Name: Spiced Poached Pears in Orange Juice & Red Wine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 2 cups orange juice; 4 pears, (peeled, quartered, and with the core removed); 1/8 tsp orange zest; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon whole cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 1/2 cups red wine

These spiced poached pears are cooked in orange juice, red wine, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg until fragrant and soft. They smell great and taste even better! Plus they only cook for 15 minutes.

If you haven’t tried poaching pears before, you need to. They are so versatile! You can eat them for breakfast with granola and yogurt, you can eat them for dessert on their own or with cake, and you can even eat them as a side dish since they taste satisfying with chicken or pork.

This is a French holiday recipe that our mother (who is French) makes every year. We love this poached pear recipe because it makes the house smell like oranges, mulled wine and cinnamon. And mostly, they just taste satisfying.

Try our beet salad or tuna potato salad for other French recipes inspired by our mother’s cooking.

Poached pears in orange juice and wine in a bowl.

Why this recipe works

This recipe is simple to make! Because these poached pears are elegant and satisfying, everyone thinks they must be hard to make, but they aren’t.
This recipe is always a crowd pleaser and a great idea to bring to a dinner party, since they are so unique and versatile.
It is versatile! You can eat these pears for breakfast, dinner or dessert!
It’s a great way to use up a bottle of wine that you need used up.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients needed to make spiced poached pears in orange juice and red wine.

Pears– make sure to use ripe pears, but not too ripe because you don’t want them to be mushy.
Orange juice– this adds sweetness and acidity to the recipe.
Red wine– this adds a lovely flavor to the sauce.
Cinnamon and nutmeg– these season the sauce and make the dish fragrant and add holiday vibes.
Ground cloves and whole cloves– these add to the holiday spices.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step by step instructions

Step 1

Step 1: Peel and quarter your pears, while also removing the core. Place into a large soup pan, making sure each pear touches the bottom.

Step 2

Step 2: Mix the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ground cloves into the orange juice in a medium bowl.

Step 3

Step 3: Pour the orange juice mixer on top of the pears.

Step 4:

Step 4: Pour the wine on top of the pears, along with some orange zest.

Make sure you can see all of the pears and that none are covered by the other.

Poached pears in red wine and orange juice cooking on the oven.

Step 5

Step 5: Boil for 15 minutes, until fork tender.

Expert tips

Make sure you can always see each pear when they are in the pan. There shouldn’t be any pears on top of one another, they need their own space so they all cook evenly.
How to store: Keep the pears in the wine orange juice sauce until ready to serve. Store in the fridge in an airtight container, with the sauce, for 4-5 days.
How to serve: Serve warm or cold. Serve in bowls by themselves or with cake for dessert. Serve as a side for your paleo Thanksgiving dinner or a roast chicken dinner. Try a bite of poached pear with a bite of chicken at the same time. SO good.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of pears work for this recipe?

We have used Bartlett and Bosc pears to make this and both worked great. Anjou would work as well.

Can you make this recipe in advance?

Yes! You can make these 2-3 days in advance. They store well in an airtight container in the fridge. Just make sure to pour the sauce into the Tupperware as well.

Can you add sugar?

If you want to add sweetness to this recipe you can add sugar, honey, or maple syrup. But we find pears to be sweet enough as is and we don’t think the recipe needs added sugar.

Prep 5 minutesCook 15 minutesTotal 20 minutesMakes 5

Ingredients

2 cups orange juice
4 pears, (peeled, quartered, and with the core removed)
1/8 tsp orange zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups red wine

Method

Put the quartered pears into a large pan. Make sure most, if not all, of the pears are touching the bottom of the pan.
In a small bowl, add the orange juice, along with the cinnamon, whole cloves, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Mix.
Pour the spiced orange juice on top of the pears. The pears should be sticking out a little, but mostly covered in juice. Add the orange zest to the pan.
Then add the wine to the pan. Heat the pears over medium-high heat until the orange juice boils, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. They will be fork tender after 15 minutes, but if you want them to be softer then cook for a little longer.
Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Make sure you can always see each pear when they are in the pan. There shouldn’t be any pears on top of one another, they need their own space so they all cook evenly.
How to store: Keep the pears in the wine orange juice sauce until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container, with the sauce, for 4-5 days.
How to serve: Serve warm or cold. Serve in bowls by themselves or with cake for dessert. Serve as a side for Thanksgiving dinner or a roast chicken dinner. Try a bite of poached pear with a bite of chicken at the same time. SO good.