Poached Pears Recipe
Poached pears get a little makeover with red wine, pomegranate seeds & cardamom. This easy healthy dessert is perfect after a heavy holiday meal and is a snap to make!
How to Make the Best Poached Pears
These elegant red wine poached pears are the perfect ending to a holiday feast or special dinner party. The combination of warm spices—cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg—infused into a rich wine syrup transforms simple pears into a stunning, restaurant-worthy dessert. The optional beet slices give the pears an incredibly vibrant, deep ruby color that looks absolutely beautiful on the plate.
What makes this dessert truly special is how light and refreshing it is compared to heavier holiday treats. The pears become tender and infused with all those lovely aromatics, while the reduced wine sauce adds a sophisticated sweetness without being overwhelming. Top it all off with a dollop of cardamom-spiced whipped cream and a scattering of jewel-like pomegranate seeds for a dessert that’s as impressive to look at as it is to eat.
Best of all, this recipe is surprisingly simple to make—most of the work is hands-off simmering time. You can even poach the pears a day ahead and keep them refrigerated, making this an ideal make-ahead dessert for stress-free entertaining.
Poached Pears
Poached pears get a little makeover with red wine, pomegranate seeds & cardamom. This easy healthy dessert is perfect after a heavy holiday meal and is a snap to make!
Ingredients
Poached Pears
Cardamom Whipped Cream
Instructions
Poaching the Pears
- Peel the pears, and slice a little off the bottom so they stand up nice and flat on the counter.
- In a small pot, combine the wine, zest and juice from an orange, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and beet slices. Bring to a simmer and stir to allow beet slices to infuse their color.
- Add the peeled pears and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, gently stirring and turning the pears to get uniform coloring. Simmer until they're easily pierced with the tip of a knife at their thickest place—about 25 minutes depending on the size of the pears.
- With a slotted spoon, gently transfer the pears to a plate standing upright. You can do this ahead and refrigerate.
Making the Sauce
- Strain the liquid and return it to the stove. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened and syrupy over medium-low heat, reduced by two-thirds, about 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the sweetness if you like.
Cardamom Whipped Cream
- Place all ingredients in a mixer with whisk attachment and whisk until stiff peaks form, or for a workout, whisk by hand in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Store any unused portion in an airtight container for up to 10 hours. When ready to use, whisk for 10 to 15 seconds.
Serving
- Place each pear on a plate, and spoon some red wine sauce over the pears. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve with whipped cream on the side.
Notes
- Small pears work great for this recipe.
- The beet slices are optional but give the pears a stunning deep red color.
- You can poach the pears ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
