Pear Dumplings
Bake up a batch of sweet pear dumplings this season! A soft, juicy pear is encased in tender pastry and braised in a sweet cinnamon sauce.
I'm back again today with another fun fall recipe! Pear dumplings!
Hooray for pears! Apples and pumpkins are total spotlight hogs, and I always feel like pears get overlooked. I try to have at least one great pear recipe every season. (Click here to check out what I've shared over the past few years.) They are just so pretty, and I love their delicate flavor. So soft and subtle!
I had actually never made fruit dumplings before, or even tasted them (shocking, I know!). So I really did a lot of research before tackling this idea. There are a ton of recipes out there, but I knew I wanted to use whole pears so that the beautiful shape could really be on full display. This recipe sounded so fantastic, I just had to put my own spin on it!
It did not disappoint. Not even a little bit. The pastry is super simple to make and easy to work with. You just roll out the dough and wrap it around the peeled and cored pears, giving it a little squeeze as you go so it's nice and smooth and even. Then place them in a baking dish, pour the most incredible sweet, cinnamon-y sauce over them, and bake til tender and golden.
The taste is pure fall goodness. The contrast between soft fruit, buttery pastry, and sweet, syrup-y sauce is just outta this world. You've gotta add these pear dumplings to your must-make list this season!
PS- I didn't have a corer so I had to run out and get one for this recipe. This is the one I chose and I love it! The handle make coring easy, plus it has a hinge that lets the core out in a really nifty way.
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Pear Dumplings
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter,, cold
- ¼ cup milk
- 6 firm pears,, peeled and cored
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter,, softened
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the sauce
- Place the sugar, water, butter, and cinnamon in a small pot.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Set aside and allow to cool.
For the dumplings
- Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Drizzle in the milk, while processing, until the dough gathers itself into a ball.
- Divide the dough equally into 6 portions.
- Roll out to a thickness of ⅛″.
- Fill the cavity of the pear with soft butter.
- Place the pear in the center of the dough, and sprinkle with about a half teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Gather the dough up and around the sides of the pear, pressing and molding it to the shape of the fruit. Form a stem and leaf from dough scraps.
- Place the dumplings in a casserole dish.
- Cover with the reserved sauce, and bake for 35 minutes at 375°F. Cool slightly; serve warm.
Hi, I have more pears than I need and would like to preserve them as dumplings for Thanksgiving. Do you think these might freeze well if par-baked and carefully wrapped?
Hey Patty! Yes I think that should work beautifully! Good luck!
Can this be prepped a day before and then baked on thanksgiving? How will the pastry hold up if I leave in fridge over night? I’m thinking ab prepping the pears and refrigerating over night so that all I have to do thanksgiving day is throw them in the oven...thoughts or suggestions?
I think that's a great idea Brittany! I would just make sure you cover everything well so the pastry doesn't dry out. Good luck!
I do love pears! This is such a fun fall dessert idea!
These are tasty and awesome looking!!
I've had apple dumplings- but never pear. What a beautiful dessert! Sounds tasty!
I have never had pear dumplings but what a treat!! I love baked pears and this recipe looks like the perfect fall dessert!
These are just gorgeous! What a showstopper for a holiday meal.
I agree - pears do get overlooked! I always see loads of pear recipes that I really want to make, but pears don't seem nearly as popular this time of year as the apple and pumpkin craze! Admittedly, I take part in that craze, but pears need more love! These are just lovely! They are so pretty and elegant, and the cinnamon syrup bath sounds incredible!
These are pear dumplings look amazing! What a great idea, Allie!
Thank you so much Julia! We really enjoyed them!
They look so yummy! That corer is way better than the old fashioned kind that I have. I always had to dig the core out of it with a knife. Dangerous.
Thank you! Yes I'm really happy with the corer. It was a good buy!