Pear butter is one of those quiet pantry wins that pays you back for days. It’s a silky, spoonable spread made by slowly cooking ripe pears until their juices concentrate, their texture turns velvety, and their floral sweetness stands on its own. Vanilla threads through the fruit and gives the butter a warm backbone without stealing the show. The result is bright and mellow at the same time—sweet, but not cloying; smooth, but with body. Think of it as the pear’s answer to apple butter, only more perfumed and a little softer around the edges.
For home cooks, the payoff is simple: a small batch that doesn’t take over the whole day, uses fruit you can find almost anywhere in fall and winter, and turns into something you’ll actually finish. It spreads cleanly on toast, biscuits, English muffins, and scones. It melts into hot oatmeal or yogurt. It can be whisked into pan sauces for pork or chicken, spooned over pancakes, or tucked into thumbprint cookies. Because it’s a butter—not a jam—it relies less on added sugar and more on patient reduction, so the fruit’s character comes through clearly.
You don’t need fancy gear or special pectin. A slow cooker or a steady stovetop, a pot with a thick bottom, a blender, and a little time will do the job. The method is forgiving: cook low and slow until thick, blend until silky, and finish with vanilla for roundness. The lemon juice isn’t there for flavor alone; it also helps balance sweetness and supports safe canning if you decide to process jars. If canning isn’t your plan, the butter keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes beautifully. That flexibility makes this a good first preserving project and a practical one for busy weeks.
Choosing pears is straightforward. Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc all work. Slightly soft pears are fine—actually ideal—because they break down faster and taste sweeter. The spice mix is restrained on purpose. Cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg accent the pear without shouting over it. Vanilla is the throughline, not the headline. If you enjoy a citrus note, a bit of orange zest lifts the aromatics without turning the butter into marmalade.
Below you’ll find a clean, small-batch recipe with two cooking paths (slow cooker and stovetop), options for safe water-bath canning, and simple storage guidelines. The goal is practical, repeatable results: smooth texture, balanced sweetness, and a shelf-stable jar if you want one. No fuss, just good fruit made better.
What is Pear Butter and How Is It Different from Jam?
Fruit butters are fruit purées cooked until thick enough to mound on a spoon. They contain less sugar than many jams and don’t rely on added pectin. Texture is key: silky and spreadable, not jelled. Pear butter tastes more floral than apple butter and often cooks a bit faster because pears soften readily. A small amount of sugar and a gentle hand with spice let the fruit carry the flavor.
The Best Pears for Butter
- Bartlett: Juicy, fragrant, classic pear flavor; breaks down quickly.
- Anjou (green or red): Mild, sweet, holds aroma well; good body.
- Bosc: Slightly firmer; deeper honey notes; great for balancing extra-juicy varieties.
Use ripe to very ripe pears. If they yield slightly under gentle pressure at the neck, they’re ready. Avoid pears with large areas of mold or deep rot; small bruises are fine—trim them away.
How to Get Silky Texture Without Overcooking
- Low heat, long time: Whether stovetop or slow cooker, maintain a gentle bubble.
- Stir near the end: As the mixture thickens, it’s more likely to catch on the bottom.
- Blend thoroughly: An immersion blender makes a smooth butter in the pot.
- Finish to a spoonable dollop: If a spoon swiped through the butter leaves a faint trail that slowly fills in, you’re there.
Small Batch Vanilla Pear Butter (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
Equipment
- 5–6 quart slow cooker or 5–6 quart heavy pot/Dutch oven
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler (optional; you can leave skins on if blending very smooth)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus juicer or reamer
- Immersion blender (or countertop blender)
- Heatproof spatula or wooden spoon
- For canning (optional): 6 half-pint (8 oz/236 ml) jars or 3 pint jars with lids and rings, water-bath canner or deep stockpot with rack, jar lifter, headspace/bubble tool, clean towels
Time
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook (slow cooker): 6–8 hours on LOW (lid slightly ajar for the last 1–2 hours)
- Cook (stovetop): 1½–2½ hours at a gentle simmer
- Optional canning: 10–25 minutes processing, depending on altitude
- Total active time: About 40 minutes
Yield
- About 3 half-pints (24 fl oz / ~710 ml)
Ingredients
| Ingredient | US Measure | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Ripe pears (Bartlett/Anjou/Bosc), peeled if desired, cored, chopped | 4 lb whole pears (about 10 medium) | 1.8 kg whole pears |
| Water (to start; prevents scorching) | ¼ cup | 60 ml |
| Light or dark brown sugar | ½ cup, packed | 100 g |
| Honey or pure maple syrup (optional, round out flavor) | 2 Tbsp | 30 ml (≈ 42 g honey) |
| Bottled lemon juice | 2 Tbsp | 30 ml |
| Pure vanilla extract (or 1 plump vanilla bean, split and scraped) | 1 Tbsp | 15 ml |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 tsp | 3 g |
| Ground ginger | ½ tsp | 1 g |
| Ground nutmeg | ¼ tsp | 0.5 g |
| Fine sea salt | Pinch (⅛ tsp) | ~0.75 g |
| Optional: finely grated orange zest | 1 tsp | 2 g |
Note: Bottled lemon juice is recommended for consistent acidity if canning.
Instructions
1) Prep the Fruit
- Rinse pears. Peel if you prefer a lighter color; skins add nutrients and blend smooth later, so peeling is optional.
- Core and chop into roughly 1-inch pieces. Trim away bruises.
2) Combine and Start the Cook
- Slow Cooker: Add pears, water, brown sugar, honey/maple (if using), lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt to the crock. Stir. Cover and cook LOW 5–6 hours until very soft. Set the lid slightly ajar for the last 1–2 hours to let steam escape and thicken the mixture.
- Stovetop: Add the same ingredients to a heavy pot over medium heat. When the pears begin to release juice and the mixture simmers, reduce to low. Cover loosely and cook 60–75 minutes, stirring every 10–15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook 30–60 minutes more, stirring more frequently as it thickens.
3) Blend Until Silky
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla (and orange zest if using).
- Use an immersion blender to purée in the pot until completely smooth. If using a countertop blender, vent the lid and process in small batches; return purée to the pot.
4) Reduce to Butter Consistency
- Return to low heat and cook, stirring often, until the butter is thick enough to mound on a spoon and a swiped spoon leaves a slow-filling trail. If it blurps and spatters, lower the heat; a splatter screen is useful here.
5) Taste and Adjust
- Pears vary. If the butter tastes flat, a small pinch of salt brightens it. If it’s too sweet, a teaspoon more lemon juice brings it back in line. Keep the vanilla gentle; it should support, not dominate.
Optional: Water-Bath Canning for Shelf Storage
This recipe is designed to be safely water-bath canned when prepared as written. The bottled lemon juice supports acidity; do not reduce it. Always work with clean, hot jars and new lids.
Set Up
- Wash jars, lids, and rings. Place jars in a canner or deep stockpot on a rack, cover with water by 1–2 inches, and bring to a simmer (not a boil). Keep hot.
- Heat a separate small pan with water and warm the lids according to the manufacturer’s directions (modern lids don’t require simmering; warming is enough).
Fill Jars (Hot Pack)
- Keep the pear butter hot. Working one jar at a time, ladle butter into jars leaving ¼-inch headspace.
- Slide a bubble tool or plastic spatula around the inside to release air pockets. Recheck headspace.
- Wipe rims with a clean, damp cloth. Center lids on jars. Apply rings fingertip-tight.
Process
- Place jars on the rack in boiling water. Water must cover jars by at least 1 inch.
- Bring back to a full rolling boil and start timing:
- 0–1,000 ft: 10 minutes
- 1,001–3,000 ft: 15 minutes
- 3,001–6,000 ft: 20 minutes
- 6,001–8,000 ft: 25 minutes
- When time is up, turn off heat. Let jars rest in the hot water 5 minutes to settle.
Cool and Store
- Lift jars to a towel-lined counter. Do not retighten rings. Let stand 12–24 hours.
- Check seals (lids should be concave and not flex). Remove rings, wipe jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place.
- For best quality, use within 1 year. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3–4 weeks.
If any jar fails to seal, refrigerate and use first or freeze.
Storage Without Canning
- Refrigerator: Up to 3 weeks in airtight containers.
- Freezer: Up to 6 months. Leave ¾-inch headspace in freezer-safe jars or containers to allow for expansion.
Troubleshooting & Pro Tips
It’s too thin. Keep cooking gently, uncovered, and stir more often near the end. You’re driving off water; no thickeners needed.
It’s too thick. Stir in a tablespoon or two of hot water or pear juice to loosen.
It scorched. If you notice sticking, immediately transfer the butter to a clean pot without scraping the bottom. Resume at lower heat.
Gritty texture. Blend longer, or pass through a food mill before the final reduction.
Color is darker than expected. That’s normal with longer cooks and brown sugar. If you prefer a paler butter, peel pears and use light brown sugar.
Can I reduce sugar? You can lower the brown sugar by 2–3 tablespoons for a less sweet butter (taste the pears first), but do not reduce the lemon juice if canning. Sugar affects flavor and texture; lemon supports safety and brightness.
Skins on or off? Skins add fiber and color and purée smoothly with an immersion blender. If you prefer a lighter, café-au-lait color, peel them.
Vanilla choices. Extract is simple and reliable. A split vanilla bean gives a rounder aroma; simmer it with the pears and remove before blending.
Uses Beyond Toast
- Stir into plain yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Swirl into oatmeal or overnight oats.
- Warm and spoon over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.
- Spread in cake layers or between cookies.
- Whisk a spoonful into pan juices for pork chops or roasted chicken.
- Add to a cheese board alongside sharp cheddar or aged gouda.
Keep the list practical; the butter should help you finish a jar, not sit pretty on a shelf.
Recipe Variation Ideas (Keep the Base the Same)
- Vanilla-Cardamom Pear Butter: Add ¼ tsp ground cardamom with the other spices.
- Ginger-Pear Butter: Increase ground ginger to 1 tsp and add 1 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger in the final 10 minutes.
- Maple-Vanilla Pear Butter: Swap the honey for maple syrup and use light brown sugar to let the maple show through.
- Cider-Pear Butter: Replace the ¼ cup water with apple cider for a little tang.
When canning, keep lemon juice the same and avoid new low-acid add-ins.
Clean-As-You-Go Workflow
- Prep pears and load the pot.
- Wash canning jars while the fruit softens; keep them hot in simmering water if canning.
- Blend, finish the reduction, and set up your canning station or containers.
- Fill, process, and cool. Label once sealed and fully cooled.
A light, steady workflow keeps the project calm and predictable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sterilize jars? If you process jars 10 minutes or longer, pre-sterilizing isn’t necessary; clean, hot jars are fine. If you plan to process for less than 10 minutes (not recommended here), sterilize for 10 minutes first.
Can I use bottled pear juice instead of water? Yes. It adds a touch of sweetness and pear aroma. Keep the amount modest to avoid lengthening the reduction.
Can I pressure-can this? There’s no advantage here. Water-bath canning is appropriate for high-acid fruit spreads prepared as written.
Why bottled lemon juice? It has consistent acidity, which supports safe canning. Fresh lemons vary.
How will I know it’s thick enough? Do the spoon test: draw a line through the butter on the back of a spoon. It should leave a visible track that slowly closes.
Nutrition (Estimated)
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons (about 30 g)
- Servings per batch: ~24
Per serving (approximate):
- Calories: ~50–55
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ~13 g
- Fiber: ~1 g
- Total Sugars: ~11 g (includes natural fruit sugars)
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: < 5 mg
Values will vary with pear variety, sweetness, and your final thickness.
Summary: The Repeatable Path to Great Pear Butter
- Start with ripe pears and a modest amount of sugar.
- Cook low and slow until the fruit slumps and concentrates.
- Blend smooth, finish with vanilla, and reduce to a gentle mound.
- Hot-pack into clean jars and water-bath can if you want shelf storage.
- Keep the lemon juice as written; adjust sweetness at the end.
Simple method, small batch, clean flavor. That’s the heart of good pear butter.
Quick Reference (for your counter)
- Batch size: ~24 fl oz total
- Headspace (canning): ¼ inch
- Processing time: 10 minutes (sea level), adjust for altitude as listed above
- Fridge life (opened): 3–4 weeks
- Freezer life: Up to 6 months
Make it once, and you’ll have a steady, practical way to turn pears into something you’ll reach for all season.
