Sweet, juicy and tender, these Air Fryer Pears are made with only 4 ingredients and take just 15 minutes from start to finish. These easy baked pears can be served for breakfast with yogurt and granola or for dessert with a scoop of ice cream!
This is one of the easiest fall desserts you will ever make! When you’re pressed for time, just cut some pears in half, scoop out the seeds, add some melted butter, cinnamon and sugar, and bake in the air fryer. That’s it!
This is an impressive and elegant dessert that’s so simple to make.
You can also do what I’ve been doing and enjoy these air fried pears for breakfast. They’re delicious served with dairy or non-dairy yogurt, some pumpkin spice granola and a drizzle of maple syrup.
The air fryer quickly bakes the pears until tender and caramelizes the coconut sugar on top. As a bonus, your kitchen will smell totally amazing as these pears are perfectly sweetened and spiced for fall!
If you’re looking for more pear recipes, be sure to check out this pear and parsnip soup and these gingerbread cups with spiced pears.
Why you’ll love this air fryer pear recipe
- You only need 4 ingredients.
- It’s a quick and easy recipe with just 5 minutes prep time and 10 minutes in the air fryer.
- You can have caramelized baked pears without turning on your oven.
- This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
- Baked pears can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a healthier dessert.
Details on the ingredients
You need just 4 ingredients to make these easy air fryer baked pears!
Pears – This recipe was made with Bartlett pears, but you can also use Bosc or Anjou. You want pears that hold their shape when baked. Look for pears that have smooth skin with no bruising or major blemishes. Bartlett pears tend to soften more when baked, so make sure the pears you’re using are just starting to ripen. They should still be slightly green and firm. Once fully ripened, Barletts will be yellow and a bit too soft for the air fryer.
Butter – To keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free, I used plant-based butter. You can also use dairy butter if you prefer.
Coconut sugar – This type of sugar creates a caramelized finish on the pears. I like to use it as it’s less processed than brown sugar, but you can use brown sugar as a substitute if that’s all you have. I don’t recommend using white, granulated sugar.
Cinnamon – Just a sprinkle of ground cinnamon adds a warming spice flavour to these sweet pears.
How to bake pears in the air fryer
Wash your pears and cut them in half lengthwise.
Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds.
Brush on the melted butter and sprinkle the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon over the tops.
Place the pear halves cut side up in the air fryer basket.
Air fry on 330F for 9-11 minutes, or until a knife or fork can easily slide through the pears.
Serve with your choice of toppings.
How to serve air fryer pears
- As mentioned, these pears are delicious for breakfast with yogurt and granola. For homemade granola, try this maple granola or honey almond granola.
- For dessert, just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or this s’mores ice cream.
- For extra toppings, you can drizzle on maple syrup, caramel sauce or drippy nut butter.
- Some crushed walnuts, almonds or pecans would also be great.
Frequently asked questions
You’ll want a variety of pear that holds its shape when baked. I used Bartlett pears, but Bosc or Anjou are good options too. You’ll want pears that are firm so they don’t fall apart when baked, but not too hard that they don’t have any flavour.
While you’ll want your pears to be ripe enough so they taste sweet and juicy, you still want them firm so they don’t get soft and mushy in the air fryer. Even if your pears are slightly under ripe, they will still work well for this recipe. If using Bartlett pears, like I did, don’t wait until they are fully ripened as they’ll be too soft to hold their shape when baked.
You can peel them if you prefer, but I find it best to keep the skins on.
At 330F degrees, it only takes 9-11 minutes to bake pears in the air fryer. Keep in mind that this can vary depending on how large your pears are and how ripe they are. Larger pears or firmer pears will take longer to cook through.
You’ll know your pears are fully baked when you can easily poke through them with a knife or fork.
Key recipe tips
- Room temperature pears. If your pears are cold, the melted butter will harden on them and the sugar and cinnamon will just rest on top and may blow around the air fryer. You want the sugar and cinnamon to soak into the butter before going in the air fryer.
- Ensure even baking. To make sure the pear halves bake evenly, cut them in even halves.
- Stable pear halves. If the pear halves aren’t stable (a little wobbly), just cut a little piece off the back (or the skin side) to help them sit better in the air fryer basket.
- Use firm, ripe pears. You’ll want pears that are firm and just about ripened. If they’re unripened, they’ll be hard. If they’re too ripe, they’ll get too soft and juicy in the air fryer, and may even fall apart.
- Air frying time. The firmer the pear, the longer it will take to air fry. The riper it is, the quicker it will cook and the softer it will be.
- Cut side up. Be sure to place the pears in the air fryer basket cut side up. If you place them in there cut side down, the butter will drip off the pears.
- Air fry in batches. This recipe was made in a 5.8 quart air fryer, which fits 6 pear halves nicely. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to air fry the pears in two batches as you don’t want to overlap them.
- Type of air fryer. Air fryer brands can differ, so you may need to adjust the time and temperature slightly. This recipe was tested in a Cosori air fryer.
Recipe substitutions
- Instead of plant-based butter, feel free to use dairy butter (if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan or dairy-free).
- For another dairy-free option, try melted coconut oil. Just note it will add a mild coconut flavour to the pears.
- Add a little ground nutmeg or ginger, or use pumpkin spice, chai spice or apple pie spice instead of the cinnamon.
- If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar instead.
Storage and reheating
Air fryer baked pears are best enjoyed right away. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for up to 3 days.
To reheat, just warm them in the air fryer at 330F for 5 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave them 45-60 seconds.
I don’t recommend freezing baked pears.
More easy air fryer recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Air Fryer Pears
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings
- Category: Dessert, Breakfast
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Air Fryer Pears are made with only 4 ingredients and take just 15 minutes to make. Enjoy these easy baked pears for breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients
- 3 firm, ripe pears (Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou – see note)
- 1 tablespoon plant-based butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash your pears and cut them in half lengthwise.
- Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds.
- Brush the melted butter on the cut sides and sprinkle the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon over the butter.
- Place the pear halves cut side up in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry on 330F for 9-11 minutes, or until a knife or fork can easily slide through the pears.
- Use tongs to carefully remove from the air fryer basket and serve with your choice of toppings.
Notes
- For the best results, use pears that are just ripened but still firm (not hard). If they’re too ripe, they’ll get too soft in the air fryer and could fall apart.
- Bartlett pears tend to soften more that Bosc or Anjou when baked, so I suggest using Bartletts that are still slightly green and firm.
- The firmer the pear, the longer it will take to air fry. The riper it is, the quicker it will cook and the softer it will be.
- If the pear halves aren’t stable, just cut a little piece off the back to help them sit better in the air fryer basket.
- This recipe was made in a 5.8 quart air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to air fry the pears in two batches.
- Air fryer brands can differ, so you may need to adjust the time and temperature slightly. This recipe was tested in a Cosori air fryer.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
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