Baked pears are a perfectly easy dessert that isn’t heavy at all. The maple, cinnamon, and vanilla are great with the pears and make this dish a easy go to.
I love desserts like this. Especially when I cannot be bothered to bake or want a very simple dessert. This is a no fuss dessert that can be popped in the oven right before dinner and by the time you are done they are ready to go. My favorite is with a big scoop of ice cream.
Just simple baked pears
I love recipes with few ingredients and very few steps. The hardest part of this recipe is scooping out the core. If you have a melon baller it will make things go even faster. With this recipe the preparation part of this recipe is less than 5 minutes. These simple flavors for this dessert make it enjoyable for everyone.
Anjou pears
Unlike the pears that I use in my pear crisp or poached pears I like using Anjou pears. These pears tend to be softer than Bosc pears and make a great stand alone dessert. Since they do not need to be firm enough to hold up other ingredients you can cut through them with a spoon. Plus this make the whole ice cream thing even better.
Making baked pears
The recipe states that it will take 30 minutes to bake these pears. If you end up getting pears that are a little more on the firm side you can bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. You can always test by poking the pear with a fork. If it passes through easily then it is done. A little baking hack is to slice off a very small portion of the backside of the pear. By doing so it will help the pear sit flat in the baking dish.
Mix it up
This recipe is great to make all kinds of variations and flavor combinations. Take a look at some ideas to make this recipe your own.
- Top the pears with a granola or streusel topping.
- Add plain or candied walnuts or pecans or both.
- Use agave and tequila instead of maple and bourbon.
- Remove the bourbon and add additional vanilla.
- Top with ice cream such as butter pecan, salted caramel, or vanilla.
Looking for other baked fruit recipes?
Maple and Vanilla Baked Pears
Equipment
- 8 x 10 inch baking dish
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 pears halved
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or gas mark 4.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the salt, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
- Using a spoon carve out the core of the pears and slice a small portion of the backside of the pear so they lie flat. Spoon half of the mixture over the pears and bake for 30 minutes. Once they are out of the oven spoon the other half of the mixture over them.
Nutrition
