How to poach pears with honey | The best recipe

November 11, 2020

These aromatic, soft pears poached with honey and vanilla are super tasty. You won’t believe that this beautiful and appealing dessert is so easy to make. Such a great way to use humble seasonal pears. Agree? Yep, it’s time to cook!

gotowane gruszki z miodem podane na dwóch niebieskich talerzach z kremem

These poached pears are soft but not mushy. The sweetness of honey is perfectly balanced with sour lemon juice, finished with aromatic cinnamon, vanilla, anise star, and cardamon. All the best autumn flavours packed into one delicious dessert.

You can prepare your pears ahead of time and warm them up in poaching liquid just before serving. Alternatively, you could warm them up in the oven or microwave. Make sure you keep an eye on your pears (warm them up only until they reach the desired temperature) as you don’t want to overcook them.

There is one important thing I need to mention. To make this easy poached pears recipe I recommend using slightly unripe pears. Otherwise, they'll get mushy during cooking, and we don’t want this!

How to serve poached pears with honey?

This recipe is so versatile, you can serve your pears in many different ways. I served my poached pears with mascarpone maple cream, simple crumble topping, and reduced poaching liquid. If you aren't a fan of this combination, you can serve them with:

greek yoghurt
home-made granola (e.g. from this recipe Simple home-made granola | gluten-free)
nuts
scoop of ice cream
caramel sauce

I’m pretty sure there is much more than this. Customise this recipe by choosing your favourite toppings. Let me know about your delicious combinations!

How to store your poached pears?

If you want to prepare these poached pears ahead of time, make sure you remove them from poaching liquid. Otherwise, they'll continue to cook. The best way is to store them in an airtight container at room temperature (if you plan to serve them the same day) or in the fridge. Let them cool to room temperature before putting the lid on. Warm them up and add toppings of your choice just before serving.

four poached pears on the plates top view

Who is cooking with me today? I think it's time for some sweet treat.

How to poach pears with honey | The best recipe

Poached pears with honey and lemon, finished with aromatic cinnamon, vanilla, anise star, and cardamon.

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Bake Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Dessert

Servings 4

Ingredients

Pears

4 pears
3 cup water
⅓ cup honey
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks
3 anise stars
3 cardamon pods
1 vanilla pod

Cream

250 g mascarpone
3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Crumble

4 tbsp butter (cold)
4 tbsp sugar (for fruits + for sprinkling)
5 tbsp flour

Instructions

To prepare the poaching liquid in a medium saucepan combine the water, honey, cinnamon, anise, cardamon, lemon juice, vanilla seeds (removed from the pod), and the empty pod. Then bring the mixture to the boil.
Peel the pears and cut them in half. Gently remove the cores.
Place the prepared pears in the hot poaching liquid and simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Check them regularly to make sure they aren't overcooked. Once soft, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and set aside.
To reduce your poaching liquid boil it over a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. This will intensify the flavour and thicken it slightly.
For the cream, whip the mascarpone with the maple syrup just until combined.
For the crumble topping, preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine all the ingredients until the mixture form crumbs and bake them on a baking tray lined with baking paper for about 10-12 min.
Serve your pears with the mascarpone cream, baked crumble, and reduced poaching liquid.