• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
I Heart Eating
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Work with Me
    • Rules and Disclosures
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Desserts » Fruit » Cider Poached Pears

    Cider Poached Pears

    Published: Oct 17, 2018 · Modified: Dec 3, 2018 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Cider poached pears are naturally gluten free and vegan. This simple poached pear recipe takes just 6 ingredients and 25 minutes to make.

    Cider poached pears in a silver skillet next to a striped dish towel

    Originally published 10/29/14. Updated with new tips and photos 10/12/18.

    It's pear season!  In addition to apples, pumpkins, and cranberries, pears are also in season right now.

    I love pears in my salad (especially when there’s also bleu cheese or goat cheese!). They’re also really good for breakfast with yogurt or as a healthier dessert option – like these cider poached pears.

    Not only are these poaches pears healthy, but they’re also an easy and delicious fall dessert. Plus, they make your house smell amazing as they cook.

    Poached pears look super fancy, but they couldn't be much simpler to make.

    You can use a variety of liquids to poach pears. Wine is traditionally used, but, really, you can use lots of different liquids (like coconut milk!).

    I used apple cider and “warm” spices because I wanted to stick with fall flavors for this dish.

    Cut pears in apple cider

    How to pick a ripe pear

    So, when you’re picking out your pears, how do you tell if a pear is ripe? It's actually really easy - just apply gentle pressure to the narrow "neck" of the pear with your thumb.

    If it yields to pressure, it's ripe. However, you can also poach under-ripe pears, which is what I did.

    I’m a big texture person. I like my fruit borderline under-ripe. Also, when they're a little under-ripe they hold up well to poaching.

    I also like my pears to be almost tender-crisp, so I started off with pears that were under-ripe.  Cider Poached Pears on a white platter
    And these cider poached pears were fantastic! The pears soak up the spices and cider, and the cider cooks down to make a delicious syrup.

    How to serve poached pears

    In addition to serving poaches pears with yogurt for breakfast, these pears would also be good with pancakes, waffles, or crepes. I suggest spooning the syrup over the pears when you serve them.

    Silver spoon pouring cider sauce onto cider poached pear

    If you’ve tried this cider poached pear recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes! You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Cider Poached Pears

    Pears poached in spiced cider
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 159kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    • 4 ripe Green Anjou pears*
    • 2 cups apple cider
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

    Instructions

    • Peel pears, and slice in half lengthwise.
    • Leave the stems but remove the core.
    • In a large, shallow skillet, bring apple cider and spices just to boil over medium heat.
    • Add pears.
    • Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer pears until tender, about 20-25 minutes. I flip my pears over half way through.
    • Serve pears warm with cider spooned over the top.

    Notes

    *Check out the section above the recipe for tips on choosing ripe pears.
    **Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
    « Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
    Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili »
    4.2K shares
    • Facebook
    • Email

    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. christine g. Culverwell

      June 27, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      Would the pears poached in cider still contain alcohol after cooking?
      I'm on medication that doesn't allow alcohol. A lovely recipe otherwise.

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 27, 2019 at 8:35 pm

        Hi! The cider is just regular apple cider; it isn't a hard cider. So, there won't be any alcohol in the dish. Hope that helps! =)

        Reply
    2. Lisa

      November 29, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Poached pear recipe

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 29, 2018 at 1:55 pm

        Hi! Did you find the recipe ok?

        Reply
    3. Linda

      October 22, 2018 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      Lovely dessert! This was very easy to make, and it made my house smell wonderful as it cooked. I'll make this again as it is a healthy dessert.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 22, 2018 at 2:00 pm

        Thank you so much! And thank you for leaving a comment. =)

        Reply
    4. Suzanne

      October 08, 2016 at 8:18 am

      Hi can you confirm how much cider you put in. This looks amazing

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 08, 2016 at 10:48 am

        Sure! I used 2 cups of apple cider. Thanks! =)

        Reply
    5. Melanie

      November 22, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      When did you add in the spices. Or did i miss read?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 22, 2015 at 7:21 pm

        No, I left that out. You add them in step #3. Thanks for catching that! =)

        Reply
    6. ellie elliott

      January 14, 2015 at 1:28 pm

      These look amazing! Thank you for sharing! I cannot wait to try!

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 14, 2015 at 3:42 pm

        Thank you! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

        Reply
    7. Kimi

      January 12, 2015 at 3:31 am

      delicious!!!

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 13, 2015 at 1:36 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    8. Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel

      October 30, 2014 at 1:22 pm

      Yum, these look delicious!! Cider is such a great idea for poaching! Love how easy poaching pears is :)

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 31, 2014 at 11:47 am

        Thanks so much! By the way, your blog name is really cute!

        Reply
    9. Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh

      October 29, 2014 at 7:02 am

      Poached pears are such an easy dessert with so many flavor choices! I love it! Perfect for the fall.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 29, 2014 at 1:46 pm

        They are! I think they're my new favorite healthy dessert. =)

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

    More about me →

    Summer Favorites

    • Zucchini Bread
    • Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Homemade Funnel Cake
    • Golden Graham S'mores
    • Broccoli Salad

    Popular Posts

    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Brownie Cookie Recipe
    • Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar
    • Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

    Subscribe via email

    to stay in the loop on new posts!

    Footer

    As Featured In

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal
    • Rules and Disclosures

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Press

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 I Heart Eating

    4.2K shares