Christmas and the New Year are just around the corner and with them the holiday entertaining and celebrations. Gluten and Dairy Free Spiced Poached Pears are an easy and festive way to celebrate the season and end any special meal.

Gluten and Dairy Free Spiced Poached Pears

Pears are in peak season this time of year making them an ideal addition to any meal, such as Gluten Free Pear Spice Bread with Walnuts. This quick and easy dessert combines bright bursts of citrus with an abundance of warm spices.

Ingredients

When you start with fruit in their prime, it doesn't take much to allow them to shine. Gluten and Dairy Free Spiced Poached Pears are as easy to shop for as they are to make. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

Pears - Bosc, Anjou, and Barlett pears are all excellent choices for poached pears. You want to pick pears that are ripe, but not overly ripe. This will allow them to keep their shape without falling apart or becoming too soft.
Water - This is the base for all of the flavors in the poaching liquid.
Orange Peel - The sweetness of the orange is more intense from the oils in the skin. You can use a potato peeler for this.
Lemon Peel - Adds a bright note from the citrus oils in the peel.
Orange Juice - Adds natural sweetness to the poaching liquid as well as a sunny note.
Balsamic Reduction - I used a fig balsamic reduction but use your favorite balsamic glaze for this recipe. Adds more sweetness and also a little acidity.
Coconut Sugar - Adds just enough sweetness to enhance the natural sweetness of the pears. It also helps the poaching liquid get a little saucy.
Mulling Spices - Not just for your mulled wine! This single spice blend often includes cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg along with dried fruit such as raisins, apples, and orange peel. Use your favorite.
Dairy Free Ice Cream - These warm pears are begging to be paired cool ice cream. Don't forget to drizzle the sauce over the top!

How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Spiced Poached Pears

This is the perfect dessert to make for a special occasion, or just because. It comes together quickly especially when made on the grill.

Time needed: 40 minutes.

Tender pears are poached in an aromatic broth of spices and bright citrus.

Pregame
Preheat your grill to 35-400 degrees. Peel your pears and peel strips of orange and lemon.
Prep
Add the pears, spices, water, orange juice, balsamic glaze, and sugar to a grill safe pot and cover.
Cook
Place the pot on the grill and allow them to poach, flipping every 10 minutes until they are fork tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve
Serve the pears with ice cream and drizzle over some of the poaching liquid. Enjoy!

Substitutions

The coconut sugar in this recipe can easily be replaced with brown sugar. It will be the same amount.

This recipe was served with Dairy Free ice cream. You can use your favorite dairy ice cream for this same recipe.

Tools

Potato Peeler - This makes it easy to get a strip of orange and lemon peel without getting too much of the white pith. Also used to peel the pears.
Grill -This recipe was created on my Aspire by Hestan Grill. The even and consistent heat makes it a full outdoor kitchen perfect for not just grilling your favorite proteins but also making dishes like these poached pears.
Grill Safe Pot - The Hestan NanoBond line is perfect for using on the grill. This Italian made cookware is high heat resistant up to 1050 degrees. It's stain, scratch, and stick proof and is completely nontoxic. In addition to being gorgeous it also easily cleans up.
Tongs - You will need to flip your pears every ten minutes until they're done. Using tongs is an easy way to do this without poking the delicate fruit.

Top Tip for Gluten and Dairy Free Spiced Poached Pears

You can tell the ripeness of your pears by how they feel at the top. If you press down and they have a little give without being too soft, they are ripe and ready to eat and cook with.