This pear butter recipe combines sweet pears, warm vanilla, and a touch of brown sugar for a rich, smooth, and perfectly spreadable slow cooker condiment.
For most of my adult life, I never gave fruit butters much thought.
Honestly, I once assumed it contained butter (if you could see me now, I'd be blushing). That changed about 20 years ago when a colleague introduced me to the wonderful world of fruit butters - and I've been hooked ever since.
I first shared this pear butter recipe back in 2016, and it's been a fall favorite ever since. Made in the slow cooker with ripe pears, vanilla, and a touch of brown sugar, it's an easy, hands-off way to enjoy the season's flavors.
Over the years, I've also shared a spiced apple butter and a plum butter recipe, but this one remains closest to my heart - mainly because it originally featured pears from a tree my dad planted in our backyard.
If you're wondering how to preserve a bounty of pears, this crock pot pear butter recipe is the perfect solution.
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Quick Overview
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours (includes both cooking stages; exact time depends on the variety and ripeness of the pears)
- Total Time: 4½-6½ hours
- Yield: About 2 cups (approximately 2 half-pint jars)
- Serving Suggestions: Spread this silky pear butter on toast, pancakes, or scones. It's also wonderful stirred into yogurt, ricotta, or spooned over oatmeal for a cozy fall breakfast.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Ripe pears: Sweet and juicy, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
- Water: Just enough to help the pears cook down smoothly
- Vanilla bean: Split and scrape to release those aromatic seeds
- Brown sugar: Just a touch for sweetness and depth of flavor
- Freshly squeezed orange juice: Adds bright, subtle citrus notes
- Orange peel strips: For a gentle, fragrant orange essence
- Pinch of salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel, core, and cut 2½-3 pounds (1.1-1.4 kg) of ripe pears into pieces. Split and scrape ½ vanilla bean, prepare 1-2 strips of orange peel, and squeeze 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh orange juice.
- Combine the pears, ⅓ cup (80 ml) water, vanilla seeds and pod, orange juice, orange peel strips, 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 g) brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Give it a gentle stir to mix everything together.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. The pears should become soft and tender by the end of this stage.
- Remove the vanilla bean and orange peel strips. Your kitchen will smell amazing at this point!
- Use a handheld immersion blender directly in the slow cooker, or transfer to a food processor, to blend until smooth. Return to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low with the lid removed for 1-2 hours. Cook until most of the remaining liquid has evaporated and the pear butter has reached your desired thick, silky consistency. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- Ladle the pear butter into clean jars. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
How to Use Pear Butter
This pear butter is as versatile as it is delicious. Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, dessert, or as a little something extra on your cheese board, here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- Spread it on toast, muffins, breakfast buns, bagels, French toast, buttermilk waffles, or pancakes.
- Swirl a spoonful into yogurt, oatmeal, cottage cheese, or even ricotta.
- Use it as a topping for ice cream or a layered fruit parfait.
- It also makes a wonderful sandwich spread-especially paired with cheese.
Tips
- Use ripe, naturally sweet varieties like Bartlett or Bosc for the best flavor and smooth texture. Avoid overly firm pears, as they won't break down as easily.
- If your pears are very ripe, start with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and adjust to taste once the butter thickens.
- The longer it simmers, the thicker and richer the pear butter becomes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Place a small spoonful on a plate. If no liquid seeps out after a minute, it's ready.
- To freeze the pear butter: Allow the pear butter to cool to room temperature; place in containers which are freezer safe (always leave about 1-inch headspace) and freeze. They will keep for about 6 months in the freezer. Once thawed and opened, they should be stored in the refrigerator.
FAQ
A fruit butter is a highly concentrated form of pureed fruit (apple, pear, plum, etc…). It has a smooth consistency and silky texture, which can easily be spread, like butter. Spices are often used to highlight the fruity taste, and they are usually made without any pectin.
Fruit butter is made by chopping fruit into chunks and cooking it so that it softens. It is then pureed and cooked again until all the moisture evaporates, transforming into a smooth, silky fruit spread. Fruit butter can easily be made in a slow cooker.
It is optional, but removing the peel ensures a silky texture, especially since the pear skins can remain slightly fibrous even after blending.
Fresh pears give the best flavor and consistency, but frozen pears can work in a pinch. Just thaw and drain them well before cooking. Avoid canned pears since they're often packed in syrup and too sweet for this recipe.
Stored in the refrigerator, homemade pear butter keeps for up to 3 weeks. For longer storage, you can freeze it in small jars or containers for up to 6 months.
Absolutely! You can omit the orange for a pure pear flavor, or experiment with a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom. Just keep the additions subtle so the pears remain the star.
Homemade Fruit Condiments to Try
Explore more of my favorite homemade fruit condiments - each one is easy to make and perfect for preserving seasonal fruit.
Recipe Origins
My daughter-in-law and daughter share my obsession with fruit butters, so naturally, they became my taste testers for this recipe. After a few rounds of testing, we agreed that the delicate flavor of pears really shines when paired with vanilla beans and just a hint of orange.
We did experiment with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice-each added depth but overpowered the gentle sweetness of the pears, even in small amounts. We also tried lemon with vanilla and then orange with vanilla, and the orange version won us all over.
This homemade pear butter was inspired by a recipe found on this site.
To this day, it still remains one of my favorite ways to preserve an abundance of pears. It also makes a thoughtful hostess gift during the fall season.
Enjoy!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Pear Butter recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Crock Pot Pear Butter Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2½-3 pounds ripe pears peeled, cored and cut into pieces, 1.1-1.4 kg
- ⅓ cup water 80 mL
- ½ vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped to release seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar 15-30 grams
- 2 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed, 30 mL
- 1-2 strips of orange peel
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on the high setting for about 3-4 hours (Total time will vary based on ripeness of pear).
- Stir occasionally.
- When the pears have softened, remove the vanilla bean and the orange zest.
- With a handheld immersion blender, process the pears until smooth. Alternatively, the cooked pears can be transferred to a food processor, pureed and transferred back to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low with the lid removed for 1-2 hours. Cook until most of the remaining liquid has evaporated and the pear butter has reached your desired thick, silky consistency. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- The total time will depend on the fruit's moisture content. The pear butter is done when no liquid seeps out when a teaspoon of the butter is placed on a dish.
- Ladle the pear butter into clean jars. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Video
Notes
- Use ripe, naturally sweet varieties like Bartlett or Bosc for the best flavor and smooth texture. Avoid overly firm pears, as they won't break down as easily.
- If your pears are very ripe, start with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and adjust to taste once the butter thickens.
- The longer it simmers, the thicker and richer the pear butter becomes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Place a small spoonful on a plate. If no liquid seeps out after a minute, it's ready.
- To freeze the pear butter: Allow the pear butter to cool to room temperature, then place it in freezer-safe containers (always leave about 1-inch headspace) and freeze. They will keep for about 6 months in the freezer. Once thawed and opened, they should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on September 18, 2016, and republished on September 26, 2018, and again on October 31, 2025, with updated content and photos.
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Andy
Tastes great, but mine has not set still quite runny any ideas ,?
Maria
Thanks for reaching out Andy. I would continue to cook it until the liquid evaporates a little more. Removing the cover might speed up the process. Total time depends on pear variety and model of the slow cooker. Enjoy!
Maryellen Zalev
This is my first time making pear butter, super easy, smells and taste great. I didnt measure and winged it also added a couple of apples to that pear butter. Its so yummy. Thanks
Maria
So thrilled to read this! Thanks for sharing Maryellen.
Debbra Starkey
Should I leave the lid off while this is cooking
Maria
Thanks for your interest Debbra. Depending on the amount of moisture the pears have, it might be necessary to remove the cover towards the end of the cooking time. Enjoy!
Sue
Question,
I don’t have vanilla beans. What would the real vanilla in liquid amount be? Also, do I add it while cooking or wait until end of cooking time? Thank you! I’ve got 2 crock pots cooking without vanilla and they smell great!
Maria
The aroma really is so intoxicating! I would add it toward the end of the cooking time. I would humbly suggest starting with a small amount, say 1-2 teaspoons, taste and adjust. Enjoy Sue!
Brenda
I don’t have vanilla bean either so glad to hear your alternative!
Maria
Enjoy Brenda!