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By: Becky Hardin
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Pear Butter is perfect for spreading on toast, english muffins, and so much more! The vibrant flavor of fresh pears is made even more scrumptious with ingredients like sweet brown sugar, tangy lemon juice, and warm spices. This will be your new favorite rustic fall recipe!
Table of Contents
What’s in this Pear Butter Recipe
With flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, this spiced pear butter is the perfect fall treat.
- Pears: You can use a 3 cans of chopped pears that are drained, or about 6 cored and chopped fresh pears.
- Brown Sugar: You can always make your own by combining one cup of white granulated sugar with 1 TBSP of molasses.
- Agave Nectar: Honey works instead if preferred.
- Lemon Juice: For the best flavor and natural acidity, try to only use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not the bottled kind. Plus, if you use a fresh lemon, you can add the zest as well.
- Spices: A mix of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, salt and an optional star anise create the very best fall flavor.
PRO TIP: Simmer the ingredients with the lid partially covering the pot. This will help to trap some of the steam so that it doesn’t dry out.
Do I need to peel the pears?
You can make this recipe with either canned pears, which require no prep (you just need to drain them), or you can use fresh. If using fresh core them and cut them into chunks. You don’t have to peel fresh pears as we do blend them after cooking to get a smooth butter.
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How do I thicken my pear butter?
Make sure it has enough time to simmer! If you try to rush the process too much, you may end up with watery results. Also, keep in mind that pear butter tends to thicken as it cools.
Do I have to use star anise?
Nope! While I love the subtle note of licorice from star anise, it’s not essential for the recipe. It can be a challenge to find this spice at some grocery stores. Luckily, this pear butter is still delicious without it.
Why did my pear butter burn?
The key is to keep stirring! Stir the pear butter occasionally as it cooks so that it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
How to Store
This easy pear butter will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Let it cool completely before placing into a sealable jar.
How to Freeze
Be sure to make a big batch as this will freeze for up to a year! Make a big batch in fall and enjoy it into the warmer months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before using.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve pear butter with so many things! I love spreading it on a piece of toast or an english muffin for a quick morning treat. It’s also amazing on pancakes and waffles. Any way you would use apple butter works well for pear butter!
5-Star Review
“Thanks, your recipe is the tasty answer to our bounty of pears. It is easy to make, as promised.” – Mary K.
More Easy Fall Recipes We Love
- Spiced Pear Cider with Ginger
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Apple Cider Sauce
- Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream
- Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Baked Apples
Recipe
One Hour Easy Pear Butter
4.43 from 14 votes
Author: Becky Hardin
Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Cook: 50 minutes minutes
Total: 55 minutes minutes
Serves4
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Well-spiced pears are cooked down and blended into a creamy pear butter that's easy to make and easy to store.
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Ingredients
- 3 15 ounce cans chopped pears drained (or about 6 pears, cored and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- 1 star anise totally optional
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to combine.
Bring to a boil, then cover (cover partially to allow steam to leave the pot) and simmer for 50 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.
After the mixture has cooked down and the pears are super soft, transfer to a food processor (remove the star anises) or blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
Store in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Simmer the ingredients with the lid partially covering the pot. This will help to trap some of the steam so that it doesn’t dry out.
- Stir the pear butter occasionally as it cooks so that it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 138kcal (7%) Carbohydrates: 35g (12%) Sodium: 148mg (6%) Potassium: 147mg (4%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 26g (29%) Vitamin A: 30IU (1%) Vitamin C: 6.1mg (7%) Calcium: 16mg (2%) Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
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Meet Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.
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38 Comments
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Madeline Garber
Posted on 10/3/2021
Ok so I don’t know if I did something wrong, but my pear butter turned out really liquidy. It cooked down fine, but I used an immersion blender to break the pears down. It essentially turned into a liquid after that. Does it just need to simmer longer?
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 10/5/2021
Reply to Madeline Garber
It may need a little longer!
Reply
Mary Knighton
Posted on 11/2/2019
Thanks, your recipe is the tasty answer to our bounty of pears. It is easy to make, as promised.
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 11/2/2019
Reply to Mary Knighton
You’re welcome, Mary!
Reply
Jamie
Posted on 9/2/2019
I would like to try this recipe, however I don’t want a HUGE batch. How much does this recipe yield?
“4 servings” does not seem accurate…
Reply
Susan Minich
Posted on 1/13/2019
Sounds amazing! I have these pears and am wondering what to do with them!
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 1/13/2019
Reply to Susan Minich
Hope you love it!
Reply
Jill Swartz
Posted on 10/27/2018
Great recipe! I was looking for a basic fast stovetop recipe as I only had 4-5 boss pears going bad. I squeezed a small older (hard on outside) lemon, tweaked it to what I had on hand, mixed white sugar with organic honey, added cardamom instead of anise, and everything stayed the same. Mine turned out super rich and tastes like the perfect cold weather Autumn food! So thank you! I will use this again and again tweaking it to whatever I have in hand. Ps pics are very very nice!
Reply
Stephanie
Posted on 9/7/2016
Can this be canned? If so how? Water bathed or pressurcooked?
1
Reply
Melissa
Posted on 12/15/2015
Hello, I am confused as to what is boiling in this recipe. You say to put the DRAINED pears in a pot with some honey and a little bit of lemon juice to boil. What liquid is there to boil the pears in if I use regular pears and not canned? Thanks!
Reply
fabiola@notjustbaked
Posted on 9/14/2015
Soooo making this asap!
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 9/14/2015
Reply to fabiola@notjustbaked
Yay! Hope you love it!
Reply
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
Posted on 9/14/2015
Pretty photos! I recently made plum butter and I was surprised at how easy it was! I was considering a pear butter for fall, and now you’ve helped me decide. I’m making it!
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 9/14/2015
Reply to Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
Hope you love it Brandon, thanks so much for the sweet comments!
Reply
Matt @ Plating Pixels
Posted on 9/14/2015
I’ve never made a fruit butter, let alone pear butter. But this is going on my must make list! Ps. Love the super cute rustic scale. It’s perfect for the styling on this recipe.
Reply
Becky Hardin
Posted on 9/14/2015
Reply to Matt @ Plating Pixels
Thank you! I found it at an antique store and was so exited!!! I appreciate you stopping by Matt, love your site!
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