Luscious Pear Recipes

Summer pear recipes too often lose out to all the scrumptious peach and plum recipes out there but pears have a secret weapon and that is chocolate!!

Pears and chocolate are a match made in heaven and chocolate can transform the saddest of backyard pears - mine aren't great - into a delicious dessert.

So I have for you here a collection of the best easy but luscious pear and chocolate recipes covering :

1. Poached Pears & Chocolate
2. Chocolate Pear Tarts
3. Chocolate Pear Cakes
4. Chocolate Pear Puddings

PLUS classic chocolate-free pear recipes that come into their own with perfectly ripe fresh pears including :

• Pear Tarte Tatin
• Red Wine Poached Pears
• Tarte Bourdaloue (the traditional French pear frangipane tart)
• Pear Clafoutis
• Pear Sorbet
• And more ....

If you have fresh market pears or a huge load of pears from a farm or backyard tree, there are pear recipes here for you!!

Do bookmark or save and enjoy!!

Poached Pears & Chocolate

Poached pears and chocolate - or Poire Belle Helene as the French call it - looks glamorous and tastes amazing but is actually surprisingly simple.

This Poire Belle Helene recipe has nice, easy to follow steps but I would slash the sugar to 3 teaspoons per pear.

For a luxurious twist try this poire belle Helene recipe with white wine.

Chocolate Pear Tarts

Caramel Pear & Chocolate Tart

This delicious caramelised pear & chocolate tart is much simpler than you'd think. You basically just :

1. Blind bake crust for 20 minutes
2. Caramelise pears in a sugar, water & butter syrup in a skillet.
3. Add pears to cooled crust to cool.
4. Top with chocolate ganache.
5. Cool in fridge for 2 hours.

Classic Chocolate Pear Tart

This classic chocolate pear tart is another crowd pleaser that is much simpler than it looks. It is a slightly spongey crust plus an incredible chocolate, almond & Amaretto filling topped with sliced pears. The crust doesn't need blind baking - or even chilling - so you can have the tart ready for the table in just over an hour.

Pear & Chocolate Bakewell Tart

This pear & chocolate tart recipe is based on a traditional British Bakewell tart. Melted chocolate is knifed through an almond sponge mixture to create a gorgeous marbled effect and then topped with pears and almonds.

Chocolate Pear Cakes

Easy Chocolate Pear Cake

This super easy chocolate pear cake isn't a fancy-pants dessert for entertaining but makes a scrumptious family teatime treat or dessert with just 15 minutes of preparation.

Chocolate Pear Crumb Cake

This pretty chocolate pear crumb cake is made with ricotta, sour cream or yoghurt for a beautifully moist chocolate and pear sponge base with a hazelnut streusel crumb topping.

Chocolate Fudge Pear Cake

This gorgeously decadent chocolate fudge pear cake has a dark chocolate base and more dark chocolate on top but is not crazily high in unnecessary sugar compared with many recipes having less than 3 teaspoons per slice.

Chocolate Pear Layer Cake

This chocolate pear layer cake is a real show-off cake for special occasions. The pears are poached in brandy and the poaching syrup added to the sponge for an extra boozy boost.

Personally, I'd ditch the sugar from the poaching brandy as you risk losing the flavour of the pears. And if like me you are a dark chocolate kind of girl, try replacing the butter cream with more dark chocolate - and brandy! - ganache.

Chocolate Pear Bundt Cake

If you love bundt cakes, you'll love this chocolate pear bundt cake. It is a spicy chocolate and pear sponge flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg and covered in cinnamon sugar and a glaze.

Secret Pear Chocolate Cake

This fabulous secret pear chocolate cake would make a delightful surprise dessert when you are entertaining.

It is a perfect recipe for slightly over ripe pears that are just baked in a chocolatey cake mixture in a loaf tin. The cake is cooled slightly for better slicing and then served with hot chocolate sauce.

The recipe defaults to French but you can tab to English at the top

Chocolate Pear Desserts

Easy Chocolate Pear Pudding

This easy chocolate pear pudding is a great way to use up lots of ripe pears from the market or garden at the end of the pear season in autumn.

You can also whip up the pudding as a stomach warming family dinner dessert in winter with either canned or frozen pears.

Pear & Chocolate Crumble

This pear and chocolate crumble is another deliciously kid-friendly way to use up lots of pears and could not be easier. A lovely alternative is to make a plain pear crumble - leave out the cocoa powder & chocolate chunks - served with hot chocolate sauce.

More Pear Tarts

Pear Tarte Tatin

The skillet caramelised pears in this gorgeous pear tarte tatin are beautifully rich and oozing with flavour.

Don't be scared off by the idea tarte tatins are tricky - they're not and this pear recipe and these for plum tarte tatin and peach tarte tatin are great ways to use up lots of seasonal fruit.

Tarte Bourdaloue (Pear & Almond Tart)

The French are such experts at seasonal fruit tarts they have a special name - Tarte Bourdaloue - for a pear and almond or frangipane tart.

This classic French Tarte Bourdaloue recipe combines :

1. Sweet short crust pastry shell
2. Lemon poached pears
3. A very light almond sponge filling
4. And flaked almonds
5. With a light syrup topping.

It's not the quickest of recipes as the sweet crust is better for chilling and blind baking but none of the stages actually involve much effort.

Pear Galette

Galettes and crostatas are a deliciously quick and easy way to use up lots of seasonal fruit from a market or orchard or your own backyard.

This wonderfully spicy pear galette recipe needs just 15 minutes prep and 20 minutes in the oven. It is an ideal rough and ready recipe for family dinners but looks stunning and tastes scrumptious if you are entertaining.

If you love galettes do also check out this peach crostata and plum galette.

More Pear Desserts & Puddings

Pear Clafoutis

A clafoutis is another classic French dessert for using up lots of seasonal fruit. It is basically a crust-free custard tart baked with fruit.

This lovely pear clafoutis is made with pears marinated in white wine, kirsch or brandy and has some great tips on how to make sure your fruit don't sink to the bottom of your clafoutis.

If you are a clafoutis fan do check out this easy plum clafoutis recipe.

Pear Crumble

I usually make pear and chocolate crumble, as my garden pears are not marvellous but this simple oaty pear crumble is lovely with good ripe pears.

I would serve with cream rather than ice cream for just that right balance of sweetness and tart fruity flavour.

Pear Cobbler

A stomach warming pear cobbler is a great way to use up lots of autumn or frozen pears or even canned pears.

This traditional pear cobbler recipe can be on the family dinner table in just an hour with 20 minutes prep. It's delicious served with cream which keeps the sugar hit to 3 teaspoons per person compared with ice cream which can easily double that!!

Easy Pear Crisp

This easy pear crisp with oat and pecan topping is another wonderful recipe for lots of fall or frozen pears.

The recipe does work out at 6 teaspoons of sugar per person - even without ice cream - so it's worth cutting it down a bit if you don't want to overload the family with insulin spiking sugar in an everyday dessert.

More Pear Cakes

Italian Pear Cake

The French may make the best pear tarts but I reckon the Italians make the best pear cakes!

This fabulously easy Italian pear cake which needs just 10 minutes preparation is made with yoghurt for a wonderfully moist sponge.

Pear & Ricotta Cake

This alternative Italian ricotta pear cake is just as gorgeously moist made with sour cream as well as ricotta and is again very easy needing only 15 minutes preparation.

Pear & Ricotta Cheesecake

If you love pears and ricotta do try this ricotta & pear cheesecake recipe. It's crust free so is super light and luscious with fresh pears.

French Pear Cake

This classic French pear cake made with sour cream and a crackly sugar topping is another lusciously light recipe that is more pear than cake.

Upside Down Pear Cake

Pears just like peaches and plums make great gooey upside down cakes.

This upside down pear cake recipe is rich and spicy with ginger, cinnamon and molasses and would make a great late autumn or Halloween dessert as the winter nights draw in.

Poached & Baked Pears

Poached Pears

Pears truly are heavenly with chocolate but good pears are also exquisite poached simply with :

1. Water
2. Alcohol
3. Sugar (but not too much!!)
4. Plus your favourite spices e.g. cinnamon, ginger, cardamom.

This guide to easy poached pears has got great tips on how to work with whatever you've got into to produce perfectly poached pears.

Sugar Free Stewed Pears

My garden pears are short on sun and not amazing but even they are good poached and caramelised with just water, butter and spices and served sugar-free with dollops of cream.

I just peel and chop them and chuck in the pan but for more tips use this recipe for easy stewed pears.

Red Wine Poached Pears

This recipe for pears poached in red wine is another absolute French classic. You just poach firm pears in red wine with spices, orange slices and a little sugar and honey.

Baked Pears

These baked pears caramelise beautifully roasted in the oven sugar with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. The natural sugars in the pears will caramelise in the butter so you don't even need added sugar if you are trying to cut back.

Pear Sorbet

Pear sorbet has a lovely clean refreshing flavour and this easy pear sorbet, which you can whip up without an ice cream maker, is a great way to use up ripe pears going spare.

Pear Butter & Jam

Pear Butter

Lashings of homemade pear butter on a toasted English muffin are a delight on cooling autumn days and this spicy pear butter recipe rich with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg is super easy to make with lots of ripe pears.

Do remember fructose in fruit butters and sauces and the honey in this recipe spike blood sugar as much as added sugar. So start the recipe with half as much honey and only add more to taste if you really think it needs it.

Pear Jam

Pears truly do blend beautifully with ginger and cinnamon and bring a gorgeous flavour to this chunky pear jam recipe.

Savoury Pear Recipes

Pear & Blue Cheese Galette

Pears other big super power in the seasonal fruit stakes is that they are amazing in savoury recipes and this savoury pear galette with blue cheese is a brilliant example of that.

Savoury Baked Pears

These savoury baked pears with gorgonzola, walnuts and cranberries would be lovely as part of an autumn buffet meal with cold meat or as a no sugar dessert if you swapped out the honey with butter.

Pear Salad With Balsamic & Walnuts

This pear salad with balsamic, walnuts and pecorino cheese is another great fall recipe but it is one you need to save for great, perfectly ripe pears.

Roasted Pear Salad With Gorgonzola

If your pears aren't quite ripe or totally amazing, this roasted pear salad is a great choice. The pears are quickly roasted in olive oil and served with rockets, walnut, gorgonzola and a balsamic and honey dressing.

The recipe suggests serving the salad with farro but it is also great without. If you are keeping an eye on sugar, drop the honey from the dressing.

And there you go a must save collection of luscious pear recipes including :

1. Chocolate Pear Tarts
2. Chocolate Pear Cakes
3. Chocolate Pear Desserts
4. More Pear Tarts
5. More Pear Desserts
6. More Pear Cakes
7. Poached & Baked Pears
8. Pear Sorbet
9. Pear Butter & Jam
10. Savoury Pear Recipes

Do save for later and for more inspiration check out these other seasonal fruit recipes.