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Are you looking for a fancy and delicious dessert that will impress all your friends? Poached pears are the way to go. This underrated confection has all the qualities of a beloved fruity dessert.
It also proves incredibly versatile. There are a lot of different flavors and that pair well with pear (ha ha). From wine and spirits to spices to tropical fruits and teas, there is almost no way to go wrong.
Related To: What Goes Good with Pears?
Join us as we explore some of the most delicious poached pear recipes out there.
1. Red Wine and Ricotta Poached Pears
The rich combination of red wine and ricotta cheese goes perfectly with the pear. Pears are sweet without being too sweet, and they don’t overpower other flavors. The kitchen materials needed for poached pears are usually nothing extraordinary.
As far as ingredients go, for this recipe, you’ll need lots of lemons, cinnamon sticks, and dry red wine. The recipe is fairly simple but it does require you to leave the pears soaking in syrup overnight. This makes it take a little longer to prepare than other desserts.
This recipe makes an excellent classic poached pear. If you’re new to this dessert, this is a great one to start with.
2. Vanilla Bourbon Poached Pears
These vanilla bourbon poached pears will stop people in their tracks. The sweetness of the vanilla and the smokiness of the bourbon blend so beautifully with the pear. It’s a flavor combination so good you’ll wonder why you’re just now discovering it.
There aren’t a lot of ingredients required for this recipe. Aside from the vanilla, bourbon, and, of course, pears, you just need a few things. Namely, orange juice, sugar, water, and cinnamon (a poached pear staple).
This recipe also specifically asks for Bosc pears. The recipe is very straightforward. It takes about two hours from start to finish, but most of that time is spent waiting. Enjoy!
3. Coconut and Star Anise Poached Pears
If you’re looking for a nontraditional, tropical and flavorful dessert, look no further. This variation of the poached pear is the very definition of exotic. Ingredients include coconut milk, dark brown Muscavado sugar, star anise, Greek yogurt and granola.
One bite of this and you’ll instantly be transported to an island resort. This recipe takes around an hour to make and yields six servings.
4. Saffron Chocolate Poached Pears
Unique ingredients introduce flavors we may never have tasted before. What could be more exciting than that? Even better, this recipe lets us explore new flavors along with an old favorite, chocolate.
The recipe calls for a few unconventional ingredients. For example, saffron threads and a vanilla bean pod. It also specifically recommends using Bosc pears.
The recipe is very straightforward. It only takes about 40 minutes to make, and yields four servings. Who knows? After trying this, you may find yourself inspired to use more exotic flavors in your future cooking/baking.
5. Orange Cream Poached Pears
Pears and oranges are not a common combination, but this recipe finds a way to merge them perfectly. Ingredients include dry red wine, reduced fat sour cream, and orange zest and extract. You will find that all poached pear recipes have the same basic steps.
Peel the pears, combine the ingredients, and let the pears absorb the flavors. In this one, the cream perfectly balances the tartness of the orange without overpowering the pear’s flavor. This recipe takes around an hour to make and will yield two servings.
6. Belgian Beer Poached Pears
Now we’ve seen that poached pears with wine are pretty common and we even saw a recipe using bourbon. But poached pears with beer is a whole other ball game and we’re ready to explore it. This recipe calls for ingredients like honey, oranges, coriander seeds, and cloves.
To be sure, it’s going to be a flavor-packed experience. This recipe is nothing out of the ordinary in terms of difficulty. You never know. You might find yourself considering more beer-based desserts more after trying this one.
This recipe takes just over thirty minutes to make and will yield six servings.
7. Chai Poached Pears
We know by now that poached pears love spices. But chai is a unique combination of several spices that isn’t found in a lot of other desserts. This is one of the many tea-infused poached pear recipes and, after tasting it, you will see why.
It also has other delicious ingredients, like honey, cinnamon, and whipped cream. This recipe takes a little over an hour to make and yields two servings.
8. Red Wine and Vanilla Marscapone Poached Pears
If you want to impress your friends and family with a fancy dessert, look no further than this recipe. It combines many different and bold flavors into one delicious masterpiece. Think dry red wine, cloves, orange peel, and marscapone cheese for the whipped cream.
This takes a little under an hour to make and yields two servings.
9. Vanilla Carmel Poached Pears
Have you ever craved an ice cream sundae but wished it was a bit healthier? Well, the vanilla caramel poached pear could provide a great substitute. This recipe has all the makings of a delicious ice cream sundae.
Vanilla, caramel and even some toasted peanuts. The only difference is it uses sweet pears instead of ice cream. It also uses unexpected ingredients like white wine and black peppercorns.
Pretty soon you may find yourself craving this instead of ice cream. This recipe takes about an hour to make and yields six servings.
10. Persian Poached Pears
It’s always exciting to find a new recipe with tastes from another culture. It’s even better when it turns out to be not only delicious but easy. Inspired by traditional Persian cuisine, these poached pears are full of bold flavors.
Like vanilla bean, dried apricots, lemon zest, cloves, and almonds. This dessert takes a little over an hour to make and yields two servings.
11. Poached Pears Vol au Vents
This recipe is a fun and innovative spin on the poached pear! Vol au vent means “windblown” in French, a reference to the light flakiness of the pastry. That’s right: pastry.
This dessert is a pastry pocket filled with wine-caramel cream and topped with a poached pear. It takes a bit more work than just poached pears. But doesn’t it sound delectable?
Ingredients include cornstarch, sparkling white wine, dulce de leche, and fresh lemon juice. This recipe takes a little under an hour and a half to make and yields six servings.
12. Bourbon Masala Poached Pears
We’ve already covered a recipe using bourbon in this article but now we get to add some spices to the mix! This recipe calls for many delicious ingredients, like honey, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, a vanilla bean, and, of course, bourbon. The result is an explosion of flavor that’s sure to impress.
This takes a little over an hour to make and yields six servings.
13. Spicy and Sweet Poached Pears
This recipe has a lot of ingredients that sound strange at first but taste delicious when put together. We’re talking allspice, ground pepper, and apple cider, mixed with the traditional lemon and cinnamon flavors. It sounds like a lot for your mouth to process but we promise it’s delicious!
This recipe takes a little under an hour to make and yields eight servings.
14. Orange Honey Glazed Poached Pears
Nothing emphasizes a dessert’s natural deliciousness like the perfect glaze. What I love about this recipe is how simple it is. And how its simplicity allows the natural fruit flavors to shine as the true stars of this dessert.
This recipe doesn’t call for any fancy ingredients. It doesn’t have many steps. It doesn’t require any special equipment.
(If you don’t have a melon baller, you can use a spoon.) And it takes less than an hour to make.
15. Spice Anjou Poached Pears
Instead of the traditionally requested Bosc pears, this recipe calls for Anjou pears. To emphasize the Anjou’s flavor, the recipe uses orange juice, brown sugar, honey, nutmeg and ginger. Mint leaves serve as a garnish.
This is another recipe that keeps it simple, allowing the fresh fruit flavor to take center stage. It takes about 45 minutes to make and yields 4 servings.
16. Honey Ginger Poached Pears
Do you want an indulgent and sweet dessert you can eat without feeling too guilty afterward? This recipe calls for a variety of ingredients. Moscato wine, simple syrup, fresh ginger, and a vanilla bean.
The recipe is very simple and you’ll be enjoying your dessert sooner than you realize! This recipe takes a little under an hour and a half to make and yields six servings.
17. Red Wine Poached Pears
Red wine is a staple for many – especially those who enjoy poached pears. These red wine poached pears use orange peel, cloves, and, of course, red wine. The recipe suggests Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
Avoid making this dessert with Bartlett pears as they bruise too easily. This recipe takes about 45 minutes to make and yields 5 servings.
18. Espresso and Cherry Poached Pears
Espresso, cherry and poached pears are certainly an unusual combination. Surprisingly scrumptious, these pears are heavenly over vanilla ice cream. This recipe requires almond extract, kirsch, cherries (specifically Amarena), and your favorite espresso.
Though it sounds complicated, this recipe is actually very simple. It doesn’t take long, either (about 45 minutes for 4 servings).
19. Ginger and Jasmine Tea Poached Pears
This tea-infused poached pear recipe is full of subtle, calming flavors. The only ingredients required are jasmine tea, sugar, fresh ginger, and pears. With such minimal ingredients and a simple recipe, there’s no excuse not to try this.
This recipe takes around 40 minutes to make and yields 6 servings.
20. Honey Poached Pears
This dessert is simple, easy, and healthy. Ingredients include Greek yogurt, chopped walnuts, mint for garnish, and, of course, honey. This recipe is very easy to follow, takes a little over 30 minutes to make, and yields 4 servings.
This is the perfect dessert to introduce if you’re trying to move in a healthier direction. There’s something in this dessert for everyone to like.
21. Vermouth Poached Pears
Expanding the alcohol-infused poached pear recipes, we’re inviting Vermouth to the party! This recipe calls for ingredients like honey, orange peels, cloves, and Greek yogurt for serving. The Vermouth makes this dessert sweeter than most other alcohol-infused poached pear recipes.
This recipe takes about 45 minutes to make and yields 6 servings.
22. Tart Poached Pears
While most poached pear recipes are on the sweeter side, this recipe leans into the delicious tartness not found in most desserts. Some of the ingredients include unsweetened apple cider, an orange, and cloves. This adventurous and tasty dessert could easily become a new favorite, even for those who aren’t normally big dessert fans. So proceed with caution.
This recipe takes a little under an hour and a half to make and yields four servings.
23. Grape Juice Poached Pears
We know by now that alcohol-infused poached pear recipes are really popular. Especially those that use wine. However, if you want an alcohol-free dessert that’s still delicious, look no further.
These poached pears use wine’s most popular substitute, grape juice! This recipe only has a few ingredients: grape juice, cinnamon sticks, the rind of an orange, and pears. On top of that, the recipe is super simple and only takes around 30 minutes to make.
This recipe will yield four servings.
24. Hibiscus Poached Pears
Looking to get even more creative? How about a dessert featuring tropical hibiscus? This recipe uses white wine with tropical fruit flavors and hibiscus tea.
Along with oranges and vanilla beans. This recipe is a great way to branch out and experiment with flavors you don’t encounter in most desserts. This recipe takes about 45 minutes to make and yields 6 servings.
25. Apple and Maple Poached Pears
Perfect for the approaching fall, this dessert features maple syrup, apple juice, cinnamon and cloves. I see the leaves changing colors just thinking about it. The recipe recommends serving these apple and maple poached pears with mascarpone cream.
Could be a new favorite Thanksgiving dessert!
26. Yogurt and White Wine Poached Pears
Poached pears are a healthy dessert in general. But this one is especially so, thanks to the use of yogurt rather than cream. Along with yogurt, this recipe uses wine, cinnamon, orange peel and vanilla bean.
The result is a dessert with the best of everything. Light and flavorful. Creamy and sweet. Delicious and nutritious.
This recipe takes a little over an hour to make and yields four servings.
27. Spicy Ginger Poached Pears
This recipe is yet another example of the poached pear’s power to introduce new flavors to dessert. The recipe uses crystallized ginger, star anise, lemon, and Tazo Organic Spicy Ginger Herbal Infusion. I never would have thought my favorite teas would be so easy to incorporate into a delicious dessert.
Thankfully, I found out about poached pears! This recipe takes about two hours to make and yields four servings.
Tips
- Be sure to use firm pears for poaching. You want them to be ripe, but not over-ripe. If pears are too soft, they will lose their shape and may even begin to disintegrate during poaching.
- If possible, use enough liquid to completely immerse your pears during poaching. Otherwise, turn them every 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cover your cooking pot with a sheet of parchment paper. This keeps heat and moisture from escaping, and helps the pears cook more evenly.
- Keep in mind that average poaching time is 20 minutes for half a pear and 40 minutes for a whole one.