Pear season is in full swing, which means we're using the ultra juicy Royal Riviera Pears in just about everything. We love eating Royal Rivieras straight from the box. Who doesn't? But, baking them is a treat because it brings out an extra layer of sweetness.
These baked pears bring us back to our roots and really lets the flavor of the pears shine! The recipe has just a handful of ingredients and is easy to put together.
In this version of baked pears, we use maple syrup, cinnamon, and walnuts because they add a cozy fall flavor and a bit of crunch.
READ MORE: The Psychology of Fall Flavors
While the pears are delicious all on their own, if you're using this recipe for holiday entertaining you might want a more elegant touch. We served these on top of a whipped honey ricotta base for a creamy contrast. Feel free to mix and match the toppings, too.
- Baking sheet
- 3 Royal Riviera® Pears
- Cinnamon
- 12 cup walnuts
- 12 cup granola
- Maple syrup
- 12 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
- Cut each pear in half, then core them with a melon baller and/or knife.
- Slice a piece off the bottom of each pear (the rounded side) so they can lay flat while baking.
- Place the pear halves on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle them evenly with cinnamon.
- Sprinkle walnuts in the cores of three of the pear halves, then granola in the cores of the remaining three pear halves.
- Drizzle each pear half with maple syrup.
- Cook the pears for 30 minutes.
- While the pears are baking, prepare the whipped ricotta by beating the ricotta with 1 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl.
- Scoop the whipped ricotta into serving bowls.
- When you take the pears out of the oven, place them in the bowls on top of the ricotta for serving.