Pear Butter from the slow cooker

This slow cooker pear butter turns ripe pears into a thick, silky spread with warm spices and a deep pear flavor that smells like fall, all while the slow cooker does most of the work. Suited to spreading on toast, biscuits, pancakes- well, everything!

So what is pear butter anyway? Well, despite its name, it contains no actual butter (though pear-flavored butter does sound good).

Pear butter is essentially pear sauce (like applesauce), cooked far down until it's thick, caramelized, jammy, and spreadable. You can totally make pear butter (or any other fruit butter) on the stove, but a slow cooker lets you spend much less time hands-on. And let's face it, we need our hands to do other things, like pumpkin picking and hayrides (oops, we let dreams of fall fun get away from us there).

So if you've got a lazy weekend coming up, and you want your kitchen to smell like warm, cozy autumn spices, then this recipe is for you. This pear butter is forgiving, but we'll share all our tips and tricks for getting it PEAR-fect every time!

Choosing the right pears

The type of pear you use can affect the finished butter. Some pears have a naturally grainier flesh, like Bosc, while others, such as Anjou, Bartlett, and Comice, are softer and smoother when cooked. The grit is not dirt! It's the pear's natural stone cells doing what nature intended.

For this pear butter, we like using slightly ripe Bosc pears (we don't mind a little grit) and peeling them before they go into the slow cooker for the smoothest texture possible. At the end of the day, you can't fully get rid of all the grit, so choose a pear that you love to eat.

Some sugar, spice, and everything nice

Now that we've talked about pears, let's talk spice. Because aside from the fruit, the only other ingredients will be a mix of spices, a little sugar, and some acid (lemon juice).

As we said earlier, pear butter is pretty forgiving. You can mix and match your spices and easily adjust them as you cook it. Because this recipe calls for slow-cooking the pears, we prefer whole spices, since they release their oils more slowly as they cook. That being said, you can use ground spices.

Use any combination of these spices to flavor the pear butter:

• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Allspice
• Star Anise
• Cardamom
• Vanilla

Step-by-step instructions

This is a small-batch pear butter, meaning no canning required! We've developed this recipe more as a guide, giving you leeway with the spices; that way, you're free to experiment. Once you press start, you're on your way to fall deliciousness!

Step 1. Place whole spices in a cheesecloth and tie the ends, to make a little sachet. If using ground spices, add them directly to the pears. Step 2. Peel, core, and chop the pears. Step 3. Place spices, lemon, sugar, and pears in a slow cooker. Step 4. Cook on low, covered, for about 5 hours or until the pears are soft.

Step 5. When the pears are ready, blend them. Step 6. Remove the spice sachet and continue to cook on low (uncovered), stirring occasionally, for another 1 to 1.5 hours. Step 7. The pear butter is done when it easily stands on a spoon or when a spatula spread across the bottom leaves an open trail. At this point, you can blend again if you want it smooth.

*These are abbreviated instructions. The full list of directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert pear butter tips

• Slow cooker size matters. We used a 7-quart All-Clad slow cooker. A smaller or deeper cooker may take longer, while a wider cooker can cook the pears down faster. Pear variety and ripeness will also affect the total cooking time, so use the recipe time as a guide.
• Keep it low and slow. Cook on low rather than high especially when using whole spices. The longer cooking time allows the spices to gently infuse the pears without overpowering their flavor.
• Try Bosc pears. In our opinion, Bosc pears give the pear butter the best, most pronounced pear flavor. Bartlett, Anjou, and Comice also work well.
• Know when it's done. Drag a spatula through the pear butter. If the mixture stays separated and doesn't immediately flow back together, it's ready. It should be thick and spreadable. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
• Blend for silky pear butter. For an extra-smooth texture, blend the finished pear butter in a regular blender after removing the whole spices.

Ways to use pear butter

Don't be shy! Use pear butter like you would any other jam, spread, or dessert topping. If you're a minimalist, spread it on toast, and you will be transformed.

• Spoon onto French toastpancakes or waffles
• Use as a spread for biscuits
• Swirl into oatmeal (hot or cold)
• Add to yogurt with granola
• Spread inside a croissant
• Serve alongside a cheese board
• Add to a grilled cheese with sharp cheddar
• Use it as a dip for pretzels, fruit, or crackers
• Add it to baked goods, like quick bread or donuts

Keeping leftovers

This is a small-batch pear butter made for keeping in the refrigerator or freezer. Store it in airtight jars or glass containers in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If you're an experienced home canner and want to can pear butter, follow current, tested canning instructions from a reliable food-safety source rather than using the storage instructions listed above.

Kitchen questions

Can we use different types of pears?

Absolutely. We prefer ripe Bosc pears for their stronger pear flavor, but Bartlett, Anjou, and Comice are also good choices. If your pears have a noticeably grainy texture when eaten fresh, that texture may carry into the finished pear butter.

Can we use ground spices instead of whole?

Yes. The whole-spice sachet is our preferred method, but you can use your favorite combination of ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom instead. Add ground spices directly to the pears before cooking.

How do we know when pear butter is done?

Drag a spatula through the pear butter. When the path stays visible instead of immediately filling back in, it's ready. The finished pear butter should be thick and spreadable, not runny.

Can we make this pear butter in an Instant Pot?

This recipe was developed and tested in a traditional slow cooker (we don't own an Instant Pot), so we can't recommend using one. While pear butter can be made in a pressure cooker, the cooking time and reduction process are different from this slow cooker method. For the best results, we recommend sticking with the slow cooker instructions for this recipe.

Can we make this on the stove?

This recipe was developed and tested in a traditional slow cooker, so we can't recommend making this recipe on the stove using the instructions as listed. That being said, you can make pear butter on the stove. This will require much less time overall, but more hands-on time at the pot. The overall process is the same, cook the pears, blend, then evaporate the liquid.

Team pear or team apple? We can pear-ly decide!

Ingredients

Makes 32 (about 2 cups total)

• Warm spices of your choice: Use about 2 to 3 teaspoons total of ground spices, or a combination of whole spices tied in a cheesecloth sachet. Cinnamon should be the main spice, with smaller amounts of cloves, allspice, mace, ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom as desired. (whole spice example: 3 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 pieces of mace, 8-10 whole cloves, 1 star anise)
• 8 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks (We recommend Bosc pears)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, optional

Equipment

• cheesecloth and kitchen twine
• slow-cooker
• blender or immersion blender

Method

1. Prepare the spices (whole or ground). If using whole spices, place your preferred spices in the center of a piece of cheesecloth. Gather the edges and tie securely with kitchen twine. If using ground spices, choose your favorite combination of warm spices and add them directly to the pears in the slow cooker.

2. Add the pears and spices. Place the peeled, cored, and chopped pears in a large slow cooker (ours is 7 quarts). Add the lemon juice and give the pears a quick toss. Then add the brown sugar and spice sachet (or ground spices) and cover with the lid.

3. Cook the pears. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or until the pears are very soft and easily break apart.

4. Blend. Remove the spice sachet (if using). Using an immersion blender, blend the pears directly in the slow cooker until smooth. You can also transfer the pears to a regular blender and blend in batches if needed. After blending, taste the pears and add additional sugar or spices if needed. If using vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, you can add it at this time.

5. Reduce the pear butter. Continue cooking on LOW with the lid off, stirring about every 20 minutes, until the pear butter is thick and spreadable. This took about 1½ hours for us, but cooking time can vary depending on your slow cooker and pears. At this point, you can turn the slow cooker up to high to speed up the process, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.

6. Check for doneness. Drag a spatula through the pear butter. When the mixture stays separated and doesn't immediately flow back together, it's ready. It will thicken slightly as it cools.

7. Optional for an extra-smooth texture. If you want a very smooth pear butter, let it cool slightly and blend it again in a regular blender before transferring it to jars.

Kitchen notes

• Slow cooker size matters. We used a 7-quart All-Clad slow cooker. A smaller or deeper cooker may take longer, while a wider cooker can cook the pears down faster. Pear variety and ripeness will also affect the total cooking time, so use the recipe time as a guide. Total time can be anywhere from 6-8 hours.
• Keep it low and slow. Cook on low rather than high especially when using whole spices. The longer cooking time allows the spices to gently infuse the pears without overpowering their flavor.
• Try Bosc pears. In our opinion, Bosc pears give the pear butter the best, most pronounced pear flavor. Bartlett, Anjou, and Comice also work well.
• Store in the refrigerator or freeze. When cooled, store the pear butter in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.