🍷 Sweet & Simple Pears Poached In Red Wine

Looking for the perfect ending to an elegant meal? Need a recipe that won’t take all day to make? Red Wine Poached Pears are your new dessert secret weapon! With their jewel-like color and complex flavor, this is a striking recipe that’s deceptively simple to make.

The idea behind poached pears is beyond simple: just simmer peeled pears in sweet, flavorful liquid, and in half an hour or so, they’ll develop a wonderfully tender texture and aromatic flavor. In our classic Poached Pear recipe, we keep things simple by using water and adding cinnamon, anise, and vanilla flavors.

However, if you want to get a little fancy, you can easily swap wine for the water. This one little change makes a BIG difference. The pears absorb some of the wine’s flavor and color, turning a festive, deep red color on the outside.

You can serve these pears in their own sweet-tart juices, or dress them up with soft whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or a pair them with a slice of pound cake.

Ingredients

These beautiful pears only need a few ingredients, and very minimal supplies. Here are my top tips to keep in mind as you shop for this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pears: Use pears that are ripe but still firm – if your pears are too soft, they’re more liable to fall apart while poaching. I recommend using Bosc or Anjou pears if possible, but other varieties will also work – see the best pears to use for poaching section below.
• Red Wine: The pears will take on the wine’s flavor, so my top tip is to use a red wine you enjoy drinking! Look for a fruity, medium-bodied red that won’t be too overpowering – think Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Zinfandel. Read more about the best wine to use below.
• Sugar: All you’ll need is regular granulated sugar to make the red wine sauce for the pears.
• Citrus juices: Orange and lemon juice brighten up the red wine syrup, adding a punch of flavor and keeping it from becoming too cloying or sweet. Whenever possible, I highly recommend using freshly squeezed citrus juices, but bottled is okay in a pinch.
• Vanilla extract: a touch of vanilla rounds out the flavor of the poaching liquid. Use a high-quality vanilla extract to get the best results.
• Cinnamon sticks: Cinnamon sticks provide a lovely, warm flavor to the red wine sauce. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks you can substitute 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Equipment

• Saucepan: You’ll want to use a large saucepan that can accommodate 5 pears standing upright in the pan with the lid on. I like this 6 quart saucepan from Cuisinart.
• Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler makes quick work of peeling the pears.

💡 Tips and FAQs  

• For the best flavor, serve these pears warm or at room temperature.
• Red wine poached pears pair really nicely with whipped cream, pudding or ice cream.
• Feel free to experiment with adding more warm fall spices like cardamom, nutmeg and allspice. You can also try different extracts like almond, lemon or orange.

📋 How to Make Red Wine Poached Pears

Here’s an overview of how to make Red Wine Poached Pears! Full instructions are included in the recipe card.

1. Start by peeling the pears. Make sure to leave the stem on the pears.
2. In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, add the red wine, sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Make sure to stir occasionally so the sugar dissolves.

3. Once the wine mixture boils, add your pears. Place them in the saucepan with the stem side pointing upward. Bring the heat down to low and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender.
4. Let the pears cool completely before serving. You can serve them with whipped cream and cinnamon, or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

🍐 Vanilla Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce

Apples might get a lot of attention come autumn (we see you, apple pie) but to me, pears are the unsung heroes of fall baking.

Pears pair beautifully with fall flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg, and they add a delicious, unexpected flavor to desserts that typically feature apples: think tart tatin, spiced cupcakes, and even pies.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

The ingredients for Poached Pears are fairly simple. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pears: Use pears that are ripe but still firm – if your pears are too soft, they’re more liable to fall apart while poaching. I recommend using Bosc or Anjou pears if possible, but other varieties will also work – see the best pears to use for poaching section below.
• Sugar: We’re using regular granulated sugar in both the poaching liquid and the caramel sauce.
• Spices: Cinnamon sticks provide a lovely, warm flavor to the the pear juices. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks you can substitute 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon. I also use star anise, which has a very sweet, licorice-like flavor. Feel free to omit the star anise if you don’t care for the taste.
• Vanilla: Use a high-quality vanilla extract to get the best results. You could also use a split vanilla bean pod instead, if you have that on hand.
• Cream and butter: You don’t need cream or butter to make poached pears, but you will need them if you want to make the accompanying caramel sauce. I recommend using heavy cream and unsalted butter if possible.

Equipment

• Saucepan: You’ll want to use a large saucepan that can accommodate 5 pears standing upright in the pan with the lid on. I like this 6 quart saucepan from Cuisinart.
• Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler makes quick work of peeling the pears.
• Silicone spatula: Silicone spatulas are my preferred tool when working with sticky recipes like caramel.

💡 Tips and FAQs

• The pears can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold.
• You only need a little caramel sauce on these pears, since they are already sweet from being poached in sugar syrup.
• Warm up the caramel sauce before adding it to the pears – it’s easiest to drizzle when warm.
• If the pears won’t stand up straight when poaching, slice off a thin sliver from the bottom so they sit flat.

📋 How to Make Poached Pears Step-by-step

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to make poached pears with caramel sauce. You can find easy-to-print instructions in the recipe card.

To Poach The Pears

1. Wash and peel the pears.
2. Place the pears in a large pot with the water.
3. Add the sugar, cinnamon, anise, and vanilla.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Allow the pears to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife.

To Make The Caramel Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the granulated sugar over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until the sugar forms clumps and turns into a thick amber colored liquid.
3. Once the sugar is melted, immediately add the butter, and stir until melted and combined. After the butter and sugar are combined, cook for a minute without stirring.
4. Slowly add the heavy cream. Be sure to add it little by little so that it combines smoothly. Let it boil for another minute, then remove it from the heat. Finally, stir in the salt.

🍽️ What to Serve with Poached Pears

Although Poached Pears taste delicious plain, they’re also extremely versatile, so get creative with one of these variations:

• Serve them with a sauce like Cinnamon Syrup or Honey Cinnamon Caramel.
• They would taste delicious with soft whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Experiment with adding other flavors to the poaching liquid. You can add different spices like nutmeg, cardamom or allspice, flavoring extracts like cinnamon or almond, or add a bit of alcohol like rum or brandy to the liquid.
• And, let’s not forget the presentation! You could slice them on top of yogurt, pancakes, oatmeal or ice cream. We also love these pears with a soft and light panna cotta.
• Wrap poached pears in puff pastry, like in this recipe for Puff Pastry-Wrapped Pears with Chocolate Espresso Sauce.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to know as you gather your ingredients:

• All-purpose flour: If possible, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour properly. Adding too much flour can make your cake dense and dry.
• Baking powder: For leavening.
• Salt: To enhance the orange and cranberry flavors.
• Granulated sugar: Regular white granulated sugar both sweetens the cake and gives the top a festive look.
• Orange zest:One of my FAVORITE things about this recipe is the subtle but ever-present orange flavor, and that comes from rubbing orange zest into the sugar at the start of the recipe. This releases the orange oil and disperses the citrus fragrance everywhere. You can omit it if orange isn’t your thing, or use lemon zest instead.
• Unsalted butter: Bring your butter to room temperature before beginning, so it mixes easily into the cake layers.
• Eggs: We’re using one large egg and one large egg yolk in this recipe. Here’s my full guide to separating egg yolks and whites if you need a refresher, and don’t forget to save the egg white for a future batch of Meringue Cookies or buttercream!
• Vanilla extract: I highly recommend using this vanilla extract by Nielsen-Massey. The flavor is amazing.
• Cranberry Sauce: As the name suggests, cranberry sauce is the star of the show, so make sure you use a delicious cranberry sauce you enjoy eating. This is not the time to skimp and use a dusty can of sauce from the back of the pantry! I love and highly recommend my homemade cranberry sauce, but a good-quality store-bought sauce will also work.

Equipment

You don’t need much in the way of special equipment to make this cake, but there are a few things that will make your baking life easier: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Cake pan with removable bottom: This is optional, but HIGHLY recommended! A cake pan with a removable bottom makes unmolding this cake a breeze. You can also use a 9″ springform pan, if you have one, or check the Notes section in the recipe card for tips on using a standard cake pan.
• Microplane: I find a microplane to be the easiest way to zest the orange. If you don’t have one, you can also use a cheese grater.
• Mixer:You’ll want a stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment), or a hand mixer to make this recipe.

📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Cranberry Sauce Cake

Here’s a photo walkthrough of how to make this cranberry cake. You can find full printable instructions in the recipe card above.

1. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. Make orange sugar. Before you begin the mixing process, rub 1 TBSP orange zest and 1 cup (7 oz) sugar together between your fingertips, until the sugar has the texture of damp sand and it is very fragrant.
3. Add butter, eggs and vanilla. Add 3/4 cup (6 oz) softened butter to the orange sugar and mix until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Then add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well.

4. Add dry ingredients. Mix on low while slowly streaming the dry ingredients in. Finish mixing by hand once only a few streaks of flour remain.
5. Divide and chill. Divide the dough in half, wrap each disc in plastic, and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).
6. Roll. Roll out half of the chilled dough into a 9-inch circle.

7. Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C). Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment.
8. Fill the pan. Press the dough circle into the bottom of the pan, and spread a thick layer of cranberry sauce on top of the dough.

9. Top the cake. Roll out the second half of chilled dough and place it on top of the cranberry filling.
10. Finish the cake and bake. Brush the top of the dough with water or beaten egg, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until puffed and lightly golden, about 35-40 minutes.
11. Cool. Cool completely before unmolding and serving.
12. Enjoy!

💭 Variations

There are so many ways you can customize this recipe and make it your own! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Try different fruit: swap in a chunky jam for the cranberry sauce. Cherry and berry jams work particularly well. You can check out my Raspberry Kumquat Sugar Cookie Cake if you want some raspberry inspiration!
• Use pie filling: apple, pear, or peach pie filling would also be delicious. Make sure the filling is quite thick, not watery, so the texture of the cake isn’t negatively affected. If necessary, drain it for awhile before adding it to the cake.
• Use other citrus: instead of orange zest, try lemon zest or grapefruit zest.
• Spice it up: add cinnamon or a pumpkin pie spice blend to the dough, and sprinkle the top with a generous layer of cinnamon-sugar.
• Make ’em mini: make individual cakelets in muffin tins for the ultimate cute single-serving dessert!

💡 Tips and FAQs  

💖You’ll love this easy cranberry sauce recipe

Cranberry sauce is the little black dress of the holiday menu. It’s versatile, can be dressed up or down, and goes with absolutely everything. Sweet or savory, every dish can be improved with the sweet-and-sour punch of fresh cranberry sauce.

If your only experience with cranberry sauce is the gelatinous “cranberry” “sauce” that wiggles out of a can, get ready for your life to change!

🧾 What You’ll Need

📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce

Got 15 minutes? Then you’ve got cranberry orange sauce! Here’s a quick rundown of the procedure, and you can find full instructions in the recipe card above.

Zest and juice the orange

1. Zest orange. Start by zesting a large orange with a microplane.
2. Juice orange. Once zested, juice the orange and measure out 1/3 cup of juice. (Any remaining juice is for the cook to drink!)

Combine and cook

3. Combine ingredients. Combine all of the ingredients — 3 cups (12oz) cranberries, 1 cup (7 oz) sugar, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 TBSP orange zest, and 1 tsp each, vanilla and cinnamon — in a medium saucepan.
4. Heat. Turn the heat to medium, and stir with a spatula to mix the ingredients well.

5. Cook and thicken. Continue to cook the cranberry sauce, stirring frequently, until the cranberries pop and the mixture thickens, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Cool. Once most of the cranberries have popped, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool a bit before serving.

🍽️ How to Serve Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce is traditionally considered a seasonal Thanksgiving recipe, but once you taste the sweet-tart citrus and cranberry flavor of this easy sauce, I think you’ll agree that it should be in regular rotation year-round. Here are just a few ways you can use this versatile recipe:

• Dinner side dish (aka the customary use): The bracing acidity is great for cutting through rich and salty foods at your next Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. A forkful of mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce is pure heaven.
• Appetizer: Pair your cranberry sauce with crackers and your favorite cheese as part of a holiday charcuterie board.
• Cake filling: I’ve added cranberry sauce to everything from dense chocolate truffle cake to a striking brown sugar layer cake. It’s also the star of the show in my Cranberry Sauce Cake! It improves any cake recipe you pair it with.
• Mousse topping: I love this light and airy orange mousse topped with tangy cranberry sauce, but you don’t have to stop there. Adding it to chocolate mousse or pumpkin mousse would also be delicious.
• Tart filling: Spread a thick layer of cranberry sauce on a chocolate tart, pistachio tart, or almond tart.
• Jam substitute: Sub in cranberry sauce anywhere you would use a chunky jam: linzer cookies, swirled brownies, or even PB&J sandwiches.

💭 Variations

This cranberry sauce is so good as it is, but here are a few different ways you can switch things up:

• Smooth it out. My personal preference is a thicker, chunkier cranberry sauce, so that’s how this recipe is written. However, if you prefer a thinner, more jam-like sauce, you can add up to 1 cup of orange juice, and blend the sauce with a blender for a smoother texture.
• Swap the sweetener. You can swap the granulated sugar out for brown sugar for a deeper, more caramel-y taste. You could also use maple syrup or honey to add additional flavor.
• Add nuts. If you prefer a cranberry sauce with a little bit of crunch, try mixing in toasted or candied pecans or walnuts.
• Change the citrus. You can make this recipe with lemons instead of oranges. I recommend diluting the lemon juice with some water so it’s less sour, but you could also keep the lemon juice full strength and play with the amount of sugar to compensate.

💡Tips and FAQs for Success

Pear Pie In a Jar is a fun twist on traditional pie. These cute mini pear pies in glass jars make great gifts or desserts for the holidays!

 🍐 Fall in love with this pie in a jar recipe

There is something so satisfying about a self-contained single-serving dessert! Even if you end up eating two or three of them (ahem…guilty as charged) it still feels socially acceptable because of their adorable size.

These mini salted caramel pear pies are no exception. In addition to being cute, they’re easy AND delicious! Don’t be fooled by their small size, because they are still big on flavor, with a buttery flaky crust and a warm caramel-pear filling. Bake them right in mini glass jars and finish them off with a cute ribbon for the ultimate edible gift.

Here’s how easy it is:
Find some cute mini mason jars (or pick up these glass ones that I used), line them with crust, fill with fruit filling, and watch the tops puff up to perfection while baking. Once cooled, decorate for someone you love, set them out at the end of your Thanksgiving meal, or dive in all by yourself! You can dress these little babies up with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or thick salted caramel sauce.

For more mini dessert inspiration, check out our Red Velvet Cake In A Jar, Mini Pecan Pies, Easter No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes, and Mini Oreo Icebox Cakes.

Ingredients

Gather your ingredients to make these mini pear pies! Here are a few tips to keep in mind. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pears: Look for firm pears that have just a little give when you squeeze them. If they are too soft, they will become mushy when you bake them. Bartlett, Anjou, and Bosc pears are all good choices.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the pie filling. Mix it with cold water to avoid lumps, then stir it into the hot filling and let it cook and thicken down.
• Brown sugar: Depending on the sweetness of your pears and caramel sauce, you might want to skip the brown sugar in the filling. If your pears are not very sweet, go ahead and include it.
• Salted caramel sauce:Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce both work. If going the store-bought route, look for a thick, spoonable sauce in jars, not the thin kind that comes in squeeze bottles. My personal favorite is Trader Joe’s Caramel Sauce.
• Pie crust: to keep these as simple as possible, I’m recommending using a high-quality frozen pie crust here. (A second shout-out to Trader Joe’s is in order, because I love their frozen crust!) You can absolutely make your own if you’d like, here is my favorite pie crust recipe.

Equipment

• Mini jars: This recipe is written for 4-ounce glass jars, similar to these. You can use 6- or even 8-ounce jars, but your yield and baking time will need to be adjusted.
• Round cutter set: A large round cutter makes it easy to get the perfect size pie crust tops.
• Heart cookie cutters: Necessary? No. Adorable? Heck yes! Use a mini heart cutter to cut a little heart from the center of each pie crust topper to really gild the lily.
• Pastry brush: No baker should be without a pastry brush. Here, we use one to brush beaten egg on top of the pie crusts so they brown while baking.

📋 How to Make Mini Pear Pies

Here’s a quick overview of how to assemble these mini pies! Grab printable instructions in the recipe card down below.

• Roll the pie crust out into a very thin layer. (This is important: a thicker crust won’t crisp properly and will be soggy!)
• Line mini glass jars with that thin crust.
• Fill with cooled pear pie filling.

• Use a large round cutter to cut out circles of dough 2 inches wider than the top of the jars. Cut a heart shape (or other shape) from the center of each circle.
• Brush a bit of beaten egg on the dough that’s at the top of the jar, and press the circle of dough on top, sealing them together. Crimp the edges, then brush the top with more beaten egg and sprinkle granulated sugar on top.

• Bake until the tops are puffed, golden brown, and the filling is visibly bubbling.
• Let the pies cool until they’re warm but not hot before serving. 

💭 Variations

• Try other fruit fillings: apple, raspberry, triple berry, cherry, and blueberry are all delicious options!
• Make ’em cute: Use your creativity to embellish the jars with ribbons, little pendants or gift tags to match any special occasion or holiday.
• Customize: the cut out shape on top.
• Spice it up: sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar instead of just sugar.
• Serve: with ice cream, whipped cream, Cinnamon Syrup, or your favorite dessert sauce.

💡 Tips and FAQs  

If you have extra pie filling after assembling the pies, don’t throw it away! (And don’t eat it all plain…) Save it to top up the baked pies later. The filling will shrink down after baking, leaving a hole between the crust and filling, and you can spoon a little more filling in the top if you’d like.

🍐More Pear Recipes

• Puff Pastry-Wrapped Pears with Chocolate Espresso Sauce
• Salted Caramel Apple Pear Pie
• Caramel Panna Cotta with Poached Pears
• Red Wine Poached Pears
• Poached Pears Recipe
• Pear Pistachio Tart with Rosemary Crust
• Pear Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream
• Pear Tarte Tatin

🥧More Pie Recipes

• Key Lime Pie
• Deep-Dish Pecan Pie
• Mini Pecan Pies
• Grapefruit Meringue Pie
• Almond Joy Boston Cream Pie