Red Wine Poached Pears

A simple yet elegant dessert, these red wine poached pears are easy to make but serve up as an elegant dessert that your guests will love.

What are red wine poached pears?

Red wine poached pears are fresh pears that have been simmered in red wine, along with spices of your choice, until soft and tender. They make for a quick and easy dessert that is gorgeous and elegant.

Ingredients needed

To make red wine poached pears, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 4 Bosc pears
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3/4 cup sugar

How to make red wine poached pears

1. Add the red wine, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and sugar to a large saucepan or dutch oven. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. 
2. While the red wine is simmering, carefully peel the skin off of the Bosc pears, leaving the stem in place. Slice off the bottom of the pears so that they will sit flat. 
3. Add the pears to the wine and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the pears are softened. If the pears are not fully submerged, turn them halfway through the cooking time. 
4. When soft, carefully remove from the pan and stand upright on a plate to cool for about 5 minutes. 
5. Serve warm, pair with whipped cream, if preferred. 

Recipe FAQs and Variations

What type of pears are best for poaching?

While any fresh pear will work, the Bosc pear tend to poach the best. They keep their shape when cooked, plus they have that distinctive long, slender neck shape which makes for a gorgeous dessert.

What type of red wine is good for red wine poached pears?

To pair with the sweetness of the fresh pear, I suggest using a dry red.

Recipe Variations

• 1 bottle of red is sufficient to poach 4 fresh Bosc pears.
• While the recipe calls for adding in fresh cinnamon sticks, feel free to add additional spices if you’d like.
• Serve the red wine poached pears with a fresh batch of cream, like this coconut cream.

Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe

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Enjoy these other wine desserts!

• Red Wine Brownies – rich chocolate brownies with a hint of red wine
• Vanilla Panna Cotta with White Wine Sauce – vanilla panna cotta topped with sweet wine sauce
• White Chocolate Strawberry Rosé Truffles – one of our most popular recipes!
• Orange Moscato Cupcakes – a mimosa in a cupcake!

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Red Wine Poached Pears

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