- Recipes
- What To Make With
Christine Gallary
Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.
updated Nov 16, 2023
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Come fall, it feels like apples get all the glory, but for me it’s pears that truly signal the arrival of the season. I’ll take a sweet pear any day of the week. Pears — whether Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc — are pretty irresistible eaten out of hand, but there’s also a whole lot you can do with them.
You may notice that pears are quite firm when you pick them up at the market. These pears actually ripen best off the tree, so they are harvested mature but not ripe. When choosing pears, they should be firm and give slightly when pressed. Avoid pears with soft spots or bruising. Once home, store pears at room temperature and, depending on the variety, they will ripen in a few days.
From smoothies and salads to baked goods and savory dishes, here are 24 ways to eat pears from morning until night.
1
/
24
Maple Roasted Pear and Apple Mocktail
Infused with fall spices and made with sweet roasted pears and apples, this mocktail is topped off with bubbly ginger beer.
Go to Recipe
2
/
24
Shortcut Apple and Pear Phyllo Pie
For a no-fuss Thanksgiving pie, look to store-bought phyllo dough.
Go to Recipe
3
/
24
Pear Galette
Pears are gently tossed in brown sugar, warm baking spices, and lemon juice and then baked in a rustic crust until jammy and deep golden-brown.
Go to Recipe
4
/
24
Pear Salad
In this ulta-retro fare, delicate canned pears are topped with a dollop of creamy mayo and garnished with shreds of sharp cheddar and a vibrant maraschino cherry.
Go to Recipe
5
/
24
Steamed Asian Pear
This steamed pear is wonderfully warming and throat-soothing after a chilly day, and incredibly easy to prepare.
Go to Recipe
6
/
24
Field Greens, Poached Pear, and Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Featuring poached pears, black-eyed peas, and a citrus vinaigrette, this versatile salad is bursting with flavor.
Go to Recipe
7
/
24
Sparkling Pear Hanukkah Sangria
A festive recipe for sangria made with sparkling wine and pears, perfect for Hanukkah.
Go to Recipe
8
/
24
Pear and Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Remember that classic coffee cake you grew up eating — the kind with the buttery cake and sugared crumb topping you loved so much? This version is inspired by that. It's topped with spiced pecans and brown sugar crumbs, and gets a ripple of pear and cinnamon streusel through its center.
Go to Recipe
9
/
24
Christmas / Holiday Sangria
A sweet glass of holiday sangria can make any Christmas gathering extra merry and bright.
Go to Recipe
10
/
24
Rustic Pear and Apple Galette
This lightly spiced fruit tart is wrapped in a thin, buttery crust and tastes like it involves more effort than it actually requires.
Go to Recipe
11
/
24
This pretty tart starts with poaching pears in a vanilla-spice syrup, then you bake the pears in a walnut tart shell with frangipane filling.
Go to Recipe
12
/
24
French Chocolate and Pear Clafoutis
In this clafoutis — a simple French dessert that’s part cake, part custard, and all ease — pear and chocolate are paired together as the ultimate combination for the indecisive.
Go to Recipe
13
/
24
Fall Sangria
The secret to this ultimate make-ahead co*cktail is peak-season fruit.
Go to Recipe
14
/
24
Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake
This twist on a pineapple upside-down cake has pear slices in a caramel sauce topped with a tender vanilla cake. There are not one but two toppings for this cake: a caramel butterscotch and cardamom whipped cream.
Go to Recipe
15
/
24
Schnitzel and Pear Salad with Wheat Beer Vinaigrette
Skip the bacon crumbles, dry chicken, and chopped ham, and let schnitzel be the meat that makes your salad a meal. Tucked into a green salad topped with sweet red pears, blue cheese, and a honey-beer dressing, crispy, juicy schnitzel brings some Oktoberfest flair to the dinner table.
Go to Recipe
16
/
24
Green Smoothie with Spinach, Pear, and Ginger
Blend up a pear with spinach and ginger for a drink that’s healthy and refreshing. Flaxseed and lemon juice round out this beautifully green smoothie.
Go to Recipe
17
/
24
Make-Ahead Chai Spiced Pear Pie
This make-ahead pie transitions nicely through the cold months, from the crisp mornings and crunchy leaves and well into warm-crackling-fire season.
Go to Recipe
18
/
24
Fiocchetti with Pears and Parmesan Cream
If you want a fun fall weekend project, this recipe is it. Fresh pasta dough is stuffed with a filling of pears and ricotta cheese, and the cute little pasta pouches are tossed with a Parmesan cream sauce.
Go to Recipe
19
/
24
Spiced Pear Muffins
Diced pears are folded into muffins that are just lightly sweetened, so they don’t verge on cupcake territory. Feel free to toss in some nuts, candied ginger, or even chocolate chips.
Go to Recipe
20
/
24
Pear Compote with Ginger, Vanilla and Lime
A compote is simply stewed fruit, and this easy one — pears stewed with ginger and vanilla beans, brightened with fresh lime juice — can be served over ice cream, cake, yogurt, or even oatmeal.
Go to Recipe
21
/
24
Asian Pear Sparkler
Pear juice is crisp and refreshing — perfect in fall co*cktails. Blend up a crisp Asian pear, strain the juice, and mix with some sweetener and soda water for a non-alcoholic sparkler.
Go to Recipe
22
/
24
Roasted Pears with Bacon and Blue Cheese
You know those pears sitting on your counter right now? This is how you turn them into the best meal you’ll eat all week.
Go to Recipe
23
/
24
Slice up a pear in your next salad to add freshness and sweetness — especially when paired with intense ingredients, like blue cheese and peppery arugula.
Go to Recipe
24
/
24
This big-batch co*cktail has the perfect balance of cozy spices, crisp pear, zesty lemon, and spicy ginger, finished with a burst of celebratory bubbles.
Go to Recipe
Filed in:
autumn
Baking
Ingredient
Recipe Roundup
Cooking Methods
