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Caramelized Pear Pie Filling Recipe

Updated: By 80 Comments

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Caramelized Pear Pie Filling Recipe is full of tender pears drenched in brown sugar and cinnamon. It makes a great topping or a great dessert on its own.

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 10/27/14 TO IMPROVE READER EXPERIENCE.
90 degree angle of bowl of pear pie filling with pear

Caramelized Pear Pie Filling is swimming in a warm sweet gooey brown sugar and cinnamon sauce that compliments so many recipes or absolutely delicious on its own.

Pears are one of those beautiful fruits that I crave. I love eating a fresh pear, pear desserts, or salads with pears such as Chicken Pear Salad with Goat Cheese.

I grew up with a huge pear tree right outside my bedroom window. It produced huge pears and I remember the juice just running down my chin after biting into one of those juicy pears. My grandmother canned quarts upon quarts every year. There isn’t much better than canned pears in a sweet syrup when there’s 10 inches of snow on the ground.

I have a horrible habit of overbuying produce. Do you have that problem? I can’t be the only one. Well after one of these trips, I had 8 pears sitting on my counter that were all ripening at the same rate.

I love pears but don’t quite know why I thought two people should have a dozen pears and reasonably expect to eat all of them. What I did know is that we wouldn’t be enjoying them for long if I didn’t do something with them soon.

Cooking fruit with cinnamon and brown sugar just warms me from the inside out. I grew up eating fruit prepared like this. One of my favorite ways to eat pear filling is warmed and spooned on vanilla ice cream!

top view of bowl of pear pie filling

This Pear Pie Filling recipe is made with sweet brown sugar and cinnamon combined with beautiful ripe pears. This filling can be put in the freezer in an airtight container to be enjoyed when fresh pears are only a memory.

What kind of pears are best for cooking?

Good Keeping states: Bosc and Anjou varieties are tops at holding their shape and texture. In a pinch, Bartletts and other varieties work fine, too. Avoid Comice pears for cooking.

I love the flavor and texture of Bartletts so that’s what I get. I just make sure that I don’t overcook them.

Do pears have to be ripe to bake?

The best way to judge ripeness is to gently press the neck of the fruit near the stem with your thumb; if the flesh gives, the pear is ready to use.

right side of bowl of pear filling with cinnamon sticks

Suggestions for using Caramelized Pear Pie Filling:

  • Topping for pancakes, French toast, waffles, oatmeal, ice cream
  • Mashed and spread on toast
  • A sweet side to a cup of soup or chili

Storing suggestions:

Pear Pie Filling can be stored the same as you would fresh pears such as:

  • Refrigerated for up to 3 days
  • Frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months
  • Canned

If you like this recipe, here are a few more I think you’re going to LOVE!

You may need:

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  • Cutting Boards – I use these cutting boards. hen I want to put my cutting board into the dishwasher, such as when cutting cooked meat.
    • Wooden Cutting Boards – are better on your knives. I’ll use this cutting board for fresh veggies and making salads.
  • 8″ Chef’s Knife – These knives are an investment but I’ve had mine for years and I just love them. They keep their blade a long time in between sharpening.

Don’t have time to make it now? Pin it for later!

Close top view of pear pie filling
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5 from 14 votes

Caramelized Pear Pie Filling

Caramelized Pear Pie Filling Recipe is full of tender pears drenched in brown sugar and cinnamon. It makes a great topping or a great dessert on its own.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 8
Author Julie Menghini

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 7 pears peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4 ” pieces (I used Bartlett pears)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

  • In a 2 quart saucepan combine diced pears, water and the juice of one lemon.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. Some of the pears will break down, but that’s fine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk to combine. Pour over pears, and stir constantly until sauce thickens approximately 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Notes

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Filling may be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 13.9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.6mg
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Tried this recipe? That’s awesome!Mention @hostessatheart or tag #hostessatheart!
This recipe was updated from it’s original on October 18, 2018. The recipe was slightly amended by adding water to the cooking pears.

How would you serve this Caramelized Pear Pie Filling? Leave me a comment with your suggestions! With a spoon is my #1 suggestion!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for spending some time with me today!

Comments

  1. Michele says

    This recipe is phenomenal! I added more water to thin it and used less cornstarch. We are using it for ice cream topping on waffles etc. it is wonderful! Thanks for pinning it!

    Reply

  3. Noah says

    2 questions. Can you you use Dark brown sugar instead of regular and if I were to can it, could I just replace the cornstarch with Clear jel?

    Reply

  4. Noah says

    Hi, I was wondering if I plan to can this, could I just replace the cornstarch with Clear Jel? Also, can the Brown sugar be Dark Brown sugar?

    Reply

      • Noah says

        I commented the same question again on accident. But, thank you for the reply. So just in general you need a thickening agent, in which mine would be clear jel.

        Reply

          • Julie Menghini says

            No worries, Noah! I’m glad you’re here. The glory of this recipe is you can make as much or as little as you want. If you have a lot of pears to use, you can do so without doubling the sauce ingredients. You can go less as well and just cut the other ingredients. Just give it a taste and see if it’s sweet enough and has as much spice as what you like. Please ask any more questions you have. You are helping all of us by anticipating other people’s questions so I can add the content I need. ~Julie

  5. Nikki says

    This is so delicious! I love anything pears! We have been enjoying this over yogurt or warmed with ice cream!

    Reply

  6. Sylvia says

    Hi..!
    Trying to get through the Covid-19 and I have an enormous amount of CANNED pears.

    Nobody has asked about using canned , that I could see.

    Stay healthy

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      Hi Sylvia! You could definitely flavor them with the brown sugar and cinnamon but I wouldn’t use them in a pie or other cooking recipes because I don’t think they’ll cook well. Does that help Sylvia?

      Reply

  7. Molly Phillips says

    Wow. I knew I’d like this recipe, but I am floored with how incredible it is. This is hands down the best pie filling I’ve ever made and eaten! Love love love!!!

    Reply

      • christina says

        how long would you process it in the water bath canner? same as a syrup? Did you try to can it Cindy? If so, what were your results? It sounds delicious, I’m excited to try it!!!

        Reply

        • Julie Menghini says

          I’ve frozen this pie filling and always make sure that all of the fruit is surrounded by the sauce (juice) in an air-tight container. Since I haven’t actually canned this recipe, I found this article that might be helpful: https://pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm#generaldirections. Let us know how it goes so our community knows what worked for you.

          Reply

      • Michele says

        I canned it and it’s the same as fresh. I used water bath canning method. I processed pints 20 minutes and 25 minutes for quarts.

        Reply

  11. RRS says

    How do I use this as a pear pie filling? Do I bake the crust first and then fill it or place the filling in an unbaked shell? For how long should I cook the pie?

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      This recipe is just for filling. When you make a pie you wouldn’t want to cook the filling first. Just put the ingredients into the pie crust and bake according to the recipe you’re using. This filling is also amazing in Kolaches such as this recipe: https://hostessatheart.com/kolaches/ or hand pies https://hostessatheart.com/pear-hand-pies-with-dark-chocolate-drizzle/. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply

  12. Hannah says

    My foreign exchange student loves pears and requested a pear dessert. I topped this with a crumble and it turned out amazing. Everyone loved it, even my picky 7 yr old daughter.

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      The pears that I had cut into about a cup each or 7-8 cups. You may want to reduce the amount of sugar if you have fewer pears. Hope this helps but let me know if you have more questions.

      Reply

  14. Deana Clarke says

    Beauitful recipe. Very Easy to make/not much dishes. I had some pears that were about to go off but perfect for baking. I made a crumble with the filling.

    Thank-you!

    Reply

  15. Tina says

    Perfectly simple! I brought home a bag of pears from my aunt’s pear tree in northern Florida and after a week of ripening I’m grateful I came upon this recipe! Looking forward to trying on oatmeal but ice cream in this heat sounds yummy too. Thank you!

    Reply

  16. Michaela Kenkel says

    Pears in pies are just not done nearly as much as they should be! These caramelized pears you’ve made are just gorgeous!

    Reply

  17. Angela says

    I think you were reading my mind with this one! So glad I came across it this morning! I have A LOT of apples I need to use! Now I know what Im making! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      Thank you, Angela! I am a little apple obsessed right now and have to cook them because I’m buying more than we can possibly enjoy.

      Reply

  18. Sandra Shaffer says

    You found the perfect way to use up those fresh pears! A scoop of this filling sound delicious over a plate of pancakes!

    Reply

  19. Debra C. says

    I bet making a batch of this has the whole house smelling just heavenly! I’m going to enjoy this on some toast, yum!!

    Reply

  21. Kathy says

    Made this and it was absolutely fabulous! The pears were tender and absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe,

    Reply

  22. michele says

    I got some great pears at the farmers market and whipped this up last night! OMG…. they are amazing. They are currently baking in hand pies in the oven and I cant wait to bite into one… they smell just heavenly in my kitchen right now!!

    Reply

  23. debi at Life Currents says

    This looks delicious. I think that pears are such an under-used fruit, yet they are so good. Thanks for elevating the simple pear!

    Reply

          • Megan says

            I think I have the same question Bonnie has if I understand her correctly. I am wondering if you can bottle this filling after you make it? Have you ever tried that?

          • Julie Menghini says

            Gotcha Megan! I would certainly think you could can this sauce. You could also simply freeze it if you have the freezer space. It wouldn’t be any different than canning applesauce. Does this help? If not, just let me know.

  27. celebratingsunshine24 says

    I like the fact that you didn’t want to waste the pears. The result looks delicious. I can only imagine the smell in your kitchen… 🙂

    Reply

    • Julie is HostessAtHeart says

      Yummy indeed. I would make these for you if you ever want to find out! We would full out the wine too!

      Reply

    • Julie is HostessAtHeart says

      I would definitely think you could use a Bosc. If they are overly firm, you may just need to cook them a bit longer. Have a great day Patti!

      Reply

  31. Butter, Basil and Breadcrumbs says

    I wish I was your neighbor… But I think it’s a good thing I’m not! I’d either weight 700 pounds from eating all of your delicious food… Or be in jail for stalking you, because I’d be at your door on a daily basis! This looks so delish… A pear pie. I could totally eat the whole thing right now!! ❤️

    Reply

    • Julie is HostessAtHeart says

      I would gladly open my door to you and share my goodies. Just as I do with my great neighbors now. 🙂 Thank you for visiting!

      Reply

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