they bake.
- Perfect for fall and winter. Warm pears and vanilla make a lovely dessert for the colder months.
- Versatile. Serve them on their own or with ice cream, yogurt, whipped cream or toasted nuts.
- Easy to adapt. Use different varieties of pears, swap honey for maple syrup, or add a favorite warm spice.
What Pears Are Best for Baking?
Look for pears that are ripe but still have enough structure to hold their shape as they bake.
Bosc pears are a great choice for baking because they hold their shape well. Anjou pears are another good option and soften nicely without falling apart. Concorde pears also work well for baking.
The most important thing is to use pears that are ripe and ready to eat rather than underripe pears. Very soft, overripe pears can still be baked, but they'll have a softer texture and may not hold their shape as well.
Ingredients & Notes
- Pears – Bosc, Anjou or Concorde pears work well. Choose pears that are ripe and ready to eat.
- Honey – Adds sweetness and helps create the syrupy juices that collect around the pears as they bake.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps the edges of the pears become golden and caramelized.
- Vanilla – Complements the sweetness of the pears.
- Lemon juice – Balances the sweetness and keeps the flavors bright.
- Water – Adds moisture to the baking dish and helps create the sauce as the pears cook.
- Sea salt – Just a pinch brings the other flavors into balance.
How to Make Baked Pears
1. Prepare the pears
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Halve the pears lengthwise and use a small spoon or melon baller to remove the seeds and core if desired. Arrange the pears cut-side up in a baking dish.
2. Make the honey-butter mixture
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the honey, vanilla, lemon juice, water and sea salt until combined.
Pour the mixture evenly over the pears.
3. Bake the pears
Bake until the pears are tender when pierced with a fork.
About halfway through baking, spoon the juices from the bottom of the dish over the pears. Continue baking until the pears are tender and the juices have thickened slightly.
The exact baking time will depend on the size, variety and ripeness of your pears, so start checking them around 25 minutes.
4. Serve
Let the pears cool for a few minutes, then spoon the warm juices over the top and serve.
They're delicious just as they are, or serve them with vanilla ice cream, yogurt or whipped cream.
Tips for the Best Baked Pears
- Choose ripe pears. They should be ripe and ready to eat but still have enough structure to hold their shape while baking.
- Keep the pears in a single layer. This helps them cook evenly and gives the juices room to concentrate.
- Baste as they bake. Spoon the honey and pear juices over the pears halfway through cooking for more flavor and color.
- Start checking early. Pears vary in size and ripeness, so don't rely solely on the suggested baking time.
Serving Suggestions
These baked pears are simple enough to serve on their own, but there are plenty of ways to dress them up.
- Vanilla ice cream – The ice cream melts into the warm pears.
- Greek or coconut yogurt – Adds a little tang and also works well if you're serving the pears cold for breakfast.
- Whipped cream – A simple creamy finish.
- Toasted pecans or walnuts – Add some crunch.
Variations
Use maple syrup: Substitute maple syrup for the honey in equal amounts.
Add warm spices: A pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger or nutmeg are especially nice with pears.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover baked pears can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in a 300°F oven or in the microwave until warmed through or serve chilled from the fridge.
Final Thoughts
These are especially nice when pears are in season, and depending on what you're serving, they can be as simple as a pear and a scoop of ice cream or dressed up with toasted nuts and whipped cream.
More Pear Recipes:
A note about this recipe: This recipe was originally published with coconut whipped cream and glazed pecans. I've since simplified it to focus on the baked pears themselves. You can however still serve the pears with coconut whipped cream and glazed pecans if you'd like.
Baked Pears Recipe
These easy baked pears are made with honey, butter and vanilla and baked until tender and syrupy. A simple fall and winter dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe pears, halved and cored if desired
- 1 Tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons/30 ml water
- ¼ cup /60 ml honey
- ¼ cup/60 g butter
- ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the pears. Arrange the pear halves cut-side up in a single layer in a baking dish.
- Make the honey-butter mixture. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, water, vanilla and sea salt.
- Pour over the pears. Pour the honey-butter mixture evenly over the pears.
- Bake. Bake for 25-30minutes, or until the pears are tender when pierced with a fork. Halfway through baking, flip the pears and spoon the juices from the bottom of the dish over the pears.
- Serve. Serve the pears warm with the juices from the baking dish spooned over the top.
Notes
Pears: Bosc, Anjou and Concorde pears all work well for baking. Choose pears that are ripe and ready to eat but still hold their shape.
Vanilla: You can use either vanilla bean, vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the melted butter mixture and add the pod while the pears bake, then remove it before serving.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey and vegan butter instead of regular butter.
Variations: Add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger or nutmeg to the honey-butter mixture.
Storage: Leftover pears can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions: Serve warm on their own or with vanilla ice cream, yogurt or whipped cream. For a little crunch, add toasted pecans or walnuts.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan Option (use maple syrup and vegan butter), Egg-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 8gSugar: 30gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
skoraq cooks says
This dessert is exactly as you describe it: elegant and effortless and absolutely awesome to be more specific 🙂
Irina @ wandercrush says
Roasting is one of my favourite ways to handle fruits in the kitchen these days. Pears get such an amazing texture warm from the oven… and I can just imagine how well it pairs with the sticky sweet crunch of glazed pecans! Lovely.
Alison @ Ingredientsinc.net says
all of my favorite ingredients!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
I love this idea as a simple (yet delicious) after-dinner dessert! My MIL is here visiting this week, I think I am going to make this - thanks 🙂
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Beautiful! I adore pears and can't wait to try to roast them!
thelittleloaf says
Total autumn deliciousness. Roasted pears with butter and coconut cream is exactly what I want to eat right now - in fact I have a can in the fridge so may have to whip this up tonight!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
LOVE the coconut cream here, paired with luscious roasted vanilla pears 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Gorgeous pears, such an elegant dessert!
Georgie says
Hands down my favorite fruit recipe of all time. I make these all year long - they're so good.