Caramel Vanilla Pear Sauce Recipe

Last Updated on October 6, 2022 by Diane Hoffmaster

Pear sauce is just like applesauce, only made with fresh pears. I made this pear sauce in the crock pot, although you can make it on the stovetop as well. Just fresh pears, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cooked low and slow all day. Use pear sauce as a topping for pancakes, in your yogurt, or eat it right from the bowl! If you are looking for pear recipes, this one is delicious!

Choosing the best pears

I absolutely love pears and they are one of the few fruits that I can usually find organic at my local grocery store.  Needless to say, I buy a lot of pears! A couple of weeks ago, I stocked up on pears as usual but then we had to leave town for several days for a family emergency. 

Do you know how quickly pears go from 'just right' to 'way too ripe'?  Well, let me tell you, it takes only a few days!  I came home from our trip to find a basket full of very over  ripe pears sitting on my counter!

Flavoring your homemade pear sauce

I started looking for recipes for over-ripe pears and came across lots of ideas for canning but that was just way too much work.  This Crock-Pot pear sauce has lots of brown sugar for a very sweet caramel flavor and I also added some vanilla.  I definitely recommend you invest in a high-quality Crock Pot to make this!

If you prefer a different flavor you could go lighter on the brown sugar and add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger.  Making pear sauce in the crockpot means there is practically no work required other than peeling the pears.  I am all for delicious pear recipes that require very little work!

What do you do with pear sauce?

So, what do you do with this delicious pear sauce?  Well, as I type I am spooning it out of a bowl and directly into my mouth.  A deliciously sweet treat after dinner, just as it is!

I have also put this pear sauce into a bowl of Greek yogurt for breakfast or topped my kid's pancakes with it.  You could serve it alongside ham or pork roast for a fancy dinner, just like you would applesauce. 

I'm sure there are other uses but those are the ones I have discovered so far.  I will have to make another batch soon since it has disappeared quickly! If you have no pears around, check out my post on how to make homemade applesauce.  

 Caramel Vanilla Pear Sauce

Homemade Pear Sauce is just like applesauce but made with fresh pears! Add cinnamon, nutmeg,  or vanilla to personalize your sauce.  Brown sugar gives it a sweet, caramel flavor but you can leave out the sugar if you want a lower-calorie sauce.  If you are looking for more pear recipes, check out my Pear Crostini. 

Yield: 4 cups

Caramel Vanilla Pear Sauce

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Use pear sauce as a topping for pancakes, in your yogurt, or eat it right from the bowl! If you are looking for pear recipes, this one is delicious!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Inactive Time 4 hours

Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 pears, the riper the better. Peeled, cored and chopped.
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup water or apple juice

Instructions

1. Place chopped pears, brown sugar, vanilla, and water/juice in a crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Remove cover and mash with potato masher. You can use a hand blender to mix if you want a smooth consistency but the potato masher will leave it a bit chunkier.
4. Leave cover off and continue to cook on high until it reaches desired thickness. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
5. Let cool and store in covered container for up to 2 weeks. Eat as is or use as a topping for pancakes or a side dish with dinner.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 5gSugar: 28gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information not always accurate

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.