24 Perfect Pear Recipes That’ll Make You Forget About Apples

Christine Gallary

updated Nov 16, 2023

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Credit: Emma Christensen
Spiced Pear Muffins

Come fall, it feels like apples get all the glory, but for me it’s pears that truly signal the arrival of the season. I’ll take a sweet pear any day of the week. Pears — whether Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc — are pretty irresistible eaten out of hand, but there’s also a whole lot you can do with them.

You may notice that pears are quite firm when you pick them up at the market. These pears actually ripen best off the tree, so they are harvested mature but not ripe. When choosing pears, they should be firm and give slightly when pressed. Avoid pears with soft spots or bruising. Once home, store pears at room temperature and, depending on the variety, they will ripen in a few days.

From smoothies and salads to baked goods and savory dishes, here are 24 ways to eat pears from morning until night.

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Maple Roasted Pear and Apple Mocktail

Infused with fall spices and made with sweet roasted pears and apples, this mocktail is topped off with bubbly ginger beer.

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Shortcut Apple and Pear Phyllo Pie

For a no-fuss Thanksgiving pie, look to store-bought phyllo dough.

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Pears are gently tossed in brown sugar, warm baking spices, and lemon juice and then baked in a rustic crust until jammy and deep golden-brown.

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In this ulta-retro fare, delicate canned pears are topped with a dollop of creamy mayo and garnished with shreds of sharp cheddar and a vibrant maraschino cherry.

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Steamed Asian Pear

This steamed pear is wonderfully warming and throat-soothing after a chilly day, and incredibly easy to prepare.

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Field Greens, Poached Pear, and Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Featuring poached pears, black-eyed peas, and a citrus vinaigrette, this versatile salad is bursting with flavor.

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Sparkling Pear Hanukkah Sangria

A festive recipe for sangria made with sparkling wine and pears, perfect for Hanukkah.

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Pear and Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Remember that classic coffee cake you grew up eating — the kind with the buttery cake and sugared crumb topping you loved so much? This version is inspired by that. It's topped with spiced pecans and brown sugar crumbs, and gets a ripple of pear and cinnamon streusel through its center.

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Christmas / Holiday Sangria

A sweet glass of holiday sangria can make any Christmas gathering extra merry and bright.

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Rustic Pear and Apple Galette

This lightly spiced fruit tart is wrapped in a thin, buttery crust and tastes like it involves more effort than it actually requires.

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Pear Tart with Walnut Crust & Frangipane

This pretty tart starts with poaching pears in a vanilla-spice syrup, then you bake the pears in a walnut tart shell with frangipane filling.

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French Chocolate and Pear Clafoutis

In this clafoutis — a simple French dessert that’s part cake, part custard, and all ease — pear and chocolate are paired together as the ultimate combination for the indecisive.

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The secret to this ultimate make-ahead cocktail is peak-season fruit.

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Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake

This twist on a pineapple upside-down cake has pear slices in a caramel sauce topped with a tender vanilla cake. There are not one but two toppings for this cake: a caramel butterscotch and cardamom whipped cream.

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Schnitzel and Pear Salad with Wheat Beer Vinaigrette

Skip the bacon crumbles, dry chicken, and chopped ham, and let schnitzel be the meat that makes your salad a meal. Tucked into a green salad topped with sweet red pears, blue cheese, and a honey-beer dressing, crispy, juicy schnitzel brings some Oktoberfest flair to the dinner table.

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Green Smoothie with Spinach, Pear, and Ginger

Blend up a pear with spinach and ginger for a drink that’s healthy and refreshing. Flaxseed and lemon juice round out this beautifully green smoothie.

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Make-Ahead Chai Spiced Pear Pie

This make-ahead pie transitions nicely through the cold months, from the crisp mornings and crunchy leaves and well into warm-crackling-fire season.

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Fiocchetti with Pears and Parmesan Cream

If you want a fun fall weekend project, this recipe is it. Fresh pasta dough is stuffed with a filling of pears and ricotta cheese, and the cute little pasta pouches are tossed with a Parmesan cream sauce.

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Spiced Pear Muffins

Diced pears are folded into muffins that are just lightly sweetened, so they don’t verge on cupcake territory. Feel free to toss in some nuts, candied ginger, or even chocolate chips.

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Pear Compote with Ginger, Vanilla and Lime

A compote is simply stewed fruit, and this easy one — pears stewed with ginger and vanilla beans, brightened with fresh lime juice — can be served over ice cream, cake, yogurt, or even oatmeal.

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Asian Pear Sparkler

Pear juice is crisp and refreshing — perfect in fall cocktails. Blend up a crisp Asian pear, strain the juice, and mix with some sweetener and soda water for a non-alcoholic sparkler.

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Roasted Pears with Bacon and Blue Cheese

You know those pears sitting on your counter right now? This is how you turn them into the best meal you’ll eat all week.

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Arugula, Pear & and Blue Cheese Salad with Warm Vinaigrette

Slice up a pear in your next salad to add freshness and sweetness — especially when paired with intense ingredients, like blue cheese and peppery arugula.

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Spiced Pear & Ginger Pitcher Cocktail

This big-batch cocktail has the perfect balance of cozy spices, crisp pear, zesty lemon, and spicy ginger, finished with a burst of celebratory bubbles.

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