Fresh Pear Pie

January 26, 2023Teresa Ambra

I baked this delicious Fresh Pear Pie for Thanksgiving dinner. It was so mouthwatering. I made it very similarly to my Mom’s Apple Pie recipe, except that I added nutmeg (which Mom never did when baking pies. And this one, of course, is made with fresh pear slices instead of apple.

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My daughter-in-law has been doing Thanksgiving dinner the last few years. I always ask what I can bring and they usually request me to bake homemade pies of some kind. This year I baked an Apple, Custard and this Fresh Pear Pie. I also made a batch of my Easy No-Knead Dinner Rolls. So as you can imagine, I was a busy little beaver in the kitchen for Thanksgiving this past year.

My daughter-in-law likes fruit pies or berry pies. My son wanted a Custard Pie. So that Pie was all his. He said it was the first time he’d had one in decades, and absolutely loved it. I wanted to bake something new and I had never made anything with pears. My Mom had pear trees on her family farm when she was growing up, and they enjoyed Pear Pie. But she never made a Pear Pie for us when we were growing up that I can remember.

This one turned out spectacularly. My kids also loved it. Here are a few keys to making a fantastic Pear Pie: try to slice the pears thinly so they cook more quickly and evenly. Second, slow bake over low heat (300 degrees) for about two hours–until the syrup from the pears, sugar, flour, spices and butter thickens and bubbles up to the surface of the pie. Inadequate baking time will cause the pie to be soupy when you stick a knife into it to cut it.

Fresh Pear Pie is one of the most delightful ways to enjoy pears that I know of. But be warned: this dessert is addictive. You won’t be able to stay out of it. Especially if you serve it a’la mode. 🙂

Fresh Pear Pie is sensational!

This fabulous dessert is made with Bartlett pears and is spiced up with cinnamon and nutmeg.

I slow cook the recipe (the way my Mom always did) so the juices thicken and are not soupy the way undercooked pies look.

Fresh Pear Pie was incredibly good with a dollop of ice cream on top!

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

Peel and core pears. Thinly slice and put into a large mixing bowl.

Add granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir ingredients well to combine. Allow the pears to sit out and make a syrup while you prepare the crust.

Roll out pie crust and flute the edges. Prepare the top crust and have it ready to go. DO NOT PUT THE FRUIT IN THE PIE SHELL UNTIL TOP CRUST IS READY! Otherwise, it will cause the bottom crust to get soggy.

Thinly pare the butter into slivers and place around the bottom of the pie shell.

Add the pears.

Place a lattice crust over top. You can weave the layers if you prefer. I never do. Place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch any oven spills.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the syrup from the juices in the filling bubbles up thickly through the top crust layer.

Allow the pie to cool before serving.

Fresh Pear Pie is so delectable you will enjoy every bite of this fabulous dessert.

Slow Cooking the pie makes all the difference. The crust doesn’t get over-brown and the syrup thickens so it’s not a soupy mess on the bottom.

You’ll be swooning over every bite.

Here’s the recipe.

FRESH PEAR PIE

(Recipe inspired from my Mom, Helen Mattis, Titusville, FL)

Fresh Pear Pie

Teresa Ambra

Fresh Pear Pie is sensational. This delectable pie is spiced up deliciously with cinnamon and nutmeg. Because it's slow-baked, the syrup cooks up thick and is utterly irresistible. This swoon-worthy dessert is marvelous for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, but wonderful enough to make for everyday family dinners too. Every bite will rock your world!

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 45

Course Dessert, Pies

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 430 kcal

Equipment

1 9-or-10-inch glass pie plate
1 mixing bowl
1 paring knife to pair and slice the pears
1 wooden spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons
cookie sheet pan to place under the pie plate while baking
1 Rolling Pin to roll out pie crust

Ingredients

6 medium Bartlett pears peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. butter cold and sliced into slivers
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon or more, if desired
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg or more, if desired
2 unbaked pie shells or crust equivalent to 2 crust layers

Instructions

Peel, core and slice pears thinly into a large mixing bowl.
Add granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.
Stir until very well combined.
Allow the mixture to sit out about 30 minutes so the sugar forms a syrup.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300º.
Roll out pie crust for the bottom and top of pie.
Fit bottom layer into a 9 or 10-inch deep dish pie plate.
Place butter into the crust.
Top with pears, then fit top crust overtop of the pears and flute edges.
Place pie on a cookie sheet pan to catch drips while baking.
Place pie in preheated oven and bake until the syrup starts bubbling up and thickening at the top.
This will take one and a half to two hours.

Notes

NOTE: If using a full top crust, cut about eight slits in the center of the pie for the syrup to ooze up and you can tell when the pie is done.

NOTE: If you want the pie to be cooked through properly, wait until the syrup is thickened like pie filling. Otherwise, you’ll cut into the pie and it will be soupy and have a mess on your hands.

NOTE: My mom always baked pies at a lower temperature and they never over-browned that way. The pies take longer to cook, but they are cooked through and the pie crust isn’t scorched on top!

NOTE: I baked this pie about 2 hours before being done.

NOTE: Never add the filling to the pie shell until ready to quickly add the top crust. Otherwise, it will cause the bottom crust to get soggy.

NOTE: You can locate my Homemade Pie Crust recipe here.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 6gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bartlett pears, dessert, fresh pear pie, holiday dessert, pears, pie

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

We served this pie for Thanksgiving dinner last year. It’s great for a holiday or company dinner, especially if you make your own homemade crust. Hardly anyone ever does that anymore. 🙁

Fresh Pear Pie is spiced perfectly with cinnamon and nutmeg.

If you have an abundance of pears, this is a marvelous way to use them up!

Of course, homemade Fresh Pear Pie is even better with a little ice cream served over top!

Fresh Pear Pie

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FRESH PEAR PIE