Sauteed Pears: The Simple Dessert You've Been Overlooking All Along

Apples seem to get so much love when it comes to desserts, with apple pies, crisps, and crumbles dominating while delicate, buttery pears are often forgotten. It is a shame with all of the wonderful types of pears out there. This simple preparation may be exactly the thing you need to bring pears into your regular culinary rotation. With a quick trip to the skillet, the already soft flesh of these fragrant fruits is transformed into the most delectable morsels, perfect to either eat on their own or use to dress up a variety of other desserts.

All you need to saute pears to perfection is the fruit, a bit of fat, a touch of your preferred sweetener, and perhaps some warm spices. The pears can be peeled or not, depending on whether you prefer a more rustic look or something a touch more elegant. The pears can be cut into thin slices or large cubes and then gently cooked alongside a nice pat of butter or neutral oil and your preferred sweetener until nice and tender. The chosen sweetener can be white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or whatever else you would like to complement the fruit. Once cooked through, add depth with a sprinkle of warm spice — cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or cardamom, for example — giving it just a minute in the pan to meld. And that's all there is to it. That alone makes a wonderful dessert, but there are plenty of ways to gussy it up as well.

Sweet, tender fruit complemented with warm spices always goes beautifully with something creamy; try adding a dollop of honey whipped cream. Alternatively, for a tart counterpoint, sauteed pears would be excellent served over a thin bed of plain Greek yogurt. Topping it off with a few chopped toasted nuts or a sprinkle of homemade crunchy granola elevates the dish with a textural contrast.

A scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a few spoonfuls of sauteed pears is the stuff dessert dreams are made of, but ice cream is also a great vehicle for some interesting flavors. Homemade no-churn ice cream is surprisingly simple, and you can play with classic pear complements by whipping up a ginger or almond ice cream.

There is no reason that sauteed pears need to stay exclusively on the dessert menu either, they also make an excellent addition to breakfast. That might mean simply adding the leftovers to your favorite overnight oats, but also consider them for topping pancakes or filling crepes. You can even serve them just as they are alongside a plate of eggs and sausage, as you sometimes see with Southern fried apples.

Two things are clear about sauteed pears: This simple technique has a lot of room for creativity, and it really ought to be a part of your recipe repertoire. However you choose to prepare and plate them, they are sure to delight.