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    Home » All posts » Heart Healthy Desserts

    Cinnamon Baked Pears with Toasted Walnuts and Chocolate Sauce

    Published: Apr 3, 2019 by Laura Yautz

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Cinnamon Baked Pears have everything you want in a dessert! Baking pears makes them soft and almost melt-in-your-mouth. The cinnamon perfectly complements the pears' sweetness and the walnuts give the dish some toasty crunchiness. The chocolate sauce (arguably the star of the dessert!) adds a creamy, chocolatey, sweetness that pulls it all together. Pears and chocolate! Like a match made in heaven!

    Half of a baked pear in a dish, drizzled with chocolate sauce and toasted walnuts.

    We always seem to forget about pears. The spotlight is often reserved for much sexier fruit like strawberries, melons, and heck even bananas! Behold! The pear! Pears are a good source of vitamin C, and they've got some potassium and other vitamins, but where they really shine is in their soluble fiber content! Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that loves cholesterol so much, that it binds itself to it and takes it right out of the body with it. Pears have one of the highest soluble fiber content among fruit, and they're available year-round, so they can be really useful in managing cholesterol.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Food safety

    Ingredients

    One of the things I love about this recipe is that it's fast, and requires only a few ingredients! Even the chocolate sauce is easy!

    Ingredients for cinnamon baked pears.
    • Pears
    • Cinnamon
    • Walnuts
    • Healthy Chocolate Sauce

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Did I mention how easy it is to make these Cinnamon Baked Pears? You don't even have to peel the pears - unless you want to, I guess. P.S. the skin contains extra vitamins, minerals, and fiber, so we leave them on whenever we can!

    Pear cut in half on a cutting board, with a melon baller, and one half of the pear with the core removed.

    Cut each pear in half, and use a melon baller, or spoon, to remove the cores.

    Halved pears, on a baking sheet, sprinkled with cinnamon before going into the oven.

    Place the pear halves on a lined baking sheet, lightly spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

    Halved pears, cut side down, on a baking sheet.

    Flip the pears over, cut side down, and bake for 15 minutes.

    Halved pears on a baking sheet, some cut side down, and some are cut side up.

    After 15 minutes, flip the pears over, so the cut side is facing up.

    Halved pears on baking sheet, with walnuts sprinkled around them.

    Sprinkle the walnuts around (but not on) the pears, and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 15 minutes.

    Pears finished baking, on a baking sheet.

    Remove the pears from the oven, and serve on a dish, topped with walnuts and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

    Hint: starting the pears cut side down first allows them to steam cook on the inside, and flipping them halfway through allows for some caramelization on the tops. If you prefer, you can bake them cut side up the whole way through, just adding the walnut at the halfway point.

    Substitutions

    Cinnamon Baked Pears is a low fat, low calorie, low sodium, high fiber, vegan/vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free dessert. But if you're missing an ingredient, consider one of these substitutions.

    • Nuts - use any nut or seed (for a nut-free option) you like. You could also use a nut free granola.
    • Pears - use apples instead, but bake them for around 45 minutes total.
    • Cinnamon - other "sweet spices" include cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and anise. Use a combination you like.

    Equipment

    Nothing too crazy will be needed to make these baked pears with chocolate sauce.

    • Knife and cutting board
    • Melon baller or spoon (affiliate link)
    • Baking sheet
    • Silicone liner or parchment paper for baking sheet

    Storage

    Cinnamon Baked Pears can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

    Freezing is not recommended for this recipe.

    Top tip

    These are best served immediately. So you can pop them in the oven when you sit down for dinner, and they'll be done when you're ready for them!

    FAQ

    What are the best pears for baking?

    I like to use Bartlett pears for baked pears. Anjou and Bosc are other good options.

    Should I peel the pears before baking?

    For this recipe, there's no need to peel the pears. The skin is nutritious, and it's an added step that isn't always very easy. Just make sure to wash the pears well, and you're good to go!

    Are baked pears healthy?

    Pears themselves are very healthy. Some recipes for baked pears, though, include lots of sugar, honey, maple syrup, and/or butter. That's where we can get into trouble. There's nothing wrong with a little sugar now and then, but baked pears are so sweet on their own, they really don't need it! So we left it out to let the pear shine on its own.

    Half of a baked pear in a dish, drizzled with chocolate sauce and toasted walnuts. A slice of pear is on a fork.

    Related

    Looking for other fruit dessert recipes like this? Try these:

    • A winter fruit salad shaped like a wreath, with a bowl of dip in the middle.
      Christmas Fruit Tray with Cinnamon Yogurt Dip
    • Small tray with strawberries, blueberries, and white peaches arranged in the shape of an American flag.
      Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
    • Baked apples on a plate.
      Instant Pot Baked Apples with Cinnamon and Raisins

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cinnamon Baked Pears:

    • Overhead image of tetrazzini in a casserole dish.
      Vegetable Tetrazzini
    • Cast iron skillet with tempeh, caramelized onions, and grapes in it. Garnished with fresh rosemary.
      Sautéed Tempeh with Caramelized Onions and Grapes
    • Kale salad in a wooden bowl.
      Roasted Kale Salad with Apple Maple Vinaigrette
    • Lentil soup in a bowl.
      Low Sodium Lentil Soup with Spinach
    Want to say thank you?

    📖 Recipe

    Half of a baked pear in a dish, drizzled with chocolate sauce and toasted walnuts.
    Print Pin
    5 from 2 votes

    Cinnamon Baked Pears with Toasted Walnuts and Chocolate Sauce

    My kids beg me to make this for dessert. It's sweet, healthy, quick, and oh so yummy!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 182kcal
    Author Laura Yautz

    Ingredients

    • 4 Pears halved and cored
    • Cooking spray
    • Cinnamon to taste
    • ¼ cup Walnuts roughly chopped
    • ½ cup Healthy Chocolate Sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Cut the pears in half, and remove the cores using a melon baller, or spoon.
    • Place pear halves, flesh side up, on a parchment lined baking sheet, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with as much, or little, cinnamon as you desire.
    • Flip the pears over, so the cut side is down, and bake for 15 minutes.
    • Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and flip the pears so the cut side is up. Place walnuts on baking sheet, in between pears.
    • Bake pears and walnuts for another 15 minutes.
    • Place 2 pear halves and ¼ of the walnuts in each bowl, and drizzle with a few tablespoons of chocolate sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1pear with chocolate sauce | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.4g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 5.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 2.7mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 6.7g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1.8IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 23.1mg | Iron: 0.7mg

    Food safety

    Safety is our top priority in the kitchen! Always keep these tips in mind.

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands before touching food, and after touching raw meat, your hair, face, pets, etc.
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the weather is hot)
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Your purchase helps me keep the lights on, at no additional cost to you! I never recommend products that I don't personally use and love. Thanks for your support!

    Half of a baked pear in a dish, drizzled with chocolate sauce and toasted walnuts. Text overlay: Cinnamon baked pears with toasted walnuts and chocolate sauce; easy and healthy.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. DIANNA REYNOLDS says

      December 11, 2019 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      Just brought home some pears today. Now I can do something special with them for tomorrow.

      Reply

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    Laura Yautz

    Hi, I'm Laura! I’m a Registered Dietitian and I love food and cooking, It’s my passion to help you discover how delicious and easy heart healthy eating can be! I’m glad you’re here! Take a look around. You’re going to LOVE Being Nutritious!

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