Air Fryer Pears are an easy dessert recipe. The pears are flavored with honey, butter, and cinnamon and topped with almonds for a crunchy finish. If you don’t have an air fryer, I also share how to make baked pears. Either way, they’re an easy and elegant dessert.
When pears are in season during late summer through the fall, there’s no better time to pick some up and make these air-fried pears. Pears are a great fruit to cook, and combining them with a few simple sweet ingredients turns them into a delicious dessert that’s great for special-occasion meals or holiday dinners.
Easy Air Fryer Pear Dessert
Pears are great for cooking because they hold their shape well, making for a pretty presentation when you serve them. You can also cook them using various methods – baking, frying, grilling, and, yes, you can even cook them in your air fryer.
The air fryer method is one of my favorites because it’s easy, but if you don’t have one, I also share how to bake them in this post. It takes a little longer, but they come out just as delicious.
For this recipe, the pears are halved and flavored with butter, cinnamon, and honey. Some almonds add a nice crunchy texture making the flavor combination perfect for fall.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Pears
- Butter
- Honey
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- 3 Tbsp Almond Slices
How to Make Them
First, slice each pear in half and remove the core. A melon baller makes this easy, or you can run a paring knife around the core and scoop it out with a spoon. I like to keep the stems intact.
With the flesh side up, score the flesh of each pair in two directions. You don’t want to cut through the pear. Instead, just slice into the surface. This will allow the other ingredients to seep into the pears.
Line the air fryer pan with parchment paper and then place the pears on top of it. Next, place a tablespoon of butter in the hole where the core was.
Drizzle the honey over the top of the pears, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and salt over the top.
Close the air fryer and cook them at 350°F for about 10 minutes. At this point, sprinkle the almonds over the top and cook them for two to five minutes longer or until the nuts are toasted. Serve the pears warm.
Oven Instructions
Prep the pears as instructed and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Top them with butter, cinnamon, and honey.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
We'll email a link to this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Bake them at 350°F for 30 minutes. Add the nuts in the last few minutes of the baking time so they can toast.
How to Serve Them
The pears are great served just as they are, but you can also add some toppings. Here are some we like:
- Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the top of them right after they come out of the oven.
- Serve them with a spoonful of whipped cream with some cinnamon dusted over the top.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of honey, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce over the top.
Recipe Variations
- Try swapping the honey for pure maple syrup to change the flavor.
- Sometimes we add some sliced bananas on top of the pears before they are cooked. The bananas will caramelize when they cook, adding more sweetness and texture.
- Try using ground nutmeg, cloves, or allspice instead of cinnamon. Or you can use a pumpkin pie spice mix which is a combination of fall spices.
FAQ
What pears are best for this recipe?
Bartlett (they have light red skin), D’Anjou (greenish-yellow), or Red Anjou (dark red) pears are all excellent choices for making air fryer pears.
Can you fry pears?
Yes, they can be pan-fried or even deep-fried. I like to air fry pears because you don’t have to use as much oil.
Can you make them ahead?
Yes, you can cook them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator. Then, you can serve them cold or warm them up in the oven or the microwave. Just keep in mind that the nuts will soften after sitting in the refrigerator and won’t be as crunchy.
How long do they keep?
Store them in an airtight container, and they will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing them because, once they are thawed, they’ll be a little mushy and lose their shape. This is a fancy-looking dessert, but it’s so easy. Perfect for a special occasion or anytime you want a light fruit dessert. I hope you give it a try while pears are in season. I think you’ll really enjoy it!
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Air Fryer Pears Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Pears halved.
- 6 tsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp Almond Slices
Instructions
- Halve each pear, remove the core leaving a circular hole, a melon baller works great for this! Slice a small flat piece off the bottom of each pear so they don’t roll around.
- Score each pear with a knife 3-4 times in 2 directions.
- Add 1 tsp butter to the center of each pear.
- Place pears in the air fryer pan on top of parchment paper or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Next, drizzle honey over pears.
- Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and salt.
- Bake in either the air fryer or oven for the respected amount of time, add the almond slices 2-5 min before done, bake just until almonds are toasted.
Recipe Notes
- 2-4 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips, add as soon as you remove pears from the oven.
- Switch Honey out for Maple Syrup.
- Add sliced bananas with the pears at the beginning.
- Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Recipe Nutrition
Air Fryer Pears are an easy dessert recipe. The pears are flavored with honey, butter, and cinnamon and topped with almonds for a crunchy finish.