This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This past weekend was everything I love about Fall.
Long walks with friends in the crisp autumn air. Lazy mornings enjoyed at the coffee shop nextdoor. Days snuggled in cozy sweaters and fluffy slippers. Turning leaves everywhere on fire with color. Catching up on episodes of my favorite fall shows, and then watching a moving book club pick come to life in the theater with friends. Taking full advantage of Daylight Savings Time to sleep in an extra hour. Sunday morning worship and words.
And of course, in my opinion, all good weekends must include some quality time in the kitchen.
This particular weekend was all about the pears for me. Ever since my trip in October to visit Harry & David, I have been craving pears nonstop. And then somehow buying them nonstop. :)
So to use up a few leftover ripe pears this weekend, I decided to make a quick small batch of stovetop pear butter. It’s basically like apple butter — but with pears!
This is no all-day, enormous batch, canning recipe though. Just an easy pear butter recipe that can be ready to go in 1 hour. It’s also naturally sweetened with honey, so you can feel good about generously layering a little extra onto your toast or muffin or wherever you may enjoy your pear butter.
I’ll add it to my list of things I love about fall. It’s seasonal, full of yummy spices, and oh-so-comforting and sweet.
This easy pear butter recipe can be made on the stove in 1 hour, and is perfect for spreading on toast other favorites!
Ingredients
Scale
3 lbs. ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of groud nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
Instructions
Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 50 minutes, covering so that the lid is slightly open, and stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the mixture so that the bottom does not burn. Once it has reduced slightly and thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. (Or you can skip this step and keep the pear butter chunky.)
Transfer to canning jars or a heat-proof container, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use. Keep for up to a week.
*If your pear butter is too thin, feel free to run the mixture through a strainer to remove extra liquid. Alternately, let the mixture simmer on the stove longer to reduce more.
I’m using windfall pears so am concerned there’s not enough juices. Not sure what is ‘coming to a boil’ since no water added. Just getting started but have my doubts…
A great simple recipe. Made one wonderful batch, now trying a few changes on the second: adding a few almonds, sliced and toasted, plus a drop of almond seasoning at the end as almonds so good with pears.
This came out delicious, I added two apples to this recipe. Just the right amount of sweetness. Used pumpkin pie spice since I didn’t have any ground ginger. Great recipe.
This is a really easy Pear Butter recipe and it is also really good! Just made my second batch of the year! I did add a little light brown sugar to the recipe.
VERY easy with excellent results. The only adjustment I made – and flavorings will depend on type of pear used – was to cut the honey by 1/3rd and double the lemon juice. I like less sweet and more tart spreads and this adjustment made it perfect. Using the recipe otherwise as written, there is no reason to worry about bringing it to a boil – the honey and lemon juice as well as the juices from the pears that soon appear take care of that immediately.
I halved the amounts and used cardamom instead of cloves and the pear butter came out beautifully (and the house smells amazing!). I used Bartlett pears. Definitely keep stirring every so often to prevent scorching.
I’m using windfall pears so am concerned there’s not enough juices. Not sure what is ‘coming to a boil’ since no water added. Just getting started but have my doubts…
Made this tonight with red anjou pears and omg it is soooooo good. I got four 8 oz jars from it and I am definitely going to make some more!
★★★★★
A great simple recipe. Made one wonderful batch, now trying a few changes on the second: adding a few almonds, sliced and toasted, plus a drop of almond seasoning at the end as almonds so good with pears.
★★★★★
Exactly what I wanted to do! Easy, quick and delicious usage of my over abundance of lovely pears. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
This came out delicious, I added two apples to this recipe. Just the right amount of sweetness. Used pumpkin pie spice since I didn’t have any ground ginger. Great recipe.
★★★★★
I made it out of a rotten over-ripened bag of pears on my stove and it came back delicious.
★★★★★
Sorry, came out.
Question – there is not really much liquid.. how does this come to a boil?
Those pears will cook out a lot of water.
I will be trying this recipe today thank you
Looks great
This is a really easy Pear Butter recipe and it is also really good! Just made my second batch of the year! I did add a little light brown sugar to the recipe.
★★★★★
The 1x pear butter recipe will fill how many jars?
Can this be frozen?
Can this be frozen?
VERY easy with excellent results. The only adjustment I made – and flavorings will depend on type of pear used – was to cut the honey by 1/3rd and double the lemon juice. I like less sweet and more tart spreads and this adjustment made it perfect. Using the recipe otherwise as written, there is no reason to worry about bringing it to a boil – the honey and lemon juice as well as the juices from the pears that soon appear take care of that immediately.
★★★★★
So GOOD!!!
I made this for a turkey, cream cheese and pear sandwich! Yum!
★★★★★
I halved the amounts and used cardamom instead of cloves and the pear butter came out beautifully (and the house smells amazing!). I used Bartlett pears. Definitely keep stirring every so often to prevent scorching.
★★★★★
Wonderful receipe we love the flavor and give it away for holiday.Thank you