Learn how to turn fresh pear halves into baked stuffed pears, filled with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. This is an easy dessert recipe anyone can make and oh so delicious!
My mom has a pear tree in her front yard, and every year she shares those pears with all the kids. One season I came up with this delicious buttery recipe for cinnamon baked pears, and I've made them ever since.
I love the buttery crispy topping on each individual pear half. It's like a mini, personal-sized pear crisp with every bite.
Why You'll Love This Recipe Too
- One of my favorite things about this dessert is you can change ingredients to fit any dietary need. For example, I'm gluten-free, so I sub gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. You can also sub dairy-free butter for the butter in the recipe.
- Speaking of ingredients, there are only 6 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.
- This makes 12 personal-sized desserts with just 6 pears. That makes it a really easy and simple dessert you can make for a dinner party or get together.
- Again, that buttery crispy topping; when you dig into the pear with your fork, the pear is all tender ooey gooey with that wonderful sweet topping… It's so delicious!
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
- Salted Butter – Real butter is best, but if you need dairy-free, you can sub a dairy-free butter instead. I also recommend salted butter for the flavor it gives to each stuffed pear. Just be sure to soften it ahead of time.
- All-Purpose Flour – If you're like me and need to make this gluten-free, just sub a good gluten-free flour. I also recommend unbleached flour.
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon – I love the flavor cinnamon adds to the topping mixture; you can also add nutmeg if you want.
- Pears – Let's talk about the best pears for baking below. I highly recommend Bartlett, as they're usually easily available.
- Pecans – These are optional, and you can sub walnuts if preferred.
What Kind of Pears Are Best for Baking?
I'm pretty sure my mom's pear tree is a Bartlett pear tree, and Bartletts bake quite nicely. If they're a little underripe, no worries… You just may need to bake them a tad bit longer than riper pears.
Bartletts have a sweet flavor and soft, juicy texture when baked. In fact, the topping can make the top of the pear quite ooey gooey, but when you dig in with a fork, you'll find a soft yet firm texture below, making it the perfect combination. These pears make the best oven roasted pears, in my opinion.
Other good choices for baking might include…
- Anjou
- Bosc
How Ripe Do Pears Need to Be for Baking?
You want pears to be ripe but not overripe; when they start to change color and show bruising, they're probably starting to get a bit overripe. While I've baked them in this condition (quite a bit, actually), keep in mind they won't be quite as pretty, and they could fall apart.
Instead I recommend waiting 'til the pears are almost perfectly ripe, meaning they're slightly soft to the touch but still a bit firm. They will also have a pleasant fruity smell when they're just about right for baking.
Pears ripen on the inside first, so when they just start to soften, they're likely ready to use. When you bake the pears, they'll acquire that soft, juicy texture you want baked pears to have.
How to Make Stuffed Pears
The first step is to mix up the crumb topping. The topping I use is inspired by my Dutch apple crumb pie recipe.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together with a pastry blender.
How to Assemble and Bake the Pears…
- Cut the pears in half, and scoop the center of each pear out with a melon baller, making sure to scoop out all the seeds. Place all the halves on a baking sheet.
- Fill in each center with the crumb topping. Then sprinkle more on top, covering each pear with the topping.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.
- Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes, or until the crumbled topping is golden and the pear is tender when poked with a fork.
To serve, top with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream, if desired, and serve while warm.
More Topping Ideas for Cinnamon Baked Pears
I talk about oats a bit in the FAQ's below, but you can also add other toppings, including…
- Cranberries
- Sliced almonds
- Walnuts
- Goat cheese
- Cream cheese
- Brie cheese
- Nutmeg and other spices, like apple pie spice
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can, so you'll want to keep an eye on them and follow instructions for baking in the recipe card. Otherwise, your pears could turn out to be quite mushy and more gooey than intended. I usually do a fork test when testing whether they're done in the oven… Stick a fork in the pear; if it's tender and easy to poke with a fork, it's likely done.
Yes, you can; I just prefer to make stuffed pears without oats. But yes, you can add oats; in fact, if you want to add oats, you might cut the flour in half, then sub in 1/2 cup oats. Instant oats will bake faster, but they'll work just as well as regular rolled oats.
Place the cinnamon baked pears in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. They should keep for 3 to 5 days.
More Fall Desserts
If you love this cinnamon baked pears dessert, you'll love these other autumn desserts too…
- Apple crumble without oats
- Classic pecan pie
- Pear spice cake
- Apple dump cake
- Caramel pear muffins with crumb topping
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Cinnamon Stuffed Pears
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 whole pears
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together with a pastry blender.
- Cut the pears in half, and scoop the center of each pear out with a melon baller, being sure to scoop out all the seeds. Place all the halves on a baking sheet.
- Fill in each center with the crumb topping. Then sprinkle more on top, covering each pear with the topping.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.
- Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes, or until the crumbled topping is golden and the pear is tender when poked with a fork.
- To serve, top with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream, if desired, and serve while warm.
Notes
Place the cinnamon baked pears in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. They should keep for 3 to 5 days.
Yum! I make pear crisp and just posted a recipe recently, but I adore the idea of baking them in their own skins. This is such a beautiful serving idea, too. I’m definitely making this :)
Thanks so much, Michelle! The skins really seem to hold all the juices in too, so they’re extra sweet, very rich.:)