Baked Pears (No Added Sugar)

Baked pears are served with whipped cream.

Baked pears are an elegant dessert that's easy enough to make for family dinners. This recipe contains 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

Author Vered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

4 large pears 2 pounds total weight, firm; don’t use ripe pears
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus 1 teaspoon for the pan
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the 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 them, and core them. You can core them with a melon baller, a metal measuring spoon, or 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 stand 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.

Video

Notes

These pears are naturally sweet. However, if you like your desserts very sweet, consider adding a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the melted butter mixture. The nutrition info will change.
While I generally recommend peeling the pears, it's fine to make this recipe with unpeeled pears. 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. Bartlett pears should work, too. 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.
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.

Nutrition