Baked Pears Recipe
These baked pears are the best things that have ever happened to pears. These caramelized pears are baked with simple ingredients, just butter, sugar, lemon juice, and spices, until soft and tender and full of caramelized goodness.
If you love pears, check out Pear Frangipane Tart or these Poached Pear Tarts.
If you’re looking for gluten-free dessert options then look no further, these caramel pears are glorious! When the pears come out of the oven you’ll be fighting every fiber of your being not to just eat all of them. They taste like something that comes out of a fancy restaurant while making it takes almost no effort at all.
Translucent, speckled with vanilla seeds, and covered in delicious caramel that was created from the pear juices, brown sugar, and butter they look and taste like candied pears. I’ve made them for our women’s group and they were such a hit with everyone that I just had to share them with everyone else as well!
Best Pears for Baking:
Bosc is the best variety for this baked pear recipe because it retains the shape well when subjected to heat. They’re also wonderful for poaching like in this Amaretto Poached Pear recipe.
Anjou and Seckel are the next best choices. They bake a little softer than Bosc but still retain their shape well. I leave the skin on when using them to help them keep their shape.
Ingredients for Caramelized Pears
- Pears – choose firm varieties that handle baking well, like Bosc or Anjou.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best. Don’t use the bottled stuff that will have an off-taste.
- Brown sugar – this is what will create the caramel once joined with the pear juices and butter.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – this will add a fragrant fall aroma and flavor to the pears, but it will taste great without the spices as well (I don’t typically add any).
- Vanilla paste – the paste has vanilla seeds that will add great taste and look to the caramelized pears.
- Butter – any butter will work for this recipe. Butter will create a creamy and luscious caramel sauce for the pears.
- Salt – just a tiny pinch to offset the sweetness of the pears and caramel.
How to make the Baked Pears
- Peel the pears. Remove the cores. Leave the stems on.
- Arrange pears in a baking pan, cut side up.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and vanilla extract, then sprinkle with sugar, spices, and a pinch of salt, and arrange the cubed butter.
- Bake in a preheated to 400F oven for 30 minutes.
- Then, turn the pears cut side down, spoon the caramel over the top and bake for another 30 minutes or until soft.
How to serve the caramelized pears?
- Serve the caramelized pears with a drizzle of the caramel that has pooled around the pears.
- Or with a dollop of Greek vanilla yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or sliced almonds.
- The caramelized baked pears can be eaten hot or cold with morning oatmeal or as a filling for other desserts that require poached pears.
Pro tips for success:
- Use firm varieties of pears to help them hold shape while baking.
- Choose ripe pears that are still firm.
- Use large pears, as they will shrink considerably while baking.
- Use parchment for lining the baking dish. This makes clean-up a breeze.
- Keep an eye on the caramel to make sure it doesn’t burn.
How to store the pears?
Cool the pears completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Warm up in the microwave to liquefy the sauce and warm up the pears.
Baked Pears with Brown Sugar and Butter
The easiest baked pears recipe that makes the most delicious pears that you can drizzle with the caramel that's made from pear juices and sugar and serve them with ice cream, yogurt or oatmeal.
Ingredients
- 4 medium or large pears Bosc, Anjou or any other firmer variety suited for baking
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 whole lemon, juice only
- 2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" cubes
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion (it has vanilla beans)
Instructions
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Prep: Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 10"x7" or a 9"x9" baking dish with parchment paper if you prefer easier cleanup, or spray it with nonstick spray.
If doubling the recipe use a 9"x13" baking dish or any other rimmed baking dish that will fit pears snugly to each other (see Note 1 at the bottom).
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Peel & Core: If using a firm pear variety like Bosc, peel them. Remove the core with a melon baller or a small spoon. Leave the stems on for better visual appeal.
If you're using softer pears like Anjou, keep the skin on to help them keep the shape as they bake.
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Add toppings: Set the pears cut side up inside the pan. Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon (if using) and salt. Arrange the cubed pieces of butter on top of the pears. Drizzle with vanilla extract.
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Bake for 30 minutes cut side up. Turn the pears cut side down. Spoon the caramel over the tops to prevent browning. Bake for another 20-50 minutes or until the pears are soft, and the caramel is thickened. The pears will shrink consierably if baked until the caramel is very thick.
Bosc pears will take the longest to achieve the candied translucent look and caramelized taste. Other more delicate pear varieties will take less time to soften (Note 2 & 3).
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Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, or a sprinkle of roasted walnuts or sliced almonds. Spoon the caramel over the pears.
Recipe Notes
Notes
- Use a baking dish that is big enough to just fit the pears. If the pears are spread too far apart from each other, the juices will be evaporated quicker and there will not be enough liquid to form the caramel.
- The longer the pears are baked the thicker the caramel around them will get. If you prefer a thinner caramel sauce, bake for a total of 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you prefer thicker caramel, you can bake up to 1 hour 30 minutes.
- If using softer varieties of pears baking them too long will turn them mushy. To avoid this, bake only until the pears are soft. Then, remove the pears and continue cooking the caramel down until thickened.
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Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Thank you so much for this super easy and delicious recipe! We paired them with vanilla ice cream and an oatmeal Raisin cookie. It was a huge hit in our house. It’s definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much for this super easy and delicious recipe! It was a huge hit in our house. It’s definitely a keeper.
Made this with Bartlet pears and it was a big hit. I did leave the skin on and did use a knife the cut. But will be baking a larger batch tomorrow .Thanks for such a delicious recipe.
On the baked pears, salt is listed. Why do you need salt as there is vanilla? Also I do not see in the mixing instruction.
It’s just a little sprinkle of salt to balance out the sweetness of the caramel, you add it together with the sugars and spices.
I am giving 5 starts because I think it’s is great idea!! I have a large pear tree and a huge cart full of pears… LOL there are more on the Tree. I am hoping to make this recipe with my DE Anjou pears. I was going to mention that I think you Bosc and De Anjou pears mixed up. My bosc pears are so fragile and thin skinned but my Anjou are much sturdier even even when ripe. I am looking forward to trying out this recipe
My family moved and we now have a pear tree in our back yard. Some green pears drop after high winds. The are firm and semi sweet. This receipt proved to be a good way to deal with the pears that fall before they are ripe. The instructions were easy to follow and the end results were spot on to what was expected based on the pictures and the narrative. Thank you.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Ron, Pears don’t actually ripen on the tree, If you leave them on the tree too long the will get a gritty texture. They are ready to pick when you can grab the pear and tilt it to an angle and then stem will snap. If they are blowing off the tree they are ready to pick. If you have lots of pears you can put them in a refrigerator meanwhile when you want some to ripen just take them and place in a paper bag or rap them individually with paper… like left over of Christmas wrapping paper. In just a few days they will get softer and depending on the variety they may change color a bit. Enjoy your pears
That’s a great tip! Thank you for sharing!
I used this recipe to finish up a gift box of pears. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t noteworthy in any way, either. Fruit baked in brown sugar is going to be good and this recipe pretty much requires ice cream, yogurt, whipped cream or something to make it special. Also, do not let these sit in the baking dish as the caramel glaze turns to something resembling epoxy. After removing the pears I poured in a small amount of boiling water and returned the pan to the oven to save the glaze.
Would the pears freeze ok?
This recipe was so satisfying. Everything I wanted and nothing I didn’t for a tasty breakfast. Easy enough for my kids to help next time!
Thank you. Where we live there are hard pears and soft smaller pears. The hard pears were amazing. I had to take them along and reheat for dinner and then reheat again the two pears that escaped until breakfast. I only used half the sugar so we had a light sauce … great recipe.
Made this recipe, and I love it… I jus add a little crumble on the top of them and it was perfect…
In the beginning of the recipe it says vanilla paste but when looking down at the ingredients list it says extract. Which one should I be using for this recipe?
Either one will work. Vanilla paste will give you the vanilla bean speckled look.
I am so glad you asked about how much better should be used in this recipe. Marina, you might want to update the ingredients in this page since it says teaspoons. In any case, thanks for the lovely recipe and wonderful instructions! I used Bosc pears and peeled them as suggested and yum … Just Yum!
Hi Joyce!
Not sure how that happened but it should be tablespoons, not teaspoons. You can use 2-4 tablespoons of butter per 4 pears.
I had a bag of Bartlett pears that I wanted to try but didn’t really know what to do with them. A quick search led me to your page. They literally just came out of the oven. First of all, my house smells amazing and second of all, OMG these are SO good!! The caramel sauce is a thick glaze and taste lovely. I can’t wait for these to cool off so me and the kids can enjoy them with some vanilla greek yogurt. I know these will be delicious cold in the fridge as well. Thank you so much for sharing. I feel like I just made something fancy lol
I’ve read and reread this recipe trying to find where the caramel sauce recipe is. It’s mentioned in the instructions but it’s not clear if the juices/dripping which bake out onto the parchment paper is the sauce.
I’m baking the pears right now and all I smell is vanilla. I’m pretty sure I’ve never added vanilla to a baked fruit dessert. Almond might pique my appetite with pears or apples or peaches, but not vanilla. I hope I’m wrong.
Also, I can only guess at the variety of pear I’m using because the tree in our NE Georgia yard didn’t come with a label. The dish has baked over an hour and barely tender. Going for another half hour. Will leave another comment if this recipe turns out well.
Please amend recipe to explain where the caramel sauce comes from. We do have a jar of caramel topping for ice cream …
Hi VickiGene,
The caramel sauce comes from the pear juices mixed with sugar and butter.
Vanilla is the correct ingredient and is frequently added to fruit desserts, including this one.
If after an hour the the pears are still firm, I am wondering if your oven is properly calibrated.
In any case, just keep baking until the lears are soft and the juices have thickened into caramel.
Oh, and the 4th paragraph of the post talks about where the caramel in this recipe
Question is the butter 2 teaspoon or 2 tablespoons? Appreciate it.
2 oz or 4 tablespoons. I apologize for this mishap, it’s fixed in the recipe now.
I LOVE pears so I’m always looking for new simple delicious recipes and this one did not disappoint! It really was so easy to make and was packed with so many amazing warm flavours. Thanks for this, its a keeper!
i made these this morning and they are absolutely delicious! The tips regarding the different pear varieties and baking times were very helpful!
Oops, no lol. Just corrected it in the recipe card. Thanks for catching that!