Red Wine Poached Pears

Red Wine Poached Pears are a classic and elegant dessert. They are sweet, slightly tart, with a soft texture (but not mushy!), and hints of red wine, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. 

These poached pears have warming and complex flavors thanks to the red wine and spices—they are the perfect dessert for a cold winter day. The deep purplish-red hue makes them look impressive and romantic, but they are so simple to make. Serve them at a holiday dinner party or an at-home date night. 

What is Poaching?

Poaching involves slowly cooking food submerged in a liquid at a low temperature. When you poach food, you want the cooking liquid to barely simmer, with only a few small bubbles coming to the surface. It should never come to a rolling boil—that means it’s too hot and the food will cook too quickly. 

In this recipe, the pears are poached in a red wine sauce so that they cook evenly, and slowly soak up the delicious flavors in the sauce.

The Best Pears for Poaching

Bosc pears are the best pears for poaching since they are firm in texture and won’t become mushy when cooked. They taste mild, which means that they will take on the flavor of the red wine sauce beautifully. It takes about 20 minutes to poach the pears.

The Poaching Liquid: Red Wine

The pears are poached in a red wine sauce made with Cabernet Sauvignon, orange juice and peel, honey, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns. I prefer Cabernet Sauvignon because it is full-bodied with a deep, complex flavor profile, and it results in a sauce that is rich and flavorful. 

If you do not like Cabernet Sauvignon, then use any full-bodied red wine you like to drink like Zinfandel, Syrah, and Merlot.

Helpful Tips for the Best Poached Pears

This is a very simple recipe with just four steps. Here are some tips to take your poached pears from good to amazing!

• Use just-ripe or slightly underripe pears. They should feel firm to the touch. If they are too ripe, they will become mushy when cooked.
• Gently flip and rotate the pears in the sauce every 5 minutes while they poach so that they cook evenly.
• Slowly poach the pears on medium-low heat, nothing higher. The red wine sauce should barely simmer. If it comes to a rapid simmer or a rolling boil, lower the heat.

Ingredient Substitutions for Poached Pears

Use this recipe as a roadmap and adjust it based on your preferences and the ingredients you have on hand. Here are some ideas to make them uniquely yours.

• Instead of Cabernet Sauvignon, use any full-bodied red wine like Zinfandel, Syrah, and Merlot.
• Asian or Anjou pears are firm like bosc pears and can be used here.
• The honey in the red wine sauce can be substituted with any type of sweetener, such as granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
• Try different spices and flavorings. A star anise, cardamom pods, a lemon peel, vanilla bean pods, or dried cranberries would give the red wine sauce unique flavors.

Plan Ahead, Plus Proper Storage

Red Wine Poached Pears can be made ahead of time. Once the pears are poached and cooled, transfer them into an airtight glass container and strain in the red wine sauce. Cover the container tightly and store the pears in the fridge for up to three days. 

The poached pears can be served cold straight out of the fridge or warmed. To warm the pears, slowly reheat them in a saucepan over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until they are warmed through. If the sauce thickens too much while reheating, add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out a bit.

We Love Pears, Too

• Pear Tarte Tatin
• Pear Cake with Cinnamon Sugar
• Marsala Poached Pears
• Pear Tart
• Pear Ginger Maple Pie