Blushing Poached Pears

Name: Blushing Poached Pears
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 2 Jell-O packets ((3-ounces each), or gelatin powder, strawberry or raspberry flavored); 4 Bosc pears (peeled, with the stem on); Honey; Chopped walnuts; Whipped cream

by Katerina

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Sep 24, 2012, Updated Apr 14, 2023

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Make sweet and juicy poached pears in the prettiest shade of pink. Instead of using wine or syrup, these pears are poached in, wait for it… berry Jell-O! It’s my easy hack for delicious, flavorful poached pears without any alcohol.

I love these blushing poached pears on their own drizzled with honey and sprinkled with nuts, and they’re great as a topping for treats like coffee cakes and crêpes.

A poached pear on a plate with walnuts and a wooden honey spoon, with a bowl of walnuts and another poached pear in the background

How luxurious are these blushing pink poached pears? Let me tell you, the REAL luxury is how ridiculously simple they are to make. You’ll need about 3 ingredients and 40 minutes, most of which is spent simmering. These juicy pears look and taste like they’re from a 5-star restaurant, just add tasty toppings like honey and whipped cream!

Why You’ll Love This Poached Pears Recipe

Alcohol-free. Pears are delicious poached in wine, but I discovered an easy hack to poach them without booze: strawberry Jell-O! It packs these ripe pears full of sweetness and it’s so easy to do.
Adaptable. This recipe can be tailored to your tastes. Add additional flavors if you want, and top the pears with any of your favorite garnishes, from crunchy nuts to honey and maple syrup.
Versatile. Poached pears are a fancy-without-trying dessert, a tasty snack, and I love them cut up on top of breakfast foods and coffee cake.
Scale the recipe. If you have a lot of pears you need to use up, poaching them is an easy way to do it. You can double or triple this recipe. Leftover poached pears are great for canning, too.

Overhead view of the ingredients needed for poached pears: four whole pears, a bowl of walnuts, a bowl of Jell-O gelatin, a bowl of whipped cream, a bowl of honey with a wooden honey spoon, and a pyrex of water

What You’ll Need

I cook pears all the time. Partially because of my large pear tree, but also because they’re just plain delicious! This poached pears recipe only has a few ingredients, and that includes my favorite toppings. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable ingredients list with amounts.

Jell-O packets – You want to use strawberry or raspberry flavor. You’ll also need water to dissolve the Jell-O.
Pears – The pears need to be peeled, but leave the stem on.
Toppings – Honey or (maple syrup), toasted or raw nuts, and whipped cream.

What Are the Best Pears for Poaching?

I like to use bosc pears for this recipe. They’re not overly sweet, so they can absorb all the flavor from the poaching liquid without getting too sugary. And they’re very firm, so they’re able to hold their shape even after simmering in liquid for half an hour. Bartlett pears are also a common choice for poached pears.

Close up of a bowl of four poached pears, next to a bowl of walnuts, a bowl of honey with a wooden spoon, and a bowl of whipped cream

How to Poach Pears Without Wine

This easy poaching recipe barely takes any time at all. If you can make Jell-O, you can poach these pears! Here are the quick steps to do it.

Overhead view of red Jell-O mixture in a pot with a whisk — 1. Dissolve the Jell-O.

Overhead view four raw pears in a pot with poaching liquid — 1. Dissolve the Jell-O.

Prepare the poaching liquid. Add water and Jell-O to a pot, and bring it to a boil. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
Simmer the pears. Place the pears into the poaching liquid and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, until they’re tender. This usually takes about 30-35 minutes.
Cool and serve. Take the pears out and let them cool for 5 minutes. Then, drizzle honey over the pears, and top them with walnuts. Serve with a side of whipped cream, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Make jello. After cooking the pears, chill the poaching liquid in the fridge. After a few hours, you’ll have jello! That’s right, this is a two-for-one dessert.
Can the extras. Since I get more pears than I know what to do with from my pear tree, I like to can this recipe. If you’re into canning, make a large batch of poached pears, can the extras, and then you’ll have a dessert that’s only the twist of a lid away.
Use filtered water. One easy way to improve your cooking is to use filtered water in recipes. Whether you’re making coffee, soup, or poached pears, always use filtered water in your cooking. The cooking process kills a lot of the harmful bacteria in unfiltered water, but it still doesn’t taste as good, and that will impact your recipes.
Stir the pears. While the pears are simmering, make sure to occasionally stir them. That way the pears will get evenly coated with the poaching liquid, and they’ll look a lot better.

A poached pear that has been cut into on a plate with a spoon, walnuts, and whipped cream, with another poached pear and a bowl of whipped cream in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a pear to poach?

It depends on the size and texture of the pears. Usually it takes 30-35 minutes of simmering for pears to poach. But it could take a little shorter or a little longer depending on the pears that you’re using.

Do you have to peel pears before poaching?

Yes, you need to peel the pears before poaching. If you don’t peel the pears, they won’t be able to absorb the poaching liquid. They won’t taste nearly as good, and they won’t look as good either.

Do you need to core pears before poaching?

No, it’s best to leave the core in the pears. The core helps the pears stay intact as they cook, and it makes them prettier when you serve them.

Will poaching pears soften them?

Yes, poached pears are softer than raw pears. They’ll still have some texture, but they’ll be significantly more tender.

Close up of a poached pear on a plate with walnuts and whipped cream, with honey being poured over it

How to Serve Poached Pears

These pears are perfect as is, especially when topped with the honey, nuts, and whipped cream that the recipe calls for. But I also love to serve them next to, or on top of some of my other favorite desserts, such as lemon yogurt cake, apple cobbler, and lemon bread. Sometimes I even put poached pears on some of my favorite breakfast or brunch foods, like lemon crepes, buttermilk pancakes, and baked French toast.

How to Store Leftovers

You can store leftover poached pears in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing poached pears, but I definitely suggest canning them if you have extras.

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