Easy Poached Pears in Spiced Syrup

These perfect poached pears are simmered in a sweet syrup spiced with lemon, ginger, cinnamon and star anise. Serve these pears for breakfast with yogurt, or for an elegant dessert with ice cream or creamy vanilla bean custard.

You might also like this classic quiche Lorraine, Dutch baby pancake with cinnamon apples, and homemade French crepes.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

So Easy to Make. The only prep work in this recipe is peeling the pears. Then you can simply wait as they simmer in the spiced syrup.

Breakfast or Dessert. Serve these pears with yogurt, slice them onto pancakes or just enjoy them on their own for breakfast. For dessert, many people serve poached pears with ice cream, but they’re fantastic with this creamy vanilla bean custard.

Adaptable Flavors. You could choose from dozens of spices and flavorings to use in your poaching liquid to customize your poached pears the way you like. See the section below for suggested recipe variations.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Pears. Bosc pears are a good choice for poaching. Be sure to choose pears that are ripe but firm so they don’t fall apart.
• Lemon. A little acidity in the poaching liquid helps to keep the pears from turning brown, and adds more nuance of flavor. You can use lemon juice or lemon peel.
• Water + Sugar. For my poaching liquid, I used just water and granulated sugar. You can certainly experiment with poaching pears in wine, champagne or apple cider for a different flavor.
• Spices. In today’s recipe, I spiced the poaching liquid with a cinnamon stick, star anise, allspice, nutmeg and fresh ginger.

Tips for Perfect Poached Pears

• Choose ripe, but firm pears so they hold their shape as they cook. Bosc pears work very well for poaching. If the pears are overripe or mushy, they will fall apart during the poaching process.
• Slice a thin slice off the bottom of each pear, so that they have a flat base to stand upright for serving.
• Choose complementary spices to infuse the pears with flavor.
• Cover the pears with parchment paper as they poach. Since pears float in water, the paper keeps the top of the pears moist and prevents them from discoloring.
• Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
• After poaching the pears, reduce the liquid to a syrup to serve with the pears.
• When the pears are cool enough to handle, use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop the core out of the bottom of the pears before serving.

TIP: When choosing spices, remember to use just a few complementary spices and other ingredients, as too many could muddle the flavor.

Recipe Variations

• Spices. There are so many spices and flavors you can use for poaching pears. Whole or ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cardamom and star anise all work well. Fresh ginger and lemon zest adds another nuance of flavor. A vanilla bean would add smooth, buttery vanilla notes.
• Sweeteners. Instead of granulated sugar, try honey, maple syrup or agave.
• Poaching Liquid. Instead of water, apple cider, wine (both red and white) and champagne would be delicious. If using a sweet liquid, I would recommend reducing the sugar or leaving it out altogether. When you reduce the poaching liquid down, the sugar concentrates into a sweet syrup.

Instructions

• In a saucepan, combine the water and spices, and bring to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer.
• Slice a thin piece off the bottom of each pear so that they will stand upright when you serve them. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the pears, leaving the stems intact.
• Arrange the pears in the water, and if you need to, add a little more water so the pears are mostly covered with liquid. Cut a circle of parchment baking paper, poke a hole in the middle to vent steam, and place the paper on top of the water. The paper will keep the tops of the pears moist and prevent them from discoloring.

• Place the lid on the pan, and turn the heat to medium-low. You want a very gentle, slow and steady simmer, not a rapid boil.
• Let the pears poach in the spiced liquid for anywhere from 30-60 minutes (keeping the lid on), until a paring knife slides into one of the pears without any resistance. The pears should be soft enough that you can eat them with a spoon, but not falling apart.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the pears and set aside. Now turn the heat up to high and reduce the liquid down to 1 cup of syrup. Strain the syrup and discard the whole spices.
• Serve the pears, spooning some of the spiced syrup over each. Poached pears are fantastic served with ice cream or vanilla bean custard.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best pears to use for poaching?

Bosc pears hold their shape nicely when they’re poached, but Anjou or Bartlett pears also work.

Should the pears be soft or firm?

You should choose pears that are ripe but still somewhat firm. If the pears are soft and mushy when you start, they’ll just fall apart as they poach.

How can I tell when the pears are done poaching?

Pierce one of the pears with a sharp paring knife. When the pears are done, the knife will slide in without any resistance.

How long will the poached pears keep?

Store the poached pears in an airtight container, in the poaching liquid/syrup, and keep them in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 5 days.

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