Easy Baked Pears [Stuffed with Nuts and Fruit]

5-ingredient baked pears with nuts, dried fruit, and maple syrup are easy to throw together as a quick & simple yet elegant breakfast or dessert! + Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Quick Easy Fruit and Nut Stuffed Baked Pears

This fall and holiday season (or anytime you can get your hands on delicious, ripe pears), put a pause on your pumpkin and apple goodies (even baked apples) to try this easy baked pears recipe. You won’t regret it.

In this recipe, fresh pears are cored, stuffed with a crunchy, chewy dried fruit, nut, and syrup filling, then baked to bring out the fruit’s natural sweetness and caramelization and soften the flesh to an almost ‘buttery’, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Like simple crisps, crumbles, and cobblers, these baked stuffed pears are sweet, cozy, delicious, and so simple to prepare. Yet they’re also a great way to add a touch of elegance to your breakfast or dinner table – ready to enjoy warm or chilled alone or with toppings.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

All you need are five simple and inexpensive pantry staples for this simple yet elegant recipe for baked pears.

• Pears: For this easy pear dessert recipe, we like Bosc or Anjou pears that are firm yet ripe, but not overly ripe (or they’ll become mushy).
• Dried fruit: You can use raisins, dried cranberries, or both. Dried apricots, currants, cherries, or dates will also work.
• Nuts: We love to use raw (or toasted) walnuts and/or pecans. Slivered or chopped almonds would also work.
• Spices: We used pumpkin pie spice to keep things simple, but you could alternatively make cinnamon-baked pears with an optional pinch of nutmeg and/or ginger.
• Sweetener: We love to use unrefined maple syrup, agave, or both. However, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or a sugar-free brown sugar alternative would work, too.

What Could I Add To The Stuffed Pears?

This cooked pears recipe is actually a fairly blank canvas, perfect for pairing with different flavors, colors, and texture, like:

• Vegan butter: For slightly juicer, ‘buttery’ pears, brush them with melted dairy-free butter before filling and baking them.
• Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness in the dish.
• Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla for the best flavor, stirring a little into the filling.
• Orange zest: For brightness and refreshing, zesty flavor.
• Rolled oats: Add oats to the stuffing for a heartier recipe for cooked pears.
• Ginger: Just a teaspoon or so of finely diced candied/crystallized ginger will add some zingy depth and spice – perfect for Christmas pears.
• Lavender: A tiny amount of culinary lavender adds a subtle yet delicious floral, aromatic flavor to the baked pear dessert.

How to Make Baked Pears

• First, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Then, prepare the filling by combining the nuts, dried fruit, spice, and sweetener in a bowl until well combined.

• Next, slice the pears in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the core. Then, divide the fruit-nut mixture between the pears and optionally top with more sweetener/spice.

• Transfer the stuffed pears to a baking dish at least 2 inches apart and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pears are tender.

• Finally, allow the cooked pears to cool for a few minutes (this also leaves more time for the flavors to meld), then enjoy!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Don’t over-core the pears: You don’t want to lose unnecessary pear flesh when coring, or the fruit will be more likely to collapse when baked.
• Tweak the flavors: This baked pears recipe is incredibly versatile. Adjust the amount of sweetener/spices, swap out various elements in the filling, add extra flavors, etc.
• Line the pan: This makes clean-up a breeze.
• The baking time may vary: Due to differences in pear size and your desired texture. Really large pears could take 35-40 minutes. We recommend baking them until tender while maintaining their shape.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy the roasted pears alone or with toppings/garnishes for a touch of elegance (and extra deliciousness) at breakfast or dessert time.

• Fresh herbs (mint or basil)
• Vegan cheese (like vegan feta or blue cheese for a salty, savory contrast)
• Vegan caramel sauce or nut butter
• Plant-based yogurt (a dollop of Greek-style yogurt works best)
• Coconut whipped cream
• Powdered sugar
• A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream

You can also serve Christmas pears alongside a vegan brownie for more of a decadent treat.

Storage Instructions

Leave the cooked pears to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container (or plastic-wrapped dish) in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Alternatively, they freeze well for 3-4 months. Leave them to flash freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher bag to store.

Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying chilled or reheating in the oven at 350F/180C (10-15 minutes), air fryer (3-5 minutes), or microwave (20-second increments).

More Easy Vegan Pear Recipes

• Easy vegan pear cake
• Vegan pear crisp
• Apple pear pie
• Apple pecan salad (use pear instead!)

Photos by Alfonso Revilla