Baked Pears are a delicious dessert for babies, children, and adults. The baking process and added spices enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit meaning there is no need for added sugar or sweeteners.Â
Pears are one of those fruits that have a short window of perfection. You wait and wait for them to ripen and then before you know it, they are past their best and all mushy inside.
The good thing about baked pears is that you don't have to wait for them to fully ripen, they just might take a little longer to cook.
You can't really get a simpler dessert than this. They taste delicious on their own but can be enjoyed in many other ways too.
Serving Suggestions
Why not try serving baked pears with:
- Yoghurt Top some greek yoghurt with the pears for a healthy and delicious dessert.
- Oats Stir through porridge or top with granola for a delicious breakfast.
- Ice-Cream For a more indulgent dessert, serve warm with some vanilla ice cream.
How to Prepare Pears for Baking
You can bake pears in different ways
- halves
- wedges
- bite-size pieces
I like to bake them in bite-size pieces as I find this a great size to add to yoghurt, oats etc.
- Cut the pear in half and remove the core. The easiest way to do this is to use a melon baller. The stalk is then easy to remove or cut out.
- Cut into slices or bite-size pieces.
- Toss the pears in spices. Spices that work well are
- cinnamon,
- ginger,
- nutmeg,
- clove,
- cardamom,
- allspice.
Baked Pears for Babies
Baked pears make a really tasty puree for babies and can be mixed with a range of foods such as
- other sweet fruits (e,g apple, banana, berries, mango.)
- avocado
- sweet potato
- yoghurt
If you are doing baby-led weaning then baked pears are a fantastic finger food. Try baking them as fingers when your baby is just starting out with food, once they have developed their pincer grip you can cut them into the bite-size pieces as pictured.
Picky Eaters
Baking fruit changes the taste and texture of the fruit. If you have a child that doesn't like fresh fruit then try baking it. The enhanced sweetness and softer texture may win them over.
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Baked Pears Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Pears (Cored and chopped into pieces) *SEE NOTE 1
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon ** SEE NOTE 2
- ½ teaspoon Ground GInger ** SEE NOTE 2
- ¼ cup Water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180c / 350f
- Add pears to a large baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and ginger. Toss the pears and add the water, toss again.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20-40 minutes (*SEE NOTE 3), checking and stirring once or twice during cooking time.
Recipe Notes
- The easiest way I find to chop a pear is to half, remove the core using a melon baller and then chop into bite-size pieces (see above image for illustration.) I don't peel the pear but you can if you prefer.
- If you don't like cinnamon or ginger then try alternative spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, clove or allspice
- The cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pear. Cook until soft (or desired texture.) My pears were unripe and needed 40 mins.Â
Carmen says
Very simple and helped me use up a few pears that I dont eat, I now have a tasty treat for bub =)
Amy says
Thanks Carmen 🙂
Claudia says
Thanks for this recipe - great idea! How long do you think they will keep in the fridge?
Amy says
Hi Claudia, I'd refrigerate them up to two days in an air tight container 🙂
Heidi says
My one year old loves those recipe! Another time I made it with apples. It is nice to have her try something new/. Thank you!
Amy says
That's great, Heidi 🙂 So glad she enjoys them and thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Jenni says
H Amy, what a great site you’ve created! I stumbled across it by accident this morning and I’m so glad I did! This recipe sounds absolutely delicious, super easy, and something I’m almost positive my son will eat despite being a very picky eater. So thank you for sharing it, I’m always looking for easy but creative and great tasting recipes to encourage my son to eat and enjoy a wider variety of foods. It’s no easy task but I feel strongly that this is gonna be a hit! However I would like to make it with both pears and Apples. I noticed a woman named Heidi who said she did that exact combination. So I was hoping that either you or Heidi, Or really absolutely anybody that knows the answer and has the time to actually post it, could just clarify a few quick questions I have …
1. Do I follow the same instructions/recipe for the apples as is listed for the pears?
2. And should I cook them together or separately?
If anybody is able to give me some clarification on those two questions I would greatly appreciate it, thanks!
Amy says
Hi Jenni, I'm so sorry for the late response. Yes, just follow the same instructions and you can cook together. I do hope your son enjoys them 🙂
Aliem says
Any suggestions for a toaster oven version?
Amy says
Hi Aliem, I have never owned or used a toaster oven so can't give any tips. Sorry.
Becca says
Ive just made these and they are delicious ! Are they suitable for freezing please ?
Thanks
Amy says
HI Becca, so glad you liked them:). Yes, they should freeze fine although I haven't actually tested freezing this recipe.
Julia says
I’m doing baby led weaning and made these for my 7myth old. The only change I made was to cut them into strips so she could grab it easier. She loved them.
Amy says
Great, glad she liked them. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Julia. Good luck with the rest of the weaning journey 🙂
Alisha says
A delicious dessert now that it is getting cooler, would this work with whole pears to save me chopping?