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Think pears can’t pull off dessert without drowning in syrup? Think again. These baked pears with ricotta get soft and caramel-y in the oven, stuffed with crunchy pecan-oat granola and topped with a cool swirl of ricotta-yogurt cream. Cozy, classy, and just sweet enough to make you go back for seconds.
Here’s Why This Baked Pear Recipe Works
Perfect texture contrast: Soft roasted pears meet a crunchy oat-pecan granola topping. No soggy mush here.
Naturally sweet: The pears, honey, and vanilla do the heavy lifting. No refined sugar required.
Make-ahead friendly: That ricotta cream hangs out happily in the fridge until go-time. If you’re feeling extra ambitious (or just want really fresh flavor), you can use my fresh ricotta cheese.
Breakfast or dessert: It walks the line beautifully. Serve it warm from the oven or chilled with coffee.
Also worth trying: our roasted pears with mascarpone.
Recipe Tips
Choose ripe but firm pears: You want them sweet and fragrant, not overripe and slouchy.
Melt the honey if needed: A quick microwave zap helps everything mix smoothly in the granola.
Don’t skip the lemon juice: It keeps the pears from browning and adds a subtle brightness.
Use a cookie scoop or melon baller for the cores: Way easier than wrestling with a knife and spoon.
Chill the cream: A quick rest in the fridge makes the ricotta mix even silkier.
Got extra ricotta? Whip up a batch of lemon ricotta cookies or treat yourself to a slice of lemon ricotta cake. Both are simple, citrusy favorites.
More Pear Recipes
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Store leftover pears and ricotta cream in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the baked pears (without the cream) for up to 2 months. The texture will soften more when thawed.
Reheat: Warm pears in a 300°F oven or microwave gently. Serve with freshly stirred ricotta cream.
Easy, Elegant, and Perfectly Cozy
This baked pears with ricotta recipe checks every box: easy, elegant, and packed with cozy flavor. Serve it for brunch, dessert, or a quiet night in, it just works. And if you’re in the mood for something a little richer, try our red wine poached pears with chocolate ganache.
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Baked Pears with Ricotta
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Ingredients
Pears
- 2 pears
- Juice of ½ lemon
Granola
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Ricotta Yogurt Cream
- ¾ cup ricotta
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pears
- Preheat the oven to 350°F grease an 8-inch ovenproof dish. Cut each pear in half and using a teaspoon scoop out the cores. Drizzle the lemon juice over them to prevent them from turning brown.
Granola
- Place the oats, pecans, honey, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine. If the honey does not blend well, zap the mixture in the microwave to melt the honey so you can stir the mixture easily.
- Fill the cavities of the pear halves with the granola. Scatter the extra granola in the baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pears are softened.
Ricotta Yogurt Cream
- Combine the ricotta, yogurt, vanilla, and honey in a bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until the pears are ready. Serve the ricotta cream with warm pears.
Notes
- Use a melon baller or cookies scoop to scoop out the core of the pears.
- You may eliminate the butter from the granola if you want to reduce the fat. Low-fat yogurt or ricotta are other options.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This recipe was originally published on October 24, 2014. We updated the post with new photos. We left one of the original photos below.
These are outstanding! It’s a dessert but healthy – winner in my book.
Thanks Maureen!
What are the measurements for the ricotta yogurt cream portion of the recipe?
I am so sorry I missed that, I have edited the recipe and included the measurements for the ricotta yogurt cream
Pears are such a treat. This is definitely the primo time of year to get them. What a simple lovely way to fix them. The treatment enhances, but doesn’t overpower the flavor of the pears.
Thanks Carol, I agree, it is a great treat!
What a perfectly beautiful breakfast! I love pear season but never know what to do with them besides just dig in…now i do!
Kathi
Thanks Kathi, I hope you try these