25 Perfect Pear Recipes to Serve from Breakfast to Dessert
Toward the end of summer and beginning of fall, you begin to see pears at the farmers' market and in the produce section. If you grew up eating juicy pears, you know and love this time of year. While we love to enjoy them alone, pears are an extremely versatile ingredient in the kitchen. You might assume that all of these pear recipes are desserts. With their natural sweetness (that's not too sweet), pears make an incredible choice for adding some freshness to a sugary dessert. Our Apple and Pear Crisp, Pear-Cranberry Pie with Ginger-Almond Streusel, and Spiced Pear Hand Pies are certainly proof of that. But these pear recipes show that you can enjoy pears at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, too. Spruce up your mornings with our Buttermilk Grits with Pear Granola or Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter. Pack the best brown-bag lunch ever with our flavorful Parsnip-and-Pear Soup. Add something homemade to your cheese board with a jar of Pear Preserves or serve our Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear to impress Mama during cocktail hour. With these genius pear recipes, you'll never overlook them at the market again.
Pear Salad
Recipe: Pear Salad
This old-school recipe made an appearance at almost every holiday gathering and luncheon Grandma hosted.
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Apple and Pear Crisp
Recipe: Apple and Pear Crisp
There's no dessert easier than a classic crisp, and this one comes together with the help of your slow cooker.
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Spiced Pear Hand Pies
Recipe: Spiced Pear Hand Pies
These homemade hand pies are the sweetest grab-and-go treats for picnics and road trips.
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Pear Preserves
Recipe: Pear Preserves
Putting up fresh produce to enjoy year-round is one of our favorite past times, and with just three ingredients, you don't have any excuse not to try this recipe.
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Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake
Recipe: Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake
We gave the classic upside-down cake a festive spin that's perfect for the holidays.
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Bourbon and Hard Pear Cider Cocktail
Recipe: Bourbon and Hard Pear Cider Cocktail
Show off your bartending skills with this cocktail recipe that calls for two homemade simple syrups.
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Pear-Cranberry Pie with Ginger-Almond Streusel
Recipe: Pear-Cranberry Pie with Ginger-Almond Streusel
From the buttery vanilla bean pie crust to the crumby streusel on top, this seasonal pie recipe is an absolute treat.
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Parsnip-and-Pear Soup
Recipe: Parsnip-and-Pear Soup
This smooth and fresh soup is a flavorful way to start supper club or lunchtime.
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Chocolate-Pear Muffins
Recipe: Chocolate-Pear Muffins
These sweet treats are the best surprise a neighbor could get.
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Roasted Pears
Recipe: Roasted Pears
These tender, caramelized pears were developed with our Acadian Syrup Cake, but they're delicious atop classic pound cake, plain vanilla ice cream, or even French toast at brunch.
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Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
This recipe makes 16 jars of beautiful fruit butter, so you can give it as gifts to friends and new neighbors alike.
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Buttermilk Grits with Pear-Granola
Recipe: Buttermilk Grits with Pear-Granola
This not-too-sweet breakfast has an amazing blend of texture and flavor that kids and adults will love.
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Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear
Recipe: Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear
This salty, sweet, and absolutely beautiful appetizer has just the right blend of flavors in each bite.
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Pear Pie
Recipe: Pear Pie
Like many Southern dessert recipes, this fruit pie benefits from the addition of a splash of bourbon.
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Saucy Apples 'n' Pears
Recipe: Saucy Apples 'n' Pears
This slow-cooker dessert is the ideal partner for a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a slice of pound cake.
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Apple-and-Pear Cornmeal Galette
Recipe: Apple-and-Pear Cornmeal Galette
Making this rustic fall dessert is easier than fussing with pie crust. Plus, you can make this galette ahead of time and reheat it a few minutes before serving to help you out when hosting.
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Mini Pear-Cranberry Pies
Recipe: Mini Pear-Cranberry Pies
Tart cranberries and sweet, tender pears are a match made in fall dessert heaven with this adorable mini pie recipe that makes serving oh-so-simple.
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Poached Pears with Vanilla Custard Sauce
Recipe: Poached Pears with Vanilla Custard Sauce
If you want to serve a fall dessert that will make your guests feel like they're at a fancy restaurant, these gorgeous poached pears will do the trick.
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Dark Chocolate-Pear Cake
Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Pear Cake
Our Test Kitchen calls this fudgy cast-iron skillet dessert a "brownie cake" because of its crisp crust and gooey center.
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Pear-Plum Tartlets
Recipe: Pear-Plum Tartlets
How cute are these? Since they're delicious served warm or at room temperature, these tartlets are a great make-ahead dessert option for the busy fall season.
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Caramel Apple-Pear Pie
Recipe: Caramel Apple-Pear Pie
Caramel and apples are one of our favorite fall pairings, and the addition of pears only amplifies the delicious combination of flavors.
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Maple-Pecan-Pear Cheesecake
Recipe: Maple-Pecan-Pear Cheesecake
Pears star in the cheesecake filling and topping for this recipe, so you don't get a shortage of fall flavor in this photo-worthy dessert recipe.
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Simplest Pear Tart
Recipe: Simplest Pear Tart
First-time Thanksgiving hosts or novice bakers will love this easy but elegant dessert for the season.
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Brown Sugar Baked Pears
Recipe: Brown Sugar Baked Pears
If you don't have time for an intricate layer cake this holiday season, don't stress. These beautiful baked pears take just 10 minutes of hands-on time but are full of fall flavor.
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Pear-and-Brie Puff Pastry Tarts
Recipe: Pear-and-Brie Puff Pastry Tarts
Meet your new favorite holiday appetizer. These pretty little tarts are best served warm, so plan on popping them in the oven about 20 minutes before friends and family arrive.