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    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Desserts

    Vanilla Bourbon Poached Pears

    Published: Dec 9, 2021 · Modified: Dec 21, 2021 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    750 shares
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    poached pears with text "vegan vanilla bourbon poached pears, an easy & elegant dessert!".

    These elegant, yet easy, Vanilla Bourbon Poached Pears are truly a show-stopper dessert. With a mix of cinnamon, vanilla bean, smoky bourbon, & fresh orange juice, you will fall in love with these spiced poached pears.

    bowls of yogurt with poached pears and granola with dried orange slices & cinnamon on the side

    It's likely you're familiar with the term poaching from "poached eggs". However, you can actually poach so many foods! Poaching essentially means cooking food in a liquid just below the boiling point.

    Poaching pears involves cooking firm pears in a flavored syrup. A lot of recipes call for poaching pears in wine. However, for this recipe, I wanted to do something a bit more unique.

    Some of the inspiration for this flavor came from my super popular Pear Vanilla Gin Cocktail. Add in bourbon, orange, & cinnamon and you have a truly unique poached pear recipe!

    Ingredients:

    labeled ingredients including bosc pears, sugar, water, bourbon, orange juice, cinnamon, and vanilla

    Ingredient notes:

    • Pears: For poaching, I prefer firm bosc pears. I love the shape of them and they do hold their shape well when cooking. Other varieties that work well include Anjou or Bartlett Pears.
    • Vanilla bean paste: I couldn't find vanilla pods, so I chose to use vanilla bean paste which has the vanilla bean seeds in it and more vanilla flavor than extract.
      • You can substitute for a full vanilla bean pod sliced down the center for even more flavor. Vanilla extract can also work but it's not as flavorful.
    • Bourbon: I have made this recipe with Woodford Reserve Bourbon & Makers Mark and both work perfectly in this poached pear recipe.

    How to make vanilla poached pears

    Bring syrup ingredients to a simmer

    Luckily, the syrup ingredients are pretty simple and include water, sugar, bourbon, orange juice, vanilla, and a cinnamon stick. Once everything is added to a pot, just stir together to combine and bring the mixture to a low simmer.

    wooden spoon mixing a pot of poaching liquid with bourbon orange vanilla and cinnamon sticks

    Peel & core pear

    Once the syrup is simmering, peel the bosc pears and then core them from the bottom to remove the inside pit.

    P.S- If you happen to have any leftover bosc pears, save them to make my Baked Maple Cinnamon Pears next!

    peeling bosc pears with a peeler

    Cook pears in vanilla bourbon syrup

    Add the peeled pears to the simmering pot of vanilla bourbon syrup, add a lid, and simmer the pears for 25-30 minutes until soft.

    As a best practice, make sure to stir the pears every 5-10 minutes. Since they won't be completely submerged in the syrup, this makes sure they get evenly cooked.

    You will know the pears are done cooking when they can be easily pierced with a knife and are soft, but not falling apart or mushy.

    two images of peaches being poached in pot with a orange vanilla bourbon cinnamon syrup

    Reduce remaining syrup to thicken

    Once the pears are cooked, remove them from the syrup and set aside to cool. You'll also want to remove the cinnamon sticks from the syrup at this point as well and discard them.

    Then, continue cooking the syrup for another 30 minutes or so until it has reduced to about half. It should still be cleared and not browned, so make sure to continue cooking at low heat.

    a bowl with four poached bosc pears

    How to serve poached pears:

    You can honestly enjoy these vanilla-poached pears hot or cold.

    If you're enjoying them warm, they taste amazing with some of the reduced vanilla bourbon syrup on time and a scoop of ice cream. Better yet, pour some vegan caramel sauce on top for an extract decadent dessert.

    If serving cold, I love having them with a bowl of vanilla yogurt & homemade granola (my maple almond butter granola & chai pecan granola are personal favorites). They also make a really fun & unique addition to a cheeseboard.

    Lastly, you can even save them to add to other desserts like a Pear Frangipane Tarte or even use them inside a cake like in this gingerbread poached pear cake.

    bowl of yogurt with a poached pear and yogurt on top

    FAQ & Tips:

    What pears are best for poaching?

    The best pears for poaching are going to be ones that will hold their shape while being cooked.

    My personal favorites are Bosc Pears. Other pear varieties that work well for this recipe include Anjou Pears & Bartlett Pears.

    How do you know when a pear is poached?

    Pears are done being poached when they are easy to pierce with a knife and tender. They should not be too soft or mushy as that means they are overcooked.

    The pears will look slightly translucent on the outside as well

    How do I store poached pears?

    Poached pears are best stored in a closed container in the fridge covered with any leftover syrup. They should keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.

    I don't recommend freezing poached pears as I think it affects the texture. However, if you need to store them this way they will keep in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    poached pears with a spoonful taken out to show soft texture inside

    I hope you love these delicious & easy Vanilla Bourbon Poached Pears! They are truly full of flavor and make the perfect Holiday dessert or breakfast treat. Enjoy!

    -TSG

    More vegan dessert recipes you will love:

    • Baked Maple Cinnamon Stuffed Pears
    • Vegan Orange Cinnamon Rolls
    • Vegan Apple Pie Bars
    • Vegan Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    poached pear on a fluted plate

    Vanilla Bourbon Poached Pears

    These spiced poached pears are cooking in a bourbon vanilla syrup for a truly delicious & elegant dessert!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegan Desserts
    Cuisine: French
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4 poached pears
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 3 cups water
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup bourbon
    • ¼ cup fresh orange juice about 1 orange juiced
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla pod sliced in half
    • 4 medium bosc pears

    Instructions

    • First, add the water, sugar, bourbon, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean paste to a large pot or dutch oven. Stir together and bring to a simmer.
    • Once simmering, peel the pears and use a melon baller or spoon to "core" them from the bottom and remove the seeds. Then, immediately add the peeled and cored pears to the simmering syrup. It's very important to ONLY peel the pears once the liquid is simmering or you risk the pears browning.
    • As soon as the pears are in the pot stir them so they are completely coated with liquid, Then, turn the heat to a very low simmer and cook the pears in the syrup for 20-25 minutes (or up to 40 minutes for large pears).
    • Since the pears will not be fully immersed in the syrup, make sure to rotate the pears every 5 minutes so they poach evenly on all sides. You can also stand them up in the syrup if needed to give the bottoms extra cooking time.
    • Once the pears are poached, gently remove them from the pot and transfer to a bowl to allow to cool. You will know the pears are poached when they are slightly transcluent on the outside and easy to pierce with a fork or knife, yet not and mushy (which would mean they are overcooked). You will also want to remove and dicard the cinnamon sticks at this point.
    • While the pears are cooling, continue to stir & cook the remaining syrup at a low simmer to thicken for another 15 minutes. It should not brown or caramelize, but should become a sweeter thicker syrup during this additional cooking time.
    • To serve pears warm, add them to a plate and top them with the warmed syrup. If serving cold, store the pears and with the room temperature syrup in a closed container in the fridge until cooled. Then, serve with your choice of toppings & enjoy!

    Notes

    • Please note: nutrition facts take into account using all the poaching syrup, but each pear is significantly fewer calories if eaten without remaining syrup.
    • I love serving these pears cold with vegan yogurt & my homemade maple almond butter granola.
    • Pears can also be served warm with ice cream and salted caramel sauce.
    • Leftover pears can be stored in a closed container with the remaining poaching syrup for 4-5 days in the fridge. I don't recommend freezing poached pears.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1poached pear with syrup | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Grace says

      December 31, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      Have always wanted to poach pears, totally worth it! I added some cardamom pods to the liquid, subbed lemon juice I had on hand, and used brandy for the alcohol. It didnt really cook down into a thickened sauce, even after 45minutes, but the liquid was still delicious! Will make again.

      Reply
      • Megan says

        January 01, 2023 at 5:07 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it! Just so you are aware,the liquid doesn't get super thick like a sauce, but will get a lot thicker than it starts and be sweeter as you reduce it 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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