This easy red wine poached pears recipe is such a stunning dessert. These are fantastic with whipped cream or ice cream.
First, can we talk about how beautiful red wine pears look? If you don’t hear a gasp as you are bringing these to the table, you’ve invited the wrong dinner party guests to your table. Beyond the look, they taste incredible thanks to wine, orange, and honey.
You are looking at about 30 minutes for this pear dessert, and you can even make them in advance. In fact, these last nicely for up to 4 days in your fridge. I serve them very similarly to how we serve our baked pears. They work so well with a big spoonful of whipped cream, coconut whipped cream (yum!), or your favorite ice cream.
Key Ingredients
- Pears: I love Bosc or Bartlett pears for this since the flesh is usually a bit firmer to the touch than other varieties. Any pear will work, but firmer ones will hold better in the poaching liquid.
- Wine: I’ve used a dry red wine for the pears in our photos, but you can substitute a dry white wine if you’d prefer. Whatever you use, make sure it is something you are happy to drink. For red wine, use varieties you’d use to make sangria, like Rioja, as they hold up well to the spices in our poaching liquid, or use Pinot Noir. For white wine, use something dry and fruity like Sauvignon Blanc.
- Orange: I love some freshly squeezed orange juice added to the poaching liquid. It adds a touch of sweetness and floral notes.
- Honey: Adding to the orange floral notes, I love honey for this recipe. If you like, you can substitute agave nectar or maple syrup, but be mindful that the flavor of the poaching liquid will change slightly.
- Spices: We combine a cinnamon stick, cloves, and a vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out and added to the poaching liquid. You can substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean if necessary (2 to 3 teaspoons).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Poach Pears
Tip 1: Make a parchment paper round. To poach your pears, lay a round of parchment paper over them so they stay submerged in the poaching liquid (in this recipe, wine). To be technical, this parchment paper round is called a “cartouche.” It’s easy to make. Simply cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit just inside the pot you plan to poach your pears in. Then, make a small cutout from the center to make it look more like a donut.
Tip 2: Keep pears in lemon water. Pears brown quickly, so while you are peeling and prepping them for poaching, place them into a bowl of cold water with lemon juice. This will slow oxidation, preventing browning.
Tip 3: Make the poaching liquid. In the pot you plan to poach the pears, combine a bottle of wine, water, orange juice and orange quarters, honey, and the spices. If using a vanilla bean, slice it in half, lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and the pod halves into the pot.
Tip 4: Poach the pears. Place the pears into the pot, press your parchment paper round onto the top, and then gently simmer at a very low heat until tender (about 20 minutes).
Tip 5: Serving them. These are lovely served warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Or you can let them come to room temperature and store them in the fridge in their poaching liquid for up to 4 days.
More Fruit Desserts
Red Wine Poached Pears
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These poached pears are stunning for dessert! I use red wine for my poaching liquid, but white wine is lovely, too. When choosing the wine for these pears, it doesn’t need to be the best bottle, but definitely choose something you would be happy drinking. I go for drier red wines like Rioja, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. For white wine, try Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc.
You Will Need
1 lemon, cut in half
3 firm pears like Bosc or Bartlett
1 cup water
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine like Rioja, Pinot Noir, or Merlot
1 orange, quartered
½ cup honey or more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, halved with seeds scraped out
Directions
1Prepare parchment round: Set aside a large saucepan that holds at least 3 quarts. Cut a circle of parchment paper that fits just inside the saucepan. Then make a small hole in the center of the parchment so it looks like a donut. This is called a cartouche. You will place it on top of the poaching liquid later to keep the pears submerged.
2Make a bowl of lemon water: Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the water, and drop in the lemon halves.
3Prepare the pears: Peel the pears, then cut them in half. Core them, then place them immediately into the bowl with lemon water to prevent browning.
4Make the poaching liquid: Combine the wine and 1 cup of water in the large saucepan. Squeeze the orange quarters over the pan, and then drop them in. Stir in the honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and the vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out and added to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
5Poach: Remove the pear halves from the lemon water and place them into the poaching liquid. Place the parchment paper round on top of the poaching liquid, then cook at a very low simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until tender throughout, about 20 minutes. As they poach, occasionally push the pears down so that they are submerged in the liquid.
6Serving: Serve warm or chilled with a generous spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store poached pears in the poaching liquid in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. As the pears sit in the liquid, they take on even more flavor, making this a great make-ahead dessert. When ready to serve, offer them chilled or warm them in a saucepan with some poaching liquid in a saucepan on the stove.
- Vanilla: Substitute the vanilla bean with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Nutrition facts are estimates. They are likely too high as we included the poaching liquid in the calculations.
could you freeze these?
Hi Alison, I have not tried, but I don’t see why not. I’d thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.