Simple Maple Vanilla Baked Pears (Video)
4 ingredient super simple maple vanilla baked pears that are cooked until warm and soft, completely infused with maple and vanilla, and topped with crunchy granola.
First things first: hi! I’m currently in St. Lucia sipping a big ol’ margarita on the rocks while watching the sun set over the pristine water. Wait. Wasn’t I just caught in a blizzard 4 days ago? January, why you be so crazy.
I’m really excited because today’s post is sponsored by my friends at Stemilt Growers. Remember when I visited their orchards back in July? It was my first time in Washington, though I went back in October on my book tour (hi Seattle friends!). When I visited the orchards in July, I went cherry picking, explored the epic grounds, and tasted the world’s juiciest apples and sweetest cherries. The pears weren’t quite ready to be picked yet, so they promised to send me a box when they were.
My mouth has been watering in anticipation since.
Baked pears. I know it all sounds pretty simple. And you don’t even see chocolate or frosting or caramel explosions in these photos. But let me tell ya something. These maple vanilla baked pears? They’re pretty epic. Such a big statement for a humble fruit, no? Well, they’re a prime example of how simple ingredients, good-for-you, and REAL whole foods can come together to produce a dessert that can stand up to a chocolate frosting caramel exploding something. (Which reminds me, have you made my snickers cupcakes yet?)
When Stemilt sent me pears, the first thing I did was eat them. I believe I inhaled 2 in a matter of 30 seconds. Then I got down to business and began brainstorming a new recipe to make. Actually, before the brainstorming, I hiccupped because I just ate 2 giant pears in under a minute.
Baked pears came to mind first. When I’m feeling lazy but want a little something sweet after dinner (always), I often bake an apple, drizzle with honey or melted peanut butter and top with crunchy granola. It’s simple, it’s kinda healthy, and on a cold winter night– hits the spot. In my real mind, baked pears dripping with pure maple syrup sounded just as fabulous and in my weird food blogging photographer mind, they sounded pretty.
I use Stemilt D’Anjou pears. (Aka Anjou pears.) This variety is super juicy and naturally sweet. Their flavor and juicy interior make the pears perfect for baking. Stemilt harvests these pears in September and October and they’re widely available October through June. Fun fact: these pears are used for flavoring Jelly Belly’s juicy pear flavor jelly bean. Ha! More pear facts if you’re a nerd like I am.
About my maple vanilla baked pears– you have to try them! It’s a seemingly elegant dessert that’s thrown together and on the table in under 30 minutes. All you do is whisk maple syrup and vanilla extract together, drizzle over the pears, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake. When they come out of the oven you can go a little crazy with toppings. Here I have them topped with more maple syrup/vanilla, a little crunchy granola, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
(I use my super crunchy homemade maple pecan pie granola.)
The baked pears are warm and cinnamon spiced. Oozing with sweet maple syrup and fragrant vanilla. Soft and juicy, topped with crunchy and toasty homemade granola, and that Greek yogurt? It’s cold and creamy. Texture paradise on a plate.
If you can open the oven, you can make baked pears.
Even if you’ve never baked before– no fret. These maple vanilla baked pears take minutes to prepare and it’s virtually impossible to mess them up. AND if you need one more reason to make these super simple maple vanilla baked pears, it should be this: they look fancy. Like you did some super complicated magic that made the pears perfectly tender and sweet. Or you did somersaults and backflips to infuse maple and vanilla inside each juicy pear. I mean, there must have been some trickery involved to make a PEAR taste this good. Right?
Muhaha. Our little secret.
Let me show you how to make them!
PS: After I get back from St. Lucia, I begin the rest of my book tour. Here are my upcoming book tour dates. We are working on adding more stops this year, so check back for definite additions!
Simple Maple Vanilla Baked Pears
Prep Time: 5 minutes- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: serves 4
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
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PinDescription
4 ingredient super simple maple vanilla baked pears that are cooked until warm and soft, completely infused with maple and vanilla, and topped with crunchy granola.
Ingredients
- 4 D’Anjou pears (aka Anjou pears)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional toppings: maple pecan granola, Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). I don’t line my baking sheet when I make these, but you absolutely can with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut pears in half, then cut a small sliver off the underside so the pears sit flat when placed upright on the baking sheet. See video above for visual. Using a large or medium cookie scoop or melon baller (or even a teaspoon), core out the seeds. Arrange pears, facing up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon– feel free to add more cinnamon if you’d like.
- Whisk the maple syrup and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle most of it all over the pears, reserving about 2 Tablespoons for after the pears are finished baking.
- Bake pears for about 25 minutes until soft and lightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with remaining maple syrup mixture. Serve warm with granola and yogurt. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Pears are best baked right before they are served, but you could bake them completely and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Then, warm back up in the oven for 10 minutes and top with remaining maple syrup mixture, granola, and yogurt right before serving.
Keywords: baked pears
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