Recipe Roundup

23 Pear Desserts to Make You Swoon Like a Partridge

Apples get lots of attention, but don’t underestimate the humble pear.
Pear tart with groupings of shingled pears in a pastry crust on a platter.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Kim

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If it’s understated elegance you’re after, a pear dessert is bound to impress. Fan sliced pears over nutty frangipane or let them sink into lemony cake batter. Toss the fruit into a wintry, lattice-crusted pear pie or stew it into cinnamon-spiced compote. Any recipe on this list would make an excellent cold weather baking project, special enough for your holiday table.

You’ll find a few different types of pears at the grocery store. The best pears for baking are Bosc pears, which have a sweet, honey-like flavor and hold their shape well when poached. Another great choice is Bartlett pears, which have a buttery texture and juicy sweetness; they tend to fall apart when baked, so they’re our top pick for jam or compote. Crisp, juicy Anjou pears can also be used for baking, but they’re also excellent sliced and eaten raw.

Whatever type of pear you choose, ensure your fruit is ripe before proceeding. To tell if a pear is ripe, press at its neck; the fruit should feel firm yet yield slightly to the pressure.

  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    3/23

    Rumtopf

    This boozy German tipple can be made with a wide assortment of fruits, pears being one of them. Spoon the infused fruit over pound cake or ice cream and enjoy alongside a thimble of the spirit.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Kim
    4/23

    Pear Tart With Dulce de Leche Drizzle

    If you’ve got a couple of hours to hang by the stove, you can make dulce de leche from scratch. If not, the store-bought stuff works just as well.

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  • Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    13/23

    Cornmeal Crepes With Figs and Pears

    Cornmeal adds texture and depth to these lacy crepes, complete with sliced pears, figs, and a drizzle of honey.

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  • Photo by Charles Masters, food styling by Suzanne Lenzer
    14/23

    Maple-Pear Sheet Tart

    This 5-ingredient dessert couldn’t be simpler. Seek out red-skinned Anjou pears, which add beautiful color to the tart, and don’t skip the final dusting of powdered sugar.

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  • Photo by John Kernick
    15/23

    Pear Crisps With Vanilla Brown Butter

    Vanilla-infused brown butter heightens the wintry flavor of these individually portioned pear crisps.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Claire Saffitz
    16/23

    Lemon Cake With Fruit

    You can use a few different types of fruit in this lemon cake. If opting for pears, complement their flavor with a tipple of pear brandy.

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  • Diana Yen, food and prop styling by Diana Yen
    19/23

    Spiced Poached Pears with Crème Fraîche and Amaretto Cookies

    A cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and star anise infuse the poaching liquid with seasonal spiced flavor. Top the soft, tender pears with crumbled amaretti cookies for textural contrast.

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  • Photo by Hirscheimer & Hamilton
    20/23

    Pear Upside-Down Cake

    Fan the pears in an attractive pattern on the bottom of the cake pan. When you invert it, this simple dessert turns into an absolute stunner.

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  • Photograph by Rana Duzyol, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    21/23

    Easy-Fancy Pear Galette

    Don’t want to make pastry from scratch? Use frozen puff pastry to make this easy-fancy pear galette, which relies on canned pears.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    22/23

    Chocolate-Almond Pear Tart

    Chocolate, almonds, and pears are a match made in heaven in this elegant powdered-sugar-dusted tart.

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Zoe gained her culinary education in kitchens quite literally spanning the country: She’s worked at an artisanal ice cream shop in Alabama, an organic farm-bakery in Maui, and a Michelin-starred restaurant in NYC. Now, she’s putting all that knowledge to use at Epicurious, where her primary objective is to help ... Read More
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