Healthy Recipes For Ripe Pears

These healthy pear oatmeal muffins are an easy make-ahead breakfast or grab and go snack. Packed with juicy pears, cardamom and whole grain oats, this muffin recipe is perfect for meal prep!

Use up overripe pears in this easy muffin recipe! Made with whole oats and less sugar, these pear muffins are a healthy-ish recipe for breakfast, a snack or light dessert!

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Once the batter is mixed, add to a prepped muffin tin. I don’t recommend using liners. Instead, use a well-seasoned or non-stick muffin tin to get a nice crust on the muffins.

How To Ripen Pears

For a bit more crunch, I added a mixture of butter and brown sugar to the tops of these. That’s completely optional but quite delicious!

I wouldn’t technically call them healthy. But there are some healthy swaps. I’ve cut down the sugar. Most standard muffin recipes call for a cup of sugar. Not needed here.

I swapped half the flour for oats and used white whole wheat which is heartier and higher in fiber. You can use regular all-purpose if that’s what you have on hand.

Pear Pudding Cake

Cinnamon would be great in these muffins. Cardamom adds a subtle warmth to the recipe and it’s just something different. But cinnamon is in everyone’s pantry and works just as well in these muffins.

Ginger, apple pie spice, or pumpkin spice would also work in about the same 1 teaspoon amount. You can add a sprinkle of nutmeg but not for the full amount.

For these pear muffins, choose a fragrant, juicy pear that will lend lots of flavor to the mix. I loved using Anjou pears for this recipe.

Healthy Baked Pears

Yes! In fact, I did that for you, in these Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins. That recipe uses buttermilk and oats for a moist and delicious muffin. Make the one that you have the most leftover fruit for. Switch up the spices to suit your own tastes.

Use your thumb to apply gentle pressure to the stem end (or neck) of the pear. When it yields to pressure, it’s ripe and ready to eat!

Store ripe pears in the refrigerator to extend shelf life. But note that they won’t last as long as most apples. So use them up first.

Baked Pears With Cinnamon

1. Allow the muffins to cool completely at room temperature. This is important to avoid wet or soggy muffins going into the freezer.

2. Place the muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in a single layer in the freezer for up to 3 months. Probably longer would be fine but I’ve never kept them longer than that.

3. To reheat the muffins, pop them into a toaster oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes. They will be hot before that but something magical happens at the 20-minute mark. The muffins revive with a crisp and delicious crust. It’s a must. Do it. Enjoy!

Pear Crisp Recipe

These healthier pear oatmeal muffins are an easy make-ahead breakfast or snack. Packed with juicy pears, warm spices and whole grain oats, this muffin recipe is perfect for meal prep!

TIP: These muffins are best served warm. They also freeze and reheat incredibly well. To enjoy after freezing, thaw at room temperature or heat frozen muffins in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes.

NOTE: I don’t recommend using paper muffin cups in this recipe. Baking directly on the muffin tin produced the best results – keeping the moisture in and creating a nice crust on the outside.

Easy Poached Pears Recipe

I like to top them with caramel sauce, coconut yogurt, chopped nuts, almond butter, coconut butter, shredded coconut, tahini, or granola. I’d recommend my cinnamon raisin granola or peanut butter granola as a delicious crunchy homemade topping.

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This beautiful, simple dessert is a great go-to when you need something quick and easy that delivers on flavour and presentation. No one will know how easy they are to make!

Easy Stewed Pears

Enjoy them as is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, or serve warm and sliced on top of waffles, pancakes or oatmeal.

Step 1. Slice the pears in half and gently scoop out the seeds using a small cookie scoop or spoon. Place the pears cut side up in any baking dish.

Bake on a baking pan or in an oven-proof dish until soft and tender, about 25-30 minutes. Add any toppings you like and enjoy!

Fluffy Pear Muffins

Anjou and Bosc varieties are a top pick for baking as they hold their shape and texture best though any pear will work!

While warm baked pears taste great fresh out of the oven, you can eat them cold if you’d like.Slice up any leftovers and serve cold over waffles, oatmeal or pancakes. They can also be added to baking!

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.

Of Our Best Pear Recipes

These healthy baked pears can be a sweet and simple snack or a fancy, decadent dessert. Serve them on their own or try them topped with coconut yogurt, nuts and granola.

Storing: Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days and enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave or oven. Try them sliced and served over waffles, pancakes, yogurt or oatmeal.Pears make for a wonderful gift during the holiday season, so we're not surprised if you're suddenly facing an overload of fresh fruit in your kitchen. There are

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Many sweet and savory pear recipes to make if you suddenly find yourself with a full load of this fruit, or if you just want to switch up your go-to apple recipes.

Fresh Pear Cobbler (spiced, Easy Recipe)

Try ‘em poached, sliced into a salad, roasted with root veggies or paired with juicy pork. Bake pears into pies, crisps, crumbles and cobblers, or add them to your favorite classic cocktails for a splash of sweetness. Ripe pears lend a juicy, refreshing flavor to everything they touch, and each variety (Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Seckel —

Healthy pear recipes, like fruit salad with Greek yogurt and honey, make great breakfasts, while pear matched with peppery greens and juicy steak makes the ideal salad for lunch. Or maybe you’re more of a healthy sandwich person? The gorgeous grilled cheese with sweet pears, creamy Gouda and Dijon mustard in #15 practically brings tears to our eyes. Get ready to experiment with lots (and lots!) of pears this season.

As they bake in the oven, the pears caramelize and turn golden brown, toeing the line between savory and sweet. A pinch of pepper adds a kick of heat and toasted walnuts offer a satisfying crunch.

How Can You Tell If A Pear Is Ripe?

Tossed in a spicy, limey, funky dressing and topped with fresh cilantro and peanuts, this salad makes an enviable desk lunch or light dinner.

This dessert looks impressive, but it has just a few ingredients and takes less than an hour to make. Wait 'til you show up with this show-stopper.

Pears baked into a lemony dough and sprinkled with cinnamon and ginger is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy and just a little spicy.

Easy Pear Crumble Recipe With Oats Topping

This holiday-ready sauce combines all your favorite fruits of the season (cranberries! pears! apples!) for a spicy-sweet side that tastes great on everything from Herb-Roasted Turkey to Pineapple-Glazed Ham.

We always knew that peanut butter went well with fruit in a sandwich, but in a dessert? Truly a match made in heaven.

Confession: We'd put Salted Caramel Sauce on everything if we could, but it really makes these simple pears look elegant on a holiday table.

Easy Pear Desserts They'll Love

Grilled cheese is all grown up with sweet pears, creamy Gouda and a swipe of Dijon mustard. Is that a tear in your eye?

Pears roasted with the turkey get blended into pan juices for a sweet-salty, secret-ingredient gravy that'll be everyone's favorite Thanksgiving side dish this year.

You can use fresh or frozen berries in this easiest-ever pie, plus any topping you like. Try Basic Flaky Pie Dough, Crumb Topping or Cobbler Topping!

Minute Healthy Pear Crumble

Who ever said baking had to be hard? The simple, buttery berry filling is crowned with a 4-ingredient topping. Just wait 'til you see how easy it is to eat.

Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.

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