Spiced Pear Butter
Sweet, tart and delicately spiced, this homemade pear butter is a delightful concoction that comes together in just under an hour.
It's perfect to use as a breakfast spread, spoon into a parfait or even just enjoy by the spoonful. And just like my stewed apples, it is a great way to use up any extra fruit that you may have, and use it for weeks.
Over the last few weeks, I have been experimenting with preserving and storing fresh fruits in specific. My extra figs got used up to make a nice fig compote and some fig paste, and I used up some extra blueberries to make a simple blueberry sauce.
This time, I had some fresh pears, and I wanted to use them up to make something simple- something even the kids would enjoy- and this smooth fruit spread is just that.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 min.
- ⏲️Cook time: 45 min.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋Main ingredients: Pear, brown sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon.
- ♨️Cooking method: Peel, core and chop pears 🡢 add to a saucepan with orange and lemon juice 🡢 cook until soft 🡢 mash and add spices and brown sugar 🡢 continue cooking until thick 🡢 cool and refrigerate.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Top your scoop of vanilla ice cream with a dollop of this pear butter and some Feuilletine flakes.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- The flavors are spot on! The sweetness of the pears beautifully balances the heat from the spices.
- It is super versatile- just like my roasted strawberries. You can use it as a topping for your breakfast oatmeal or use it as a spread for your toast- just like my homemade lemon marmalade.
Recipe Ingredients
Pear: Fresh, ripe pears, preferably organic. This one's the hero ingredient, so make sure you use the best quality you can find.
Brown sugar: For that depth of flavor and to help thicken and preserve the pear butter. You can also use white sugar if you want to. I like to add a bit of homemade date sugar also, for that deep brown color.
Citrus juice: I used a mix of orange and lemon juice. Freshly squeezed juice is always best!
Spices: I used ginger and cinnamon for that bit of earthy flavor and heat. Use dried ginger powder if you can't find fresh ginger.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Try adding fruits like apples or quince to bring those delicious fall flavors and try out a new version of the fruit butter.
- You can also play around with the spices to introduce different layers of complexity. Black pepper, nutmeg (I used it for my spiced Christmas jam) and allspice are good options.
- For some extra sweetness and flavor, you can also mix in some honey towards the end. I like using my spiced orange honey or lemon infused honey for a bit of extra citrusy zing.
How to Make Pear Butter
Step 1: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine chopped pears, ginger, orange juice and lemon juice.
Step 2: Keep cooking until the pears soften. Use a potato masher to mash the pears.
Step 3: Turn down the heat and continue cooking. Add brown sugar and cinnamon.
Step 4: Take it off heat once it reaches a spreadable consistency. Let it cool and store for later.
💭Top Tip
For a bit of extra holiday sweetness, you can add a vanilla bean or a couple of drops of vanilla extract into the spiced butter.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- For the best flavor and texture, choose peaches that are ripe and firm. Avoid using fruit that has any dark or soft spots on the surface, especially if you're planning to store it for more than a couple of days.
- Make sure you use a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan to cook this. This will ensure even cooking and keep the fruit butter from burning. I realized this when I made my favorite apple cider caramel sauce and my holiday special gingerbread syrup.
- Keep the heat low and stir the mixture continuously- ensuring it doesn't get scorched. This applies for any and all kinds of jams and jellies you're making using fresh fruit- even my peach jalapeno jam.
- If you want the pear butter to have a smoother, even consistency, you can use an immersion blender to blend it too!
How to Use Pear Butter
Use this spiced pear butter as a topping for your pancakes, waffles and even French toast- it is so versatile, you can use it with almost any of your breakfast foods. Every once in a while, I like to have an elaborate breakfast spread along with toppings and condiments like my homemade golden syrup or olive oil caramel sauce, a fruit butter like this one, some orange marmalade and my crunchy pecan praline sauce.
It also tastes fantastic when teamed up with baked goodies like muffins, scones and cakes- just like my pistachio cream. My favorite way to enjoy it is to feature it on my charcuterie board along with some crackers, cheeses and a nice sweet pepper relish.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store the leftovers in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
You can use pears with their peel on too, if you don't mind the texture.
You can! Simply allow it to cool down completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. It should stay good for up to 8 months.
Check the texture- if most of the moisture has evaporated and the butter has reached a spreadable consistency, it is done.
More Fruit Preserves
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this spiced pear butter or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Spiced Pear Butter
Ingredients
- 5 pears
- 1 inch ginger
- 1.5 cup orange juice
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine chopped pears, ginger, orange juice and lemon juice.
- Keep cooking until the pears soften. Use a potato masher to mash the pears.
- Turn down the heat and continue cooking. Add brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Take it off heat once it reaches a spreadable consistency. Let it cool and store for later.
Notes
- For a bit of extra holiday sweetness, you can add a vanilla bean or a couple of drops of vanilla extract into the spiced butter.
- For the best flavor and texture, choose peaches that are ripe and firm. Avoid using fruit that has any dark or soft spots on the surface, especially if you're planning to store it for more than a couple of days.
- Keep the heat low and stir the mixture continuously- ensuring it doesn't get scorched. This applies for any and all kinds of jams and jellies you're making using fresh fruit.
