Baked Pears With Feta (Printable)
Ripe pears baked with feta, honey and cranberries for a warm, sweet-tart finish; ideal as dessert or elegant starter.
# What You Need:
→ Pears
01 - 4 ripe but firm pears, halved lengthwise and cored
→ Filling
02 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
03 - 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
04 - 2 tablespoons walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
05 - 2 tablespoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Garnish
08 - Fresh mint leaves
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
02 - Halve the pears lengthwise and scoop out the core and seeds, creating a small cavity in each half.
03 - In a small bowl, combine the crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts (if using), 2 tablespoons of honey, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest. Stir until evenly mixed.
04 - Arrange the pear halves cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Generously fill each cavity with the feta mixture.
05 - Drizzle a little extra honey over the stuffed pears.
06 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pears are tender and the edges are lightly caramelized.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy all in a single bite, which is a combination most people never expect from pears.
- It looks like something from a fancy restaurant but requires almost zero skill and barely any cleanup.
02 -
- Underripe pears will not soften enough in the oven, so test them by pressing near the stem before committing.
- Overbaking turns pears into mush, so start checking at the 20 minute mark rather than waiting until the end.
03 -
- Warm the honey slightly before drizzling so it flows evenly and coats the filling rather than clumping in one spot.
- A final squeeze of lemon juice over the finished pears brightens every flavor and makes the dish taste noticeably more alive.