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!
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.
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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!
- 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!
Cut each pear in half, and use a melon baller, or spoon, to remove the cores.
Place the pear halves on a lined baking sheet, lightly spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Flip the pears over, cut side down, and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, flip the pears over, so the cut side is facing up.
Sprinkle the walnuts around (but not on) the pears, and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 15 minutes.
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
I like to use Bartlett pears for baked pears. Anjou and Bosc are other good options.
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!
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.
Related
Looking for other fruit dessert recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cinnamon Baked Pears:
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Baked Pears with Toasted Walnuts and Chocolate Sauce
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
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.
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DIANNA REYNOLDS says
Just brought home some pears today. Now I can do something special with them for tomorrow.