Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Fruit 10 Pear Recipes Featuring This Massively Underrated Fall Fruit From soups, sides, and main courses to desserts, these dishes let the versatile fruit really shine. By Marie Viljoen Marie Viljoen Marie is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Randi Gollin Randi Gollin Randi Gollin is a freelance food writer and editor who has been covering food, travel, and fashion for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 30, 2024 Close Photo: Grant Webster Pears are delicious in so many dishes, boasting more fiber, potassium, and folate than apples—and yet this fruit, and even pear recipes, don't get the attention they deserve. We think it's due to deprivation—not the suffering kind, but the seasonal kind. Pears ripen from late summer through fall; go pearless until then, wait until they are perfectly ripe, and you will better understand this fragrant and versatile fruit. While desserts soak up much of the limelight, pears can also play major roles in salads, soups, warm appetizers, and entrees. Our best recipe lineup provides a taste of pear season, and will hopefully inspire you to experiment further. Pears are hard when they arrive at market because they ripen off the tree, from the inside out. Apply thumb pressure at the stem end of a pear to test for ripeness: When it's ready to be enjoyed, it will yield. It's Pear Season! These Are the Most Popular Varieties for Baking and Snacking 01 of 10 Quick & Easy Caramelized Pears Andrew Purcell Just a few pantry ingredients turn Bartlett pears into a simple yet sumptuous dessert. Vanilla ice cream just found its new best friend. View Recipe 02 of 10 Pear Crisp Bryan Gardner Sweet Bosc pears are nestled under a crunchy oat-almond topping in this oh-so-simple crisp. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. View Recipe 03 of 10 Whole Roasted Chicken with Pear, Shallots, and Thyme Anjou pears, shallots, and thyme give this succulent roast chicken recipe an intriguing flavor boost. The combo also makes a fabulous presentation when served side by side with the golden bird. View Recipe 04 of 10 Pork Roast With Lady Apples and Seckel Pears Seckel pears and lady apples lend sweetness, while rosemary, thyme, and sage bring up the savory side in this hearty pork roast dish. It's the perfect dinner for sweater weather! View Recipe 05 of 10 Poached-Pear Frangipane Tart Talk about eye appeal! Poached pears are mulled in red wine and then sliced over a fantastic frangipane filling, creating a showstopping ombre effect. View Recipe 06 of 10 Pear and Cranberry Pie Mike Krautter For a seasonal celebration, combine fall's pears with the first cranberries in this delectable pie. The bottom crust is made from pate brisee while the topping is embellished with cookie dough-inspired cutouts View Recipe 07 of 10 Slow-Roasted Pear Chips Aaron Dyer Easy pear chips are the answer to the gluten-free eater's nemesis: the cracker. Slow-dried pear slices are delicate platforms for toppings from cheese and ham to sour cream and salmon roe. View Recipe 08 of 10 Butternut and Pear Soup Johnny Miller Winter squash and pears make for a velvety soup whose natural sweetness is offset by a healthy dollop of sharp yogurt. View Recipe 09 of 10 Sausage and Pear Stuffing Marcus Nilsson This standalone, one-dish meal is fragrant with onions and leeks, fennel and celery, rosemary and sage; autumn's best pears lend just the right amount of sweetness. Use good artisanal bread and your favorite pork sausages. Who needs turkey? View Recipe 10 of 10 Easy Poached Pears Grant Webster Sweet Bosc pears are cooked in a spiced apple cider. This recipe is easy and the results are delicious, the tender pears absorb all the delicious flavors of the syrupy liquid. It's a dish you'll want to make all through fall and beyond. Get Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit