Baked Pears (No Added Sugar)

Baked pears are an elegant dessert that's easy enough to make for family dinners. This recipe has no added sugar, and you're not going to miss it!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 78kcal

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish (or a smaller dish if scaling the recipe down).
Peel the pears, halve, and core them. You can core them with a melon baller, a metal measuring spoon, or - as I usually do - a paring knife. I like to leave the stems on as they make for a pretty presentation, but you can cut them off if you wish. You can also shave a thin slice off the bottom of each pear half, enabling them to stay upright in the baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Brush the pears with the mixture on both sides.
Arrange the pears in the prepared baking dish, cut side down. Bake them for 30 minutes, flip, and continue baking until fork-tender, for about 30 more minutes. Baste them every 15 minutes with the pan juices.
Brush the pears one last time with the pan juices. Serve warm.

While I generally recommend peeling the pears, it's fine to make this recipe with unpeeled pears if you wish. You'll simply need to serve them with a knife and a fork since the peel won't soften as much as the flesh.
Bosc and Anjou pears are best at holding their shape and texture when cooked, although Bartletts should work, too, if that's all you can get. On the other hand, Comice pears are too tender and juicy and might fall apart when cooked. Regardless of the variety of pears you use, it's best to use slightly underripe ones. You definitely shouldn't use overripe ones.
You can bake the pears ahead of time and chill them in the fridge (they can be kept in an airtight container for up to four days). You can then serve them cold, or gently reheat them in the microwave before serving them.
This recipe scales easily. As you can see in the photos and videos, I often make just one pear, and my husband and I share it.