Calling all cheese lovers out there to try these roasted pears with blue cheese and pecans. This simple dish combines melting cheese, juicy pears and a crunchy pecan-oat crumble, playing with sweet and savory flavors. A beautiful starter for a festive meal!
If it was not for the love of cheese, I could be vegan – or almost. But here I am, obsessed with all things cheese (my French roots maybe), and to be honest there is rarely a day without cheese in my life. Cheese and (homemade) bread is a classic everyone agrees on, but have you tried pairing cheese with pears? My favorite combo ever! The sweet and juicy pears contrast perfectly with the salty cheese, especially if you use blue cheese or goat cheese.
These roasted pears with blue cheese and pecans is a very simple recipe to assemble, yet it creates this perfect burst of flavors and texture in a bite. Enjoy as a starter for a festive meal or in lieu of cheese for a 4-course menu, alongside with a glass of wine!
Ingredients you need:
- Anjou Pears. Choose them ripe, but still firm in touch. This will help to get the perfectly soft and juicy result you’re aiming for.
- Blue cheese. You are looking for a strong stilton-like blue cheese. Other options include gorgonzola, bleu d’Auvergne or roquefort. Don’t like blue cheese? Try with fresh goat cheese instead!
- Lemon juice. It may seem like a detail but it’s not. Drizzling some freshly squeezed lemon juice over the pears will prevent them from turning brown.
- Apple cider + maple syrup. This simple syrup is used to soften the pears up and make them juicy. Pour over the pears and baste occasionally while baking to insure pears are not drying up.
- Pecans. They are the key ingredient of the crumble mixture. Pears and pecans are like best friends, but you could also consider chopped walnuts or hazelnuts to replace them.
- Oats. I added oats to the crumble mixture to add in texture. Choose rolled oats over quick oats for best results.
- Fresh thyme. This seems optional but it really adds in flavors. You could also replace with fresh rosemary instead.
How to get perfectly soft and juicy pears?
If you’re familiar with baked pears, you may know that they tend to become a little bit dry in contact of the heat. Luckily, there’s a way to avoid it: basting the pears is key!
To do so, I prepared a simple syrup with apple cider and maple syrup. Start with pouring it over and around the pears before baking. Then, while baking, baste occasionally with the cider syrup from the dish until pears are tender and juicy.
Other serving suggestions
There are several possible options to prepare these roasted pears with blue cheese and pecans:
- Halved pears. The easiest one is to follow the recipe instructions below, with halved pears filled with blue cheese and topped with a pecan crumble.
- Individual portions*. Just slice or dice the pears in a ramekin, then sprinkle blue cheese over and top with the thyme-pecan crumble.
- A family-size dish*. Proceed exactly the same way as you would do for individual portions but aim for a larger baking dish. Good to know: this recipe is very forgiving, so you can easily add more pears or blue cheese if needed.
* Notez toutefois que pour ces deux dernières options, vous n’aurez pas besoin d’arroser de sirop au cours de la cuisson.
Also, a cheese dish wouldn’t be complete with a side of bread, and for this I recommend the multiseed no-knead bread or just the classic no-knead bread recipe. One other option is to pair this dish with this super moist gingerbread!
Other recipes with pears:
- Cardamom-Infused Pears with Quinoa Crunch
- Pear and Chocolate Ricotta Galette
- Saffron Pear Tarte Tatin
- Spiced Chocolate Pear Cobbler
For cheese lovers, try also:
- Pumpkin and Walnut Tartines with Blue Cheese
- Gorgonzola Pear Gingerbread Toasts
- Goat Cheese Mousse with Roasted Blueberries
- 3 Quick and Easy Cheese Bite Appetizers
- Rosemary Sweet Potato Bread with Baked Camembert
Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese and Pecans
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Calling all cheese lovers out there to try these roasted pears with blue cheese and pecans. This simple dish combines melting cheese, juicy pears and a crunchy pecan-oat crumble, playing with sweet and savory flavors.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
- 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 3 ounces (85g) blue cheese such as Stilton, crumbled
- ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (50g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (40g) pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup (35g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (60g) butter, diced and cold
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut pears in half, lengthwise, then cut a small sliver off the underside so the pears sit flat when placed upright on the baking sheet. With a small paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling.
- Drizzle lemon juice over the pears to prevent them from turning brown, then arrange them, core side up, in a shallow baking dish.
- Gently divide the crumbled blue cheese among the pears.
- In a bowl, combine the apple cider and maple syrup. Pour the mixture over and around the pears.
- Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider syrup, for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pecan crumble mixture by mixing together chopped pecans, flour, oats, salt and diced butter with your finger tips until crumbly. Sprinkle fresh thyme over and mix.
- Divide the pecan crumble* over the pears, then place in the oven again and bake 15 more minutes or until pears are tender, basting from time to time. Serve warm, with some additional fresh thyme on top and a side of arugula salad. Enjoy!
Notes
* You may have more pecan crumble that you actually need to cover the pears. If so, place the remaining pecan crumble in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven. You can always serve the pears with the remaining pecan crumble on a bowl, your guests will love to add more crunch to the dish!
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese and Pecans, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
