Red Wine Poached Pears

Name: Red Wine Poached Pears
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 600 ml of merlot (or your favorite red wine); the peel from a small orange (about 3-4 strips); 2 small cinnamon sticks; 1-2 star anise; 8 whole cloves; 1/3 cup of brown sugar; 1/2 cup of orange juice; 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract; 6 ounces of fresh raspberries (optional); 6 bosc pears; whipped cream; vanilla ice cream; crushed candied pecans

August 6, 2025

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Pears poached in a great red wine with orange peel, spices, vanilla and fresh berries is a super simple dessert that feels and looks like something you would order from a bougie restaurant and marvel at beautiful they are when they are delivered to the table. The cool thing is, you can make them right in your own kitchen and watch your friends ooo and aaah about your mad cooking skills and let’s be honest… we love it when they do that…

Begin by prepping your pears.

Pick out 6 similarly sized firm bosc pears.

- - Similarly sized – because you want them to all be ready at the same time.
  - Firm – because you want the pears to get soft from poaching in this delicious red wine and if they are placed into the poaching liquid already soft, they won’t get to spend enough time in the liquid to develop the best flavor. Plus, they are way easier to peel when they are firm too!
  - Bosc – bosc pears are the best pears for poaching. They are firm, well shaped and have naturally sweet flavors. If you cannot find bosc pears, anjou would be the next best choice.

Peel the pears and if you prefer to poach them in half, use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds.

Now that your pears are prepped, place a roomy pot over medium to medium high heat.

Note: Because of the acidity in red wine, it is best to choose a non-reactive pot or well seasoned cast iron. This will help prevent other flavors or chemical reactions from being incorporated into your poaching liquid.

Combine 600 ml of merlot (or your favorite drinking red wine) with the peel from a small orange, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 1-2 star anise, 8 whole cloves, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and an optional 6 ounces of fresh berries in the pot and bring the mixture up to a low boil.

Stir the poaching liquid while it boils until you can feel that all of the brown sugar has dissolved and then gently place the peeled pears into the poaching liquid. Place them at an angle so about half of each pear is submerged.

Once all of the pears have been added, reduce the heat to just above low and cover the pot.

Gently simmer the pears for about 30 minutes, turning them over every 5-10 minutes, so all sides get equal time in the poaching liquid.

Look at that gorgeous color! You can just see all of the flavors have completely soaked through these pears and they are going to be delicious.

When they are tender (like a knife will slide into the thickest part real easily), transfer the pears onto a plate and set them aside.

Strain the poaching liquid into a clean bowl and discard all of the orange peel, spices and berry bits.

The next step will depend on whether you are poaching these pears to serve now or making them ahead of time…

I always suggest making them ahead of time. That way they are done and they have a little extra time to get even more flavorful.

If you are making them in advance, let the pears and poaching liquid cool to room temp and then place them into an airtight container (either separately or together) and chill until you are ready to serve them.

Regardless of whether you are serving the pears now or later, if you want to create a syrup with the poaching liquid, place it into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Take a quick taste of the liquid and if it tastes too strong, too spiced… too bold in any way, add a little more sugar to balance everything out.

Simmer the liquid until it reduces to a syrupy consistency and then transfer it off of the heat.

Now that the pears are cool and the syrup is ready, plate them up with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle the pears with the syrup and garnish with some crushed candied pecans and enjoy.

Both the syrup and candied nuts are optional. The pears are pretty light and naturally sweetened on their own and we didn’t add too much sugar into the poaching liquid, so they aren’t a very heavy dessert. If you prefer to keep things light, feel free to omit the step of making the poaching liquid syrup and just enjoy the poached pears over a little bit of whipped cream.

These pears are fabulous. They are a real show stopper of a dessert that can be made ahead and is perfect any time of year. The next time you grab a bottle of red, grab 2 and make these poach pears. You’ll be glad you did…

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