Move Over, Apple—These 17 Pear Desserts Are Pear-fect For Fall
It's time to step outside the (apple) box this fall—instead, pears make the perfect addition to pies, tarts, crisps, and more! With a delicately sweet flavor and sturdy texture that makes them great for baking and topping with plenty of homemade whipped cream or ice cream, pears are sure to become your new favorite fruit. Try our salted caramel pear fritters and be forever changed.
There are tons of pear varieties to try that are in season at various times throughout the year, so you're never too far from a delicious pear dessert. Soft, juicy, super-sweet Bartletts are one of our favorite go-to pears for baking, but crispy Bosc pears are also amazing, especially when poached. D'Anjou pears are a wonderful happy medium (both in texture and in sweetness) as well.
If you've got underripe pears, baking the fruit helps develop their natural sweetness and tenderizes them in the process. Consider taking those underripe pears and turning them into something spectacular, like our baked pear pies, our pear crumble pie, or our pear, blue cheese & maple puff pastry tarts.
And nothing is more simple, yet impressive, like a deliciously caramelized poached pear. Poached pears aren't just for dessert either. Properly poached pears also retain a residual acidity that balances the sweetness, which makes them an amazing and versatile ingredient for other fall dishes, like appetizers or salads, as a garnish for pumpkin soup or roasted butternut squash soup, or a surprising pairing with your favorite fall dinners, like roast chicken, braised curries, or stews.
Poached Pears
Poaching slightly underripe pears makes them tender and sweetens them while allowing them to maintain their structure. Once poached, they can be served warm or cold, garnished with a caramel reduction of the cooking liquid, and accompanied with everything from ice cream to whipped cream to yogurt.
Get the Poached Pears recipe.
Pear Pie
The apple pie might be the reigning Miss America, but this pear pie would like a word with the judges. It has all the warm, gooey, spiced flavor you expect, but where apples swerve slightly tart, pears are all soft sweetness for a cozy, comforting pie any time of the year.
Get the Pear Pie recipe.
Honey-Roasted Pears
Lusciously glazed with honey, these roasted pears showcase elegant flecks of vanilla bean and are finished with colorful lemon zest and a dusting of fresh thyme. They can be served on their own for a light bite, or—our favorite—as a complete dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened Greek yogurt.
Get the Honey-Roasted Pears recipe.
Pear, Blue Cheese & Maple Puff Pastry Tarts
Sweet pears meet their match with buttery puff pastry and salty-creamy blue cheese. Grab some bubbly and toast to this super-classy five-ingredient tart.
Get the Pear, Blue Cheese & Maple Puff Pastry Tarts recipe.
Cinnamon Baked Pears
These healthy individual baked pears will satisfy all your sweet cravings. Be sure to round these out with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get the Cinnamon Baked Pears recipe.
Salted Caramel Pear Fritters
Just like the apple fritters we know and love, pear fritters are fluffy, dense, and tender all in one. When pears are in season and fried, the pieces almost melt into the batter, but just enough so that you still recognize the bits of fruit present.
Get the Salted Caramel Pear Fritters recipe.
Baked Pear Pies
Apple pie, it was nice meeting you, but pie crust-covered pears (drizzled with caramel!) are where it's at.
Get the Baked Pear Pies recipe.
Almond-Pear Upside Down Cake
This tender, flavorful cake is the perfect way to highlight fall’s sweet in-season pears. With plenty of buttery richness and sweet autumnal flavors, it’s the perfect dessert to impress a holiday crowd. For an impressive finish, dust with vanilla-scented powdered sugar and dollop with whipped cream.
Get the Almond-Pear Upside Down Cake recipe.
Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake
This cake is a great way to use up any pears that are a bit past their prime. It’s amazing warm from the oven with a generous helping of whipped cream.
Get the Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Apple-Pear Lattice Pie
Apples and pears can get along, after all, and this pie is proof. We love how these tart Granny Smith apples and sweet Bosc pears come together to make a wonderfully balanced, showstopper of a pie.
Get the Apple-Pear Lattice Pie recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Pear & Berry Crumb Pie
Oats and almonds, spiced with cinnamon and cloves, make this the ultimate crumbly topping for any of your pies this fall (or all year round!).
Get the Pear & Berry Crumb Pie recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Vegan Blackberry & Pear Crisp
This blackberry and pear crisp is the tart, zesty, and sweet dessert you’ll want to eat all year long. There’s something to be said for the flawless combination of sharp blackberry and milder, softer pear. You’ll want to re-create this union in smoothies, jams, and ice cream—we could go on and on.
Get the Vegan Blackberry & Pear Crisp recipe from Women's Day.
Roasted Pears
Prepare to fill your kitchen with the glorious smell of sweet, juicy roasted pears tossed in fragrant maple syrup. As they bake in the oven, the pears caramelize and turn golden brown. This dessert toes the line between savory and sweet, with a pinch of pepper adding a kick of heat and toasted walnuts offering a satisfying crunch.
Get the Roasted Pears recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Harvest Pear-Blackberry Pie
This pie will solidly take you from Team Apple to Team Pear. Adding tart blackberries to sweeter pears is key for making this deliciously rich stunner of a pie.
Get the Harvest Pear-Blackberry Pie recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Maple-Pear Tarte Tatin
In this upside-down pastry, the fruit is caramelized with the natural stuff (AKA maple syrup). Don't have maple syrup? Caramel sauce would also be killer in this.
Get the Maple-Pear Tarte Tatin recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Roasted Pears With Vegan Salted Caramel
Hasselback isn't just for potatoes; this easy yet impressive slicing technique allows you more delicious surface area for topping and caramelizing. Which you'll absolutely want with this vegan salted caramel sauce.
Get the Roasted Pears With Vegan Salted Caramel recipe from Prevention.
Lemon & Thyme Pear Tart With Apricot Glaze
With a sweet apricot glaze, this tart is a perfect balance between tang and sugary goodness.
Get the Lemon & Thyme Pear Tart With Apricot Glaze recipe from Good Housekeeping.
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