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Home » All Sauce Recipes » Dessert Sauces

Pear Sauce

October 20, 2022 by jessica 5 Comments

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This pear sauce is a perfect substitute or switch-up from typical applesauce. Use it with sweet or savory dishes or all on its own.

spoon dipping into pear sauce with text overlay for facebook

Table of Contents

  • What Types of Pear to Use
  • What is Pear Sauce?
  • How to Use Pear Sauce
  • Variations
  • Storage and Freezing
  • More Fruity Sauces
  • Pear Sauce Recipe
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

What Types of Pear to Use

For this delicious sauce, I used Bartlett and Bosc pears to create layered texture and taste profiles. However, you can use any pear varieties you like.

You can get green, red, yellow, or even bronze colored pears.They can range from vanilla tones to citrusy-sweet — some tarter versions are great to pair with fatty or sharp cheese while others are amazing sweet snacks on their own.

From Comices with their soft, creamy flesh and juicy inside to cinnamon-spicy Forelles there are an abundance of pear varieties. Seckels are perfect for snacking (but not baking), and Red Concords are amazing accompaniments for cheese and charcuterie boards (and Bartletts and Boscs are clearly great for cooking and baking).

Pears are a versatile snack — but they’re also amazing in baked and cooked goods.

The next time you have some extra pears, or you’re looking for a slightly spiced sauce that has all of the flavors of autumn, turn to this pear sauce. It’s the best way to add seasonal flavors to sweets and savory dishes.

overhead shot of pear sauce in pan

What is Pear Sauce?

Pear sauce is basically the same thing as apple sauce, but with pears! Ripe pears are simmered and softened, then spiced and mashed. Then, it’s chilled for a refreshing and delightful sauce.

If you like a chunky fruit sauce that is super versatile to use on savory or sweet dishes, this is the sauce for you.

spoon dipping into bowl of pear sauce

How to Use Pear Sauce

You can eat it straight out of a bowl, but you can pair it perfectly with plenty of dishes!

  • Vanilla ice cream – Spoon pear sauce, either still chilled or even warmed, over ice cream.
  • Asian food – Try incorporating it into teriyaki style dishes.
  • Pork chops – Instead of applesauce, try using this pear sauce.
  • Caribbean – Elevate your jerk chicken or grilled mahi mahi with this sauce.
  • Crumble – Incorporate it in seasonal crumbles.
  • Oatmeal – Mix this sauce into your oatmeal (or other hot breakfast).
  • Pies – Drizzle this over your pie of choice.
  • Cookies – Thicken the sauce just a bit and then put pear sauce in thumbprint-style cookies.
  • Sweet potatoes – Make your sweet potatoes sweeter by covering them with this sweet sauce.
  • Substitute for oil – Instead of oil, use pear sauce to add texture, moisture, and flavor to muffins and cakes.
  • Yogurt – Mix this into your yogurt for a healthy breakfast. 
  • Granola – Toss granola with pear sauce for a crunchy, sweet treat.
  • Cheese board – Add a dish of pear sauce to your cheese and charcuterie board for a twist on your typical jam or other fruit.
  • Ricotta or cottage cheese – Mix the pear sauce into your ricotta or cottage cheese for a sweet dip or treat all on its own.
  • Cranberry sauce – Kick up your holiday cranberry sauce by mixing it with this sauce.
overhead shot of pear sauce

Some of our favorites swap with applesauce are applesauce muffins, applesauce cake and applesauce cookies.

Variations

Pear sauce is a perfect side all on its own, particularly in the fall. But there are plenty of ways to dress it up, too.

  • Spices – Cinnamon channels that natural fall flavor, but you can also experiment with ground ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, or anise.
  • Lower carb – Try using your favorite sugar substitute to lower the sugar and carbohydrates.
  • Apple cider – To impart some apple flavor, replace some or all of the water with apple cider or apple juice.
  • Cornstarch – Make your pear sauce a little thicker by adding cornstarch. Make sure to make a slurry before adding it to ensure that it doesn’t clump.
  • Pear butter – Simmer the pears for about twice as long. Then, use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to smooth the mixture.
  • Slow cook – Instead of simmering, try combining all ingredients in the slow cooker or make an instant pot pear sauce.
  • Nuts – Crushed pecans, pistachios, and walnuts all pair well with pears and add texture.
  • Sweetener – Change up the flavor profile by replacing some or all of the sugar with maple syrup or honey.
  • Lemon zest – Try adding lemon zest for added citrus flavor.
spoon in bowl of pear sauce

Storage and Freezing

Storage: After bringing the sauce to room temperature, you can refrigerate it for up to 10 days in an airtight container.

Freezing: Pear sauce can be frozen in freezer safe containers, an ice cube tray, or ziplock bags for up to 6 months. It can also be canned in pint jars or quart jars. 

collage of pear sauce for pinteresrt

More Fruity Sauces

  • Homemade Applesauce
  • Balsamic Thyme Blueberry Sauce
  • Blackberry Simple Syrup
  • Strawberry Sauce
Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
If you're looking for a fresh cranberry sauce for holidays or a bright sauce to use as a spread or dip, this Cranberry Orange Sauce is it!
Check out this recipe
angled shot of cranberry orange sauce
Fresh Raspberry Sauce
Easy Raspberry Sauce is so versatile, use it on ice cream cheesecake, meringues, chocolate cake and more! And it only takes 5 ingredients and 20 minutes!
Check out this recipe
close up of spoon dipping into raspberry sauce
overhead shot of bowl of pear sauce
spoon in bowl of sauce

Pear Sauce Recipe

This pear sauce is a perfect substitute or switch-up from typical applesauce. Use it with sweet or savory dishes or all on its own.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pear sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 59kcal

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 4-5 large pears* peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the pears, water, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and vanilla, stir to combine cover and heat over low heat.
  • Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes or until fragrant and pears and soft.
  • Allow the mixture to cool before transfering to a large food processor. Pulse until no large chunks remain.
  • Transfer to an airtight container and chill until ready to eat. Stir before serving.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

I used a combination of Bartlett and Bosc pears for variations in texture and taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

    October 26, 2022 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    This sauce is amazing on vanilla ice cream. And it’s easy to make.

    Reply
  2. Lilly

    October 26, 2022 at 5:49 pm

    5 stars
    Who needs applesauce when you have pear sauce?! This recipe is SO good!

    Reply
  3. Jere Cassidy

    October 26, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    I love pears, so I was glad to find your recipe for pear sauce. The color is just so pretty and this recipe is so easy to make. Love this on my yogurt.

    Reply
  4. Lindsay

    October 26, 2022 at 8:26 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely incredible, such a treat! Kids loved it.

    Reply
  5. Addison

    October 26, 2022 at 9:53 pm

    5 stars
    Such an easy and delicious snack! I love applesauce but this pear version is a winner!

    Reply

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My Sauce Recipes provides a wide array of savory and dessert sauces perfect for any level of home cook. Jessica is a cookbook author and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School certified recipe developer. See her work in Parade Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Mashed, AllRecipes AllStars and The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

For all things savory, make sure to visit our sister site, SavoryExperiments.com.

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