Easy Baked Pears with Homemade Caramel Sauce
By Rebecca St.Clair
These baked pears in caramel sauce are the perfect blend of cozy comfort and sophistication. With just a handful of ingredients, this seasonal fall dessert brings out the natural flavour and fragrance of the pears, complimented perfectly by smooth and silky caramel sauce.
Elegant enough for entertaining, simple enough for a weeknight, this dreamy fruit dessert delivers big flavour with minimal effort. The warm, tender pears infuse with the sweet caramel as they cook together. An easy sweet treat that feels gourmet without the fuss.
Serve this dessert recipe just as it is, with ice cream, whipped cream, or toasted nuts to take this warm dessert to the next level. Oven-roasted to perfection and smothered in rich, homemade caramel, these pears make an elegant finish to any meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple – Made with only a handful of ingredients and fresh pears. This recipe cooks up in one dish.
Elegant – The is deserts presents as a simple refined dish, especially when garnished with a sprinkle of chopped nuts and a dollop of ice cream to melt on the side.
Seasonal – The perfect way to show off fresh pears in the fall.
What pears are best for this recipe?
Bosc Pears
- My preferred pear variety for baking.
- The firm, dense flesh holds well to heat and being baked.
- The perfect soft sweet and mildly spicy flavour.
- An elegant pear shape for presenting sliced in half.
Anjou (D’Anjou) Pears
- Firm, smooth, and juicy flesh.
- Mild flavour with subtle sweetness.
Bartlett Pears (Williams Pears)
- Juicy and soft, may not hold up well to heat.
- Very sweet and fragrant.
Comice Pears
- Rich and buttery flesh texture.
- Very sweet and fragrant
Substitutions for Pears
So you want to make this recipe, but can’t get any fresh pears? No problem! Here are a few options.
The best option is to stick with firm, fruits that won’t fall apart or become too soft when baking in the oven.
Apples
- This is the easiest substitution due to the similar texture and shape.
- Some apples that hold up well to being baked are Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Gala
Quinces
- Harder than pears but softens when baked.
- Floral, slightly tart flavour pairs well with caramel.
- They may require a longer cooking time than pears.
Stone Fruits (Plums, Peaches, Nectarines)
- Softer and more delicate than pears.
- Juicy and sweet
- Use firm fruit and shorten the baking time.
Ingredients
Pears – I used peeled and halved Bosc pears for this recipe.
Butter – To brown the pears and add richness to the caramel.
Sugar – Use brown sugar for a richer caramel flavour.
Vanilla – Flavour.
Water – Only water is needed to make this simple sauce.
Salt – Flavour.
Cornstarch – To thicken the caramel sauce.
How to make Baked Pears with Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Wash, peel, and slice in half 5 pears.
- Use a small spoon to remove the seed area on each pear.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- In a large oven proof pan or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter on medium heat.
- Place the pears in the bottom of the pan, cut side down, and allow them to cook and brown slightly.
- Remove the pears to a plate.
7. Whisk in 3/4 cup of brown sugar to the pan with the butter.
8. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and 3/4 cup water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
9. Return the pears, cut side down, to the pan with the liquid.
10. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the pears are soft when pierced with a fork.
11. Remove from the oven and remove the pears to a plate.
12. Mix 1 1/2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of cool water, until smooth.
13. Whisk this into the caramel liquid in the pan.
14. Return it to the oven to cook 5 more minutes or until thickened and bubbling.
15. Remove from the oven and whisk the sauce until smooth.
16. Return the pears and coat in the sauce.
17. Serve warm with iced cream, whipped cream, or chopped nuts.
Baked Pears in Caramel Sauce
Warm, tender pears infuse with sweet caramel as they cook together. An easy sweet treat that feels gourmet without the fuss.
Ingredients
- 5 fresh pears
- 2 Tablespoons butter 30 g
- 3/4 cup brown sugar 150 g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 ml
- 3/4 cup water 175 ml + 1/2 cup water 125 ml
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch 10 g
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and slice in half 5 pears.
- Use a small spoon to remove the seed area on each pear.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- In a large oven proof pan or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter on medium heat.
- Place the pears in the bottom of the pan, cut side down, and allow them to cook and brown slightly.
- Remove the pears to a plate.
- Whisk in 3/4 cup of brown sugar to the pan with the butter.
- Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and 3/4 cup water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Return the pears, cut side down, to the pan with the liquid.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the pears are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from the oven and remove the pears to a plate.
- Mix 1 1/2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of cool water, until smooth.
- Whisk this into the caramel liquid in the pan.
- Return it to the oven to cook 5 more minutes or until thickened and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and whisk the sauce until smooth.
- Return the pears and coat in the sauce.
- Serve warm with iced cream, whipped cream, or chopped nuts.
Notes
The pears in this recipe can be easily substituted for the same amount of apples.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 315Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 26mgSodium 168mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 6gSugar 47gProtein 1g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
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