Poached Pears with Star Anise, Vanilla & Warm Spice Syrup
Tender pears bathed in a spiced syrup of star anise, vanilla, and cinnamon — served warm or chilled with softly whipped mascarpone or coconut cream.
Servings 4 1 pear per person (halved or whole)
Calories 120kcal
Ingredients
- Poached Pears
- 4 firm-ripe pears Bosc or Anjou work beautifully
- 2½ cups filtered water
- 2 –3 tbsp Swerve Granular allulose, or monkfruit sweetener (adjust to taste)
- 3 –4 whole star anise pods
- ½ vanilla bean split (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Optional Cream
- ½ cup mascarpone whipped coconut cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or syrup from the poaching liquid
- Sweetener to taste
- Garnish Ideas
- Pomegranate arils
- Toasted chopped hazelnuts or pistachios
- A single star anise pod for visual finish
- Fresh rosemary tip or edible gold leaf for luxe presentation
Instructions
- Poach the Pears
- Peel pears and cut in half or keep whole, depending on your presentation style. Core if halved.
- In a saucepan, combine water, sweetener, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean (or extract), and lemon juice.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add pears and poach gently 25–30 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender but not falling apart.
- Make the Syrup
- Remove pears with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Raise heat and reduce the poaching liquid 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened into a syrup.
- Strain and discard spices if a smooth finish is preferred.
- Whip the Cream (Optional)
- Whisk mascarpone or cream until soft peaks form.
- Sweeten to taste and add vanilla or a spoonful of the reduced syrup.
- Serve
- Plate pears warm or chilled with a generous spoon of syrup.
- Add cream if desired.
- Finish with pomegranate, toasted nuts, or a single star anise for visual flair.
Notes
Nutritional Estimate (per serving without cream)
- Calories: ~120
- Fat: 1 g
-
Carbs: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar Alcohol: 5 g
- Net Carbs: 7 g
- Protein: <1 g
Using Swerve or allulose keeps this much lower in sugar than traditional poached fruit, while the pears still offer natural sweetness.
Tips & Notes
- This dish holds beautifully for make-ahead: refrigerate pears in syrup and reheat gently or serve cold.
- Leave the skin on if the pears are thin-skinned and organic — the skin helps hold shape during poaching.
- The reduced syrup also makes a lovely drizzle over roasted squash, panna cotta, or almond cake.
