These healthy poached pears with no added sugar pair well with the creamy yogurt for a simple yet satisfying breakfast or dessert.
Poached Pears
These easy Poached Pears with Yogurt are delicious. I gently poached the pears in apple and pomegranate juices flavored with a cinnamon stick and orange rind. The best part about this poached pear recipe is that it can be made a few days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to eat. They’d be great to serve at a
dinner party or have in the fridge when you want a sweet treat. For more healthy pear recipes, try my Baked Pears with Walnuts and Honey and Baked Oatmeal with Pears and Bananas.
Why You’ll Love This Poached Pear Recipe
- No Added Sugar: I use pomegranate and orange juice to sweeten the poaching liquid without adding sugar.
- Minimal Ingredients: The poached pears without wine simmer in just 4 ingredients.
- Easy: Simmering the pears and making the glaze takes some time, but most of the cooking time is hands-off.
- Satisfies Many Dietary Restrictions: This healthy poached pear recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and Weight Watchers-friendly.
- Prep Ahead: Make these simple poached pears in advance for a party or as a quick breakfast during a busy week.
Poached Pear Ingredients
- Fruit Juice: Poach the pears in a combination of apple and pomegranate juice.
- Orange Rind: Cut off a long strip of the orange peel with a knife.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon stick simmers in the juices, adding warmth and complementing the pears’ sweetness.
- Pears: Peel two pears. Then, cut them in half and remove the cores.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Poach Pears
- Boil: In a pan on medium-high heat, bring both juices, the orange rind, and a cinnamon stick to a boil. Place the pears cut side down in the pan.
- Simmer: Lower the heat and spoon the sauce over the pears as they simmer. Cook the fruit for 10 to 20 minutes until a knife can be easily inserted, and then remove them from the pan to cool.
- Reduce the Poaching Liquid: Over medium-low heat, reduce the remaining liquid into a glaze. Pour it over the pears and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- How to Serve Poached Pears: Place one pear half in a bowl and dollop with dairy-free yogurt.
Poached Pear Variations
- Spices: Add other whole spices, like star anise, cardamom pods, or cloves.
- Citrus: Swap orange rind with lemon.
- Pomegranate Juice: Substitute cranberry juice.
- Apple Juice: Replace it with white grape juice.
- Yogurt: Serve these healthy poached pears with vanilla Greek yogurt, frozen yogurt, or whipped cream.
Poached Pear FAQ
Bosc pears are the best pears for poaching since they hold their shape well. You could also use Bartlett or D’Anjou.
You want firm pears without any bruising. If your pears are too ripe and soft, the fruit will fall apart when poached.
Yes, use a vegetable peeler to peel pears before poaching.
Since this poached pear recipe coats the fruit in a dark red glaze made of pomegranate juice, the pears turning brown isn’t an issue. The glaze will make them a deep red color.
Poached pears will last about 5 days in the refrigerator. You can eat them cold or warm them in the microwave.
More Fruit Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Phyllo Fruit Tart
- Strawberry No-Bake Cheesecake
- Apple Cobbler
- Strawberries and Yogurt Whipped Cream
- 3-Ingredient Baked Bananas
Poached Pears with Yogurt
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 inch long orange rind strip
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 pears, peeled, halved, and cored
- 1 5.3 oz yogurt,, I used Silk Vanilla DairyFree Yogurt Alternative
Instructions
- In a small pan over medium-high heat, bring apple juice, pomagranate juice, orange rind and cinnamon stick to a boil.
- Place pears face down in the pan.
- Lower heat and simmer gently until a knife inserted into the pears meets no resistance, about 10-20 minutes, spooning the sauce over the pears as they cook.
- Once the pears are tender, remove from heat and let cool.
- Over medium-low heat, reduce the remaining poaching liquid to a glaze, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Pour over pears. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, place 1/2 pear on each dish and top with a dollop of yogurt over each.
