09/24/2025
We know how wonderful it feels to transform simple ingredients into something truly special! Roasting pears brings out their natural sugars, creating a moment of pure comfort and joy.
These tender, lightly sweetened golden pears offer you a simple way to create something beautiful, whether as a nurturing dessert or a thoughtful side dish. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of plain yogurt, or a sprinkle of pistachios or sliced almonds. You can even freeze the extras for later.
Finding joy in simple moments can make all the difference. Want to try out Dr. Jewell-Larsen’s favorite recipe? You'll need:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/2 pounds slightly-under-ripe, fragrant, medium pears, peeled if desired, halved though the stem and cored (I used Bosc but will be giving this recipe a spin with Bartlets later today; Schneider says all varieites work)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the sugar in a small bowl. With a thin, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds into the sugar.
Arrange the pears in a large baking dish, cut-side up. Drizzle the lemon juice evenly over the fruit, then sprinkle with the sugar. Nestle the vanilla pod among the fruit (I first slit my halves lengthwise into quarters). Pour the water into the dish. Dot each pear with some butter.
Roast the pears 30 minutes brushing them occasionally with the pan juices. Turn the pears over and continue roasting, basting once or twice, until tender and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes longer (if the pears are small, test for doneness after 35 or 40 minutes of cooking; a paring knife poked into the thickest part of one should meet with no resistance).
Serve warm, spooned with the caramelized pear drippings from the pan over ice cream, dolloped with crème fraîche, on your morning oatmeal, over slices of gingerbread or so so much more!
