Caramelized Pears in a Frying Pan
A bright, original, and delicious dessert made from simple ingredients! Caramelized Pears in a Frying Pan is a restaurant-quality dish you can easily prepare at home. The main secret is not to overheat the sugar so it doesn’t burn, and to choose firm pears!
Updated : 05 November, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
3
Pear
180 milliliters
Water
125 grams
Sugar
50 grams
Butter
2 tablespoon
Liqueur
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Choose firm pears, not soft ones, as soft pears will lose their shape when cooked. I used Abate pears, but choose the variety you like. You can add a cinnamon stick to the caramel for aroma (step 4). I use cream liqueur, but you can use any liqueur, wine, non-alcoholic syrup, or skip it altogether.
Step 2
Start by preparing the caramel. Pour sugar into a frying pan and melt it over low heat until lightly golden. This takes about 10-15 minutes, so be patient. Don’t stir it - sugar will clump if you do. You can gently swirl the pan without lifting it from the heat.
Step 3
When the sugar has melted and turned golden, add butter and stir until smooth. Keep the heat low.
Step 4
Once the butter melts and the mixture begins to bubble, slowly pour in the liqueur while stirring constantly, then add hot water. Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring continuously. Simmer the caramel syrup for 5-7 minutes until it thickens slightly and becomes glossy and golden.
Step 5
While the syrup cooks, prepare the pears. Wash and peel them. If they have stems, leave them on for presentation.
Step 6
Cut each pear lengthwise in half and remove the seeds. To help them stand upright, trim the bottoms slightly. Optionally, slice an extra pear into 1 cm (½ in) thick rings for decoration.
Step 7
Place the prepared pears into the syrup and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, turning them occasionally. The pears should become tender, and the syrup should thicken more.
Step 8
Remove the pears from the syrup and let them cool. Place a pear ring in the center of each plate, then two pear halves on top. Drizzle with remaining syrup from the pan. If you prefer thicker caramel, continue cooking it until darker and denser.
Step 9
Optionally, add some berry sauce and garnish the dessert with fresh berries and mint. Serve and enjoy!