These paleo baked pears are drizzled with honey, stuffed with dairy free coconut milk yogurt and topped with a sweet pecan crumble. They’re a delicious pie-alternative to celebrating fall.
There was a time at the ripe old age of 25 that I sat in my living room in our house in Florida with a holiday edition of some decorating magazine in my hands and cried to Ulysses how I missed the change of seasons in New York and wanted to move back.
Eight years (and eight looooong NY winters) later, I truly wish I could slap myself in the face for that outburst of idiocy. I wish life came with do-overs because that is one of the few things I’d rewind to and change.
It’s true, fall is one of my favorite times in NY, but what I’ve realized now is that a short 2.5-hour plane ride could’ve given me my fix of apple cider donuts, pies, apple picking, pumpkin patches, foliage, and everything else fall is about for a week or two, and then I could’ve flown myself back to my pool, 80-something degree weather, and palm trees instead of hibernating for the next 5 months.
Everyone thinks of apples when they think of fall, but aside from the occasional Honeycrisp, I’m really not a huge apple person, although I do love me some apple butter.
I don’t hate them, but I just don’t have any special affinity towards them either.
I’d rather eat a pear (this granola pear bread being one of my favorite fall treats).
In thinking of fall desserts to share, I realized pear pie isn’t a thing you hear of too often. Why is that?
We have fruit pies of literally every other kind but never pears it seems. Weird, right? Well, I didn’t solve that oddity today but I did hollow them out, bake them, stuff them, and drizzle them with all sorts of deliciousness that makes me think maybe moving back to NY wasn’t so bad after all… for like 5 seconds before my brain goes all Game of Thrones and screams, “WINTER IS COMING!”
More pear recipes to try:
Whipped ricotta bowls with roasted pears
Orange ginger pear and quince crisp
Savory thyme pear apple butter
Baked Pears
Ingredients
- 2 Ripe Pears, Such as Bosc
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Honey, Divided, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice pears in half lengthwise and hollow out the centers, including the seeds, with a melon baller or spoon. I also cut a small slice off the opposite side so that the pears lay flat on the baking sheet.
- Place pears on a baking sheet with the hollowed-out side up. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the honey and season with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove pears from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- While cooling, mix together the coconut sugar, chopped pecans, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl.
- Mix the coconut milk yogurt and vanilla bean paste together in another small bowl.
- Fill the centers of the pears with the yogurt mixture then top with the pecan mixture.
- Drizzle with more honey if desired and serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
They look flawless! I’m thinking.. maybe it could be done the some but using melons instead?
Can’t wait to make them this weekend!
I am not big on Apples either! But I am a sucker for pears. These babies look incredible!!!
I love pears too. They often get forgotten and overshadowed by apple season and then by pumpkin mania! These look absolutely delicious!
This is an easy and healthy dessert that my whole family would love!
As much as I love warm air I don’t think I could ever move away from an area that has all 4 seasons. Although I say that now only because I’m in fall and it’s my favorite season. As soon as winter hits I will cry over all the snow…sigh. These baked pears look amazing and I love the addition of coconut milk yogurt….yum!
I love baked pears, there is just something so delicious about them. And I love how you can feel like its a dessert without being too over the top or sweet.
Lovely and healthy desert!
Bosc are my favorite!!! Just ate one 5 minutes ago ;) Love the winter pear season!