I’m part of a monthly ladies’ supper club. Surprised? I thought not. Each woman brings something they have never made before and to begin our meal, we each talk about the item we’ve contributed. Not only is it hard to figure out what new item to make, we also cater to several food intolerances. At first, this was hard. Gluten-free, dairy-free, andddd a brand new recipe? But, it turns out that it’s worth the struggle because we always end up with a beautiful array of fresh, seasonal dishes that are deliciously healthy.
I have a hard time bringing something I’ve never made before, especially if I’m making up a recipe, so on Sunday I did a trial run. It turned out great, and on Monday morning when I went to report to our google doc what I was bringing, I ran into a dilemma. Someone else was bringing spiced pears! I couldn’t believe it because I was quite pleased with my “original” idea. Womp womp. I guess it wasn’t that original. I did some quick research and decided to bring Paleo sweet potato casserole because I didn’t want to duplicate dishes. I can’t say it was good enough to share, but these pears surely are.
I’ve been dreaming up ways to use my newly acquired slow cooker (thanks Lisa!) and these chai spiced poached pears were the answer. Not too mention they fit the paleo diet and are processed sugar free. They cook long and slow to soak up all the flavors from the spices and juice.
And the winter spices make for a perfectly easy holiday dessert.
Want some more gluten & dairy free recipes?
Just grab some medium-ripe pears.
Peel, core, and place the pears in the slow cooker.
Pour in orange juice and syrup and add in the spices. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and eat whenever you want!
Warm or cold, with or without whipped cream, standing or sitting. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this healthy pear dessert.
- 4-6 medium-ripe pears of choice
- 2 cups fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick, split in 2
- 1 inch piece of peeled ginger, cut in small slices
- Peel the skin off the pears. Slice off the bottom of the pear so it will stand up straight. With a paring knife, take out the core of the pear to the best of your ability. Place the pears upright in your slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Pour a little bit of the liquid on top of each pear and place the cover on the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on low or medium heat and cook for about 3-4 hours, or until the pear is quite soft when you poke it with a fork. Every hour or two, baste the pears with the spiced juice.
- Serve alongside some whipped cream (coconut or soy whipped cream for vegan) and top with ground cinnamon and small walnut pieces.
21 Responses
looks delicious, almost wished that i cooked. xoxo
i’ll make it for you when you get here 🙂
This dessert sounds delicious! I just love chai spice anything. I bet you’re loving your slow cooker! Mine is cooking me some soup right now while I’m at work : )
gosh its the best! I came home to chili last night and got to eat within minutes. i was a happy camper 🙂
Oh heavens, these look So so so good! And your supper club sounds fun. =) Enjoy your new slow-cooker – I am all sorts of obsessed with mine. If you need any slow-cooker recipes, there are some good ones on my blog! Not trying to toot my own blog horn, but it’ll give you a good sense of some of the different main dish/entrees you can make with it. =)
thanks for the tip! I just took a peek and I’m dying to try all of them! Especially the honey chicken and the beef stroganoff. I just read your post on how you acquired your slow cooker and my story is practically the same! I told some girlfriends I was finally going to bite the bullet and buy a slow cooker (I have one in storage in the US and don’t like to buy appliances since we don’t know how long we will be here) and my friend said, “no don’t do it! Take mine!” And just like that, I have one 🙂
Love the chai spice seasoning. This looks so good.
Thanks Kathy!
I LOVE the idea of a supper club where you have to bring a dish you’ve never made before – what a fun way to keep you on your creative toes and hold each other accountable for experimenting! Also delicious. I’m a fiend for anything chai-spiced and these pears look so satisfying!
yes, it really is perfect for inspiration and creativity for those daily dinners!
I’m a new found poached pear lover. These look amazing!
me too! thanks!
These pears look so beautiful! A perfect dessert for the holiday season.
I’m so sorry you weren’t able to share this amazing recipe. They lost out! But I am excited to try this. Just obtained a new slow cooker and I have been looking for an easy dessert to try.
ヽ(｡◁˚)ﾉ score..
This is a perfect one to start with! I hope you like it 🙂
Can I use ground cardamom (which I have) in place of pods?
Yes of course!
Why can’t I print or save this recipe?
Looks like the recipe widget isn’t working – a screenshot will do!
Question: Can I use the Chai ground spice blend my son brought home from India instead of the separate spices you suggest? If so, how much?
Of course! You can play around with this, especially the spices 🙂 I’d probably use 2-3 teaspoons.