These honey and spice poached pears are sweetened with honey and simmer with whole spices (without wine) on the stovetop. They look elegant yet are really easy to make for a simple breakfast or fancy dessert.
My Go-To Romantic Breakfast or Dessert!
I love making these honey poached pears for a vibey breakfast in bed on a slow weekend morning, or for dessert for a romantic date night with vanilla ice cream! I first made these pears for my husband for Valentine's Day. The best part about this dish is while it looks and sounds fancy, it's actually incredibly simple, with just 15 minutes of hands-on time! And for more pear recipes, try a pear galette or stewed pears.
While simmered or fresh pears are great, the delicate cooking process of poaching is my preferred method, since the pears maintain some of their crunchy texture, but soften juuuust enough so that each bite is fruity, floral and sensuously soft. And to infuse flavor into each pear, I add ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom to the water, along with honey for that irresistible sticky-sweet candied vibe.
Recipe Tips
- Flat Base: Slice just the bottom off each pear so you can stand them up straight on a flat base.
- Careful Handling: Leaving the stem on is optional, but it gives the pears a fancy appearance. Don't pick up the pears by the stem after they're poached though, since the stem could rip out of the soft fruit.
- Slotted Spoon: Gently handle the pears after they're poached, since they'll be soft and easy to puncture. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them out of the pot and onto a plate.
My Tips for Poaching Pears with Honey
It's important to note that poaching food usually brings the water up to 160°F to 180°F. This is different from simmering, which brings the water up to 185°F to 200°F. Both are softer forms of cooking than boiling, which occurs in water at 212°F.
I use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature of your water, to make sure I'm poaching my pears instead of simmering or boiling them. I also keep an eye on the appearance of the water, which should be steaming but not bubbling.
Honey and Spice Poached Pears
developed & tested by:
Ingredients
Honey and Spice Poached Pears
- 4 ripe Bosc pears
- 4 cups water
- ⅔ cup honey
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 whole star anise (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 1 whole cinnamon stick)
- 4 green cardamom pods
Extra Optional Toppings
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup roasted nuts, chopped
- honey, for drizzling
Instructions
- Peel the pears. Keep the stems on them and slice a small bit off the bottom so they can stand up straight. Set aside.
- Pour the water into a pot that's big enough for all four pears to lay on their sides and not overlap. To the water, add the honey, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom pods.
- Bring the water to about 160°F. The water should be steaming but not bubbling.
- Place the pears into the water on their sides and let them poach for 15 minutes. The water will only reach about halfway up the pears. Gently flip each pear over and poach the other side for another 15 minutes. When the bottom of the pears are easily pierced with a knife, they are done. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool while standing upright on a plate.
- Bring the liquid that remains in the pot to a simmer until it's reduced to half its volume. Now you have a deliciously spiced syrup to pour onto your poached pears or other sweets.
- To serve, spread a dollop of Greek yogurt onto four individual plates, or spread all the Greek yogurt onto one large serving dish. Place the poached pears standing upright in the Greek yogurt. Then sprinkle the chopped nuts and drizzle the syrup on top. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Use ripe, firm pears since they're sweeter and they'll soften but still hold their shape as they cook.
- Gently handle the pears after they're poached, since they'll be soft and easy to puncture.
- Don't let the water bubble or boil. Poaching is a soft method of cooking in water that is just steaming, which allows the pears to maintain their shape. If they're simmered too long, they'll turn to mush.
- Store leftover cooled poached pears in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yum-number1 says
This would be such a nice breakfast to serve to your loved ones on Valentine's Day!
strawberryandcream says
Exactly! I made it a few days early, but why not celebrate the spirit of Valentine's Day throughout the whole year? 💖