If there's ever a simple dessert recipe that captures the magic of the season, it's Mulled Wine Poached Pears. With their deep red colour and warm spiced flavours, they're perfect for Christmas-but honestly, they're so good you'll find yourself craving them any time of year, from New Year's to Valentine's Day. Elegant, easy, and a bit indulgent, this one's bound to become a regular on your special occasion menu!
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Elegant Christmas Dessert
The holiday season calls for a bit of magic in the kitchen, but who says you have to break a sweat?
When it comes to easy Christmas desserts, these Mulled Wine Poached Pears are a perfect choice. They're the kind of elegant dessert that impresses guests without a lot of effort-ideal if it's your first time trying something a bit fancy.
The pears take on a gorgeous, deep ruby colour from the wine, and the warm spices bring out all the best festive flavours. And if you don't have mulled wine, but do have a bottle of pork wine, try our port poached pears instead!
A good option for a Christmas dinner party, especially when you want to skip hours in the kitchen but still serve something that says "holiday cheer."
Looking for something chocolatey for Christmas that you don't need to turn the oven on for? Try our No-Bake Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake or Toblerone Cheesecake!
Ingredient Notes
- pears: you will ideally need ripe but firm pears. Overripe pears will turn to mush after poaching.
- a bottle of mulled wine: or see the FAQs section on how to turn a bottle of red wine into mulled wine. We typically use a cheap mulled wine with 5-8% alcohol content.
- citrus zest: we used a thick slice of orange zest and a slice of lemon zest.
- spices: we used whole cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks, but you can experiment with cardamom pods, allspice berries and other warming spices.
You can find the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What Is Mulled Wine?
Mulled wine is a warm, spiced wine traditionally enjoyed during the colder months, especially around Christmas. Typically made by gently heating red wine with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, it's a cosy, aromatic drink perfect for holiday gatherings.
Choosing Your Pears
For this recipe, look for ripe but firm pears-the kind that hold their shape without turning to mush after a simmer. Bosc pears are a top choice in the US, thanks to their firm texture and honey-like sweetness, which stands up well to poaching. Conference pears also work nicely as long as they are not overripe, bringing a subtly floral flavour that pairs beautifully with the mulled wine.
We tend to avoid Bartlett pears, as they tend to go soft too quickly and can end up a bit too mushy in the poaching liquid. Reserve them for making jam or pear butter!
We follow the same advice for pears for savoury dishes too, like Pear Cheddar Puff Tart or Pear & Rocket Salad.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Pour a bottle of wine into a large saucepan that's big enough to fit your pears (on their side) in a single layer.
2. Add the orange and lemon zest, star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick.
3. Set it over low heat and heat until the poaching liquid is gently bubbling around the edges.
4. In the meantime, using a vegetable peeler, peel the whole pears, keeping the stalk intact.
5. Carefully lower the peeled pears into the mulled wine. They should be submerged in the wine about ¾ up the sides. Bring everything to a gentle boil again, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, turning the pears once ever so often in the poaching liquid.
Cooking time will depend on the size, type and ripeness of your pears. Your pears are cooked, when you can insert a pointy knife all through to the centre without much resistance.
6. Once cooked, take the pan off the heat and the pears to cool down slightly in the liquid (about 20 minutes).
7. Using a slotted spoon, carefully take the pears out of the liquid, and set aside.
8. Return the mulled wine to medium heat and boil to reduce the mixture by about half.
9. Serve the pears standing upright with a drizzle of reduced mulled wine and creme fraiche, yogurt, custard or a scoop of ice cream.
Tips for Perfect Results
- Prevent Browning: If you peel pears before your poaching liquid is ready, place them in a bowl of cold water to keep them from browning.
- Stand Them Up: For a polished presentation, trim the bottom of the pears slightly so they stand upright on the plate without wobbling.
- Enhance the Colour: Add a drop of red food colouring to the poaching liquid if you'd like the pears to take on an even more intense, festive hue.
- Adjust the Sweetness: If the sweetness of the pears is lacking, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the poaching liquid. This will help balance the flavours and thicken the sauce as the sugar dissolves during the reduction.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving these mulled wine-poached pears, our choice is always a generous dollop of creme fraiche-it's just the right mix of tangy and creamy to balance the rich, spiced pears.
That said, whipped cream, custard, Greek yogurt, or even vanilla ice cream make a great choice too, depending on your guests' preferences.
For an added bonus, a bit of crunch goes a long way with this delicious dessert. Try sprinkling toasted flaked almonds, pecans, or even a spoonful of homemade granola on top for some texture and extra flavour.
Storage
The best way to store any leftover poached pears is to keep them in their poaching liquid, covered, in the fridge for up to three days. This helps the pears stay moist and lets the flavours deepen even more.
Recipe FAQs
Poached pears are best served warm or at room temperature, which lets their flavours shine without being overpowered by the chill of the fridge.
Good news-you can easily make your own! Pour a bottle of red wine into a large pot, add about 200 ml of water or orange juice, and a few spoons of mulling spice (or a mix of cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise). Gently heat it all together, and you've got yourself a perfect poaching liquid!
Your pears are ready when a knife slides easily to the centre without resistance. Test them every few minutes as they simmer to ensure they stay firm enough to hold their shape.
More Christmas Dessert Ideas
For more festive desserts, have a look at some of our favourite recipes below:
Mulled Wine Poached Pears
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe pears ripe but firm
- 1 bottle of mulled wine 750ml
- 1 slice of orange zest
- 1 slice of lemon zest
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Pour the mulled wine into a large saucepan that's big enough to fit your pears (on their side) in a single layer.
- Add the orange and lemon zest, star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick.
- Set it over low heat and heat until the poaching liquid is gently bubbling around the egdes.
- In the meantime, peel the pears, keeping the stalk intact.
- Carefully lower the pears into the mulled wine and bring to a gentle boil again, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, turning the pears once ever so often in the poaching liquid. Your pears are cooked, when you can insert a pointy knife all through to the centre without much resistance.
- Once cooked, take the pan off the heat and the pears to cool down slightly in the liquid (about 20 minutes).
- Carefully take the pears out of the liquid, and set aside.
- Return the mulled wine to medium heat and boil to reduce the mixture by about half.
- Serve the pears with a drizzle of reduced mulled wine and creme fraiche, yogurt or custard.
Nutrition
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