Delicious Fresh Pear Desserts

Our Okanagan Fruit Recipes

Fresh pear desserts are undoubtedly a favorite fall dessert, the most simple being baked pears.

Pear fruit goes well with chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and honey, walnuts, pecans and other tree nuts, and red and white wine, so baked pear recipes are easy to make with simple ingredients you have on hand. I like that! Here are a few of our best pear dessert recipes.

Fresh Baked Pear Recipe

Here is a basic baked pears recipe that you can adapt with your favorite flavors and ingredients and make delicious pear desserts.

What you'll need:

• 4 ripe pears (firm), peeled(or not), cored and cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup juice - such as apple cider, orange juice, mixed berry juice, pomegranate juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, white wine, red wine
• 2/3 cup dried berries raisins, cranberries or other dried berry fruit
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped nuts - cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts

To make: Simply place quartered pears in a glass baking dish. Drizzle juice over pear fruit. Top with fruit and chopped nuts. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes at 350°F, or until pears are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or yogurt. Be sure to top with leftover juices!

Pastry Baked Pear Dessert Recipe

Only fresh ripe pears will do for this, my very favorite, baked pears recipe. I only make it for special occasions. It takes a bit of time, but is well worth it, and served warm with caramel sauce. You can use puff pastry, phyllo pastry, or this basic homemade pastry recipe.

What you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 large pears (Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc) peeled, cored and cut in half
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp granulated or decorating sugar
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce
• Pastry Dough - see recipe below, or choose puff or phyllo pastry

To make:

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease the bottom only of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Mix brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and softened butter in a small bowl until well blended.

Roll pastry into 18x12 inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Then cut into 4 rectangles. Trim corners of each by about 1 inch for easier folding around pear fruit. Save the cut pieces.

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the brown sugar mixture on each rectangle. Place one pear half, cut side up, on each rectangle. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture on each pear.

Wrap pastry around each pear half, moistening the edges slightly with cold water, and pinch to seal. Place seam side down in baking dish. Brush with egg white. Shape extra cut pastry pieces into small leaf shape, and place on the stem end of each pear. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to serving plates and cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm topped with caramel sauce. This is one of those really to die for pear recipes! Enjoy!

Baked Gingerbread Pear Cobbler Recipe

Pears and ginger are divine! For this pear cobbler fresh pear fruit is best, but you can also use canned pears.

What you'll need:

• 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 7 cups sliced, peeled pears (6 medium)
• 3 1/2 Tbsp water
• 1 1/4 Tbsp lemon juice
• Gingerbread topping (see below)

To make:

Heat oven to 375°F. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add pears and toss to coat. Gently stir in water and lemon juice. Place in and ungreased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Meanwhile, make gingerbread topping.

Drop tablespoonfuls of gingerbread batter over hot pear mixture. Bake 15 - 20 minutes longer, or until toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean. Cool for about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

I hope you enjoy these fruit desserts. I'll be adding more pear desserts and other pear recipes as our site grows!

Related Okanagan Fruit Pages:
Tips for canning pears
Tips for choosing and storing fresh pear fruit
Peach Dessert Recipes