Baked Pears with Feta & Cranberries (Printable)
Juicy baked pears stuffed with feta, honey and cranberries, finished with lemon zest and fresh mint.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pears
01 - 4 ripe but firm pears, halved lengthwise and cored
→ Filling
02 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
03 - 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
04 - 2 tablespoons walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
05 - 2 tablespoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Garnish
08 - Fresh mint leaves
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
02 - Halve the pears lengthwise and scoop out the core and seeds using a spoon or melon baller, creating a small cavity in each half.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, combine the crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts (if using), 2 tablespoons of honey, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest until evenly incorporated.
04 - Arrange the pear halves cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Generously fill each cavity with the feta mixture, mounding slightly.
05 - Drizzle a little extra honey over each stuffed pear half.
06 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pears are tender when pierced with a fork and the edges are lightly caramelized.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The salty sweet contrast between feta and honey will ruin plain desserts for you forever.
- It looks like it took real effort but the oven does almost all the work.
- You likely have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.
02 -
- Underripe pears will not soften properly in the oven no matter how long you leave them in there.
- Overbaking turns them into mush so check at the twenty minute mark and trust your instincts.
03 -
- Let the pears sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before baking so they cook evenly throughout.
- A tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top right before serving transforms the entire flavor profile.