This pear butter recipe cooks 4 pounds of ripe pears with ½ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a spoonful of lemon juice until the fruit collapses, then blends it smooth and simmers it down into a thick, spoonable spread. It takes about 1 hour 45 minutes on the stove or 8 to 10 hours in a slow cooker, and makes 3 to 4 cups.
The step that matters is blending before the second, uncovered simmer. A smooth purée thickens evenly, so you can see exactly when it is done. No pectin, no water, and the soft, bruised pears at the bottom of the fruit bowl are the ones you want.
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- Pears: 4 pounds, about 8 to 10 medium, peeled, cored and chopped
- Sugar and spice: ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, a pinch of salt
- Stovetop: 40 to 50 minutes covered, blend, then 30 to 45 minutes uncovered on low
- Slow cooker: 8 to 10 hours on LOW with the lid ajar, blend, then 30 minutes uncovered
- Yield: 3 to 4 cups, enough for three or four 8 ounce jars
- Keeps: 2 weeks in the fridge, about 6 months in the freezer
Pear Butter or Pear Jam?
They start with the same fruit and end up as different things. Pear jam keeps small pieces of fruit and sets with a higher share of sugar boiled hard and fast. Pear butter is puréed and cooked slowly until the water leaves, so it needs only ½ cup sugar for 4 pounds of fruit and spreads like a soft paste, closer to pumpkin butter than to jam.
I prefer the butter when I am working with Bartletts or Bosc. The slow finish lets the pear taste come through instead of the sugar, and it is easier to use: swirl it into oatmeal, spread it between cake layers, or spoon it next to cheese.
Which Pears Cook Down Best
Ripe Bartlett pears are my first choice. They break down fast and have a mellow sweetness that sits well with brown sugar. Anjou and Bosc work too and give a slightly thicker butter, though Bosc needs longer to soften.
Overripe beats underripe. Bruises do not matter once the fruit is cooked and blended, and the stronger the pears smell when you cut them, the stronger the finished butter tastes. A mix of varieties is fine; that is usually how I clear out the last of the week’s fruit bowl.
Hard, underripe pears are the one thing to avoid. They hold their shape in the pot, taste flat, and give a grainy butter. Leave them on the counter for a few days until the neck gives under your thumb.
Stovetop Pear Butter, Step by Step
Wash, peel, core and chop the pears into small chunks. Smaller pieces collapse sooner. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, stir them with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice and salt until every piece is coated.
Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then turn it down to low, cover, and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring now and then. Ripe pears release plenty of juice in the first 10 minutes. The fruit is ready when a chunk falls apart under the spoon.
Blend it right in the pot with an immersion blender until completely smooth. I have tried pouring it into a countertop blender, and it works if you let it cool a little and blend in batches, but blending in the pot means fewer dishes and fewer spills.
Put the pot back on low, uncovered, and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom. Stir in the vanilla and, if you like, the maple syrup at the end, then taste and adjust.
How Thick Is Thick Enough
The butter is done when it holds its shape on a spoon. Two quick checks make that easier to judge. Drop a spoonful onto a cold plate and wait a minute: if no watery ring seeps out around the edge, it is ready. Or drag a spoon across the bottom of the pot; the path should stay open for a second or two before it closes.
Still loose after 45 minutes? Keep it simmering uncovered on low, 10 minutes at a time, and test again. It also firms up as it cools, so stop a little before it looks as thick as you want. The longer it cooks, the darker it gets and the more it tastes of caramel.
Crockpot Pear Butter
Put the chopped pears, brown sugar, spices, lemon juice and salt into the slow cooker and stir. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours with the lid slightly ajar so steam can escape, stirring now and then, especially near the end.
When the pears are very soft and golden, blend until smooth, stir in the vanilla and maple syrup, and cook uncovered on LOW for 30 more minutes. I use this method for big batches when I am making gifts. The house smells of spiced pears all day and nobody has to stand at the stove.
Grainy, Scorched or Runny: Fixes
- Grainy texture: pears contain tiny gritty stone cells, and Bosc and Asian pears have the most. Blend for a full minute longer, or push the purée through a fine sieve before the last simmer.
- Burnt taste: the thick purée caught on the bottom. Pour the top into a clean pot without scraping the scorched layer, then carry on over lower heat with a flat spatula.
- Spitting and splashing: normal in the last 20 minutes. Turn the heat down and set the lid half on so steam still escapes.
- Too thin after cooling: return it to the pot and simmer uncovered until it passes the cold plate test.
- Flat flavor: add another pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Both bring the pear forward.
Sugar, Spice and Maple Swaps
I have made this with white sugar and with brown sugar, and brown sugar wins. It binds with the spices, gives a deeper flavor and a thicker spread. White sugar tastes cleaner and flatter and gives a looser butter, so use it only if you want a plain pear taste.
Cinnamon leads; nutmeg and cloves stay in the background, and the pinch of salt keeps it from tasting flat. Maple syrup goes in at the end for a little gloss and a slightly looser spread. I taste before adding it, because very ripe pears are often sweet enough on their own. The sugar can be reduced the same way.
Fridge, Freezer and Canning
Spoon the cooled butter into clean jars and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. For longer keeping, freeze it in small jars or containers with about ½ inch of space at the top for up to 6 months, and thaw it overnight in the fridge. I freeze a few small jars before the holidays, and they become quick gifts and winter breakfasts.
This batch is written as a fridge and freezer butter. If you want shelf-stable jars, follow a tested canning recipe from Ball or the National Center for Home Food Preservation for the acid level, headspace and processing time for your altitude. Asian pears are lower in acid than Bartletts, so tested recipes add extra lemon juice when you use them.
How to Use a Jar of It
Spread it on buttered toast, warm sour cream biscuits or sour cream scones. Warmed over pancakes is the way I eat it every October. Stir a spoonful into oatmeal or plain yogurt with granola, or use it instead of jam in jam thumbprint cookies.
It works as a thin layer between cake layers, and with strong cheese like sharp cheddar or blue on a cheese board. For more ways to use ripe pears, try my pear cream cheese crisp, pear tart, pear cake, baked pears with walnuts, or a pear salad for the savory side of the table.
Short Answers for Pear Season
Do I have to peel the pears?
Yes for this recipe. Pear skins, especially on Bosc, stay chewy and make the butter grainy even after blending.
How many pears is 4 pounds?
About 8 to 10 medium pears. Weigh them whole, before peeling and coring.
Can I use Asian pears?
Yes, but they are juicy and gritty, so expect a longer uncovered simmer and blend them well. For canning, follow a tested recipe because they need extra acid.
Can I make it without sugar?
You can cut it down or leave it out if the pears are very ripe and sweet. Expect a lighter color and a slightly looser spread, so give it a few extra minutes of the uncovered simmer.
Save this recipe to your fall baking board so it is there when the pears go soft. If you make it, tell me in the comments whether you went stovetop or slow cooker, and whether the maple syrup made it in.
Pear Butter Recipe
This pear butter recipe turns 4 pounds of ripe pears into a smooth, thick spread with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a little lemon juice, no pectin needed. It takes about 1 hour 45 minutes on the stovetop or 8 to 10 hours in a slow cooker and makes 3 to 4 cups. The pears simmer covered until they collapse, get blended smooth in the pot, then cook uncovered until a spoonful holds its shape on a cold plate. Spread this homemade pear butter on toast, biscuits and scones, swirl it into oatmeal or yogurt, use it in thumbprint cookies or between cake layers, or serve it with sharp cheese. Add maple syrup at the end if you like. It keeps 2 weeks in the fridge or 6 months frozen.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ripe pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
STOVETOP METHOD
- PREPARE THE PEARS: Wash, peel, core, and chop the pears into small chunks.
- COOK THE PEARS: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, combine the chopped pears with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir well to coat the fruit evenly with the sugar and spices.
- SIMMER GENTLY: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pears are very soft and starting to break down.
- BLEND SMOOTH: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to purée the mixture until smooth. Alternatively, let the mixture cool slightly and purée in batches using a countertop blender.
- THICKEN THE BUTTER: Return the puréed mixture to the pot and simmer uncovered over low heat for another 30 to 45 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching. The pear butter is ready when it is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
- ADD VANILLA: Stir in the vanilla extract and optional maple syrup. Taste and adjust the sweetness or spices if needed.
- COOL AND STORE: Let the pear butter cool, then transfer it to clean jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or process in a water bath canner for longer shelf-stable storage.
SLOW COOKER METHOD - COMBINE INGREDIENTS: Place the chopped pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice, and salt in a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- COOK UNTIL SOFT: Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours with the lid slightly ajar to allow moisture to escape. Stir occasionally, especially near the end of cooking, until the pears are very soft and golden.
- BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH: Use an immersion blender to purée the cooked pears until smooth. If using a countertop blender, allow the mixture to cool slightly before blending in batches.
- THICKEN AND FINISH: Stir in the vanilla extract and optional maple syrup. Continue cooking on LOW for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to thicken the butter further.
- COOL AND STORE: Allow the pear butter to cool, then transfer it to clean jars. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or can for shelf-stable storage.
Notes
Bartlett, Anjou and Bosc pears all work; very ripe, soft pears give the best flavor and break down fastest. Peel them, since skins make the butter grainy. It is thick enough when a spoonful on a cold plate shows no watery ring after a minute; if it is still loose, keep simmering uncovered on low and test every 10 minutes. Stir often and scrape the bottom in the last 20 minutes so it does not scorch. Adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the fruit. The final yield depends on the pear variety and water content. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months. For shelf-stable jars, follow a tested canning recipe for processing time and headspace.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 46mgCarbohydrates 99gFiber 14gSugar 73gProtein 2g
