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Savory baked pears with blue cheese, toasted walnuts and a drizzle of honey. A sweet and salty fall appetizer for the holidays, with no bread or pastry.
My husband avoids carbs, but give him grapes or pears with blue cheese and he’s happy.
So after I made my sweet baked pears with yogurt and honey, I made a savory version for him: baked pears with blue cheese and walnuts, a few drops of honey and fresh thyme.
He loved them, and now they are on my list of holiday appetizers.
These savory baked pears take 5 minutes of prep and about 30 minutes in the oven.
No bread, no crackers, no pastry.
Just pears, cheese and nuts, warm and soft, with the blue cheese melting into the hollow where the core used to be.
They work as a fall appetizer, a side dish next to pork or chicken, or a light lunch with a green salad.
Why You’ll Love These Baked Pears With Blue Cheese
Sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy in one bite.
The pear caramelizes in the oven, the blue cheese softens, the walnuts toast, and a small drizzle of honey ties it together.
If you like a cheese board with fruit, this is the warm version of it.
They look like you worked on them, which is why I like them for the holidays.
Line up the halves on a platter for Thanksgiving or Christmas and they disappear before the main course.
One pear makes two appetizer servings, and four simple ingredients cost far less than a store-bought cheese platter.
There is no bread or pastry here, so for anyone eating fewer carbs, like my husband, they fit better than crostini or puff pastry bites.
The pear still has its natural sugar, but you get fiber from the fruit and protein and fat from the cheese and nuts.
Ingredients
- Pears. Ripe but still firm, so they hold their shape. I use Conference pears, the long, speckled green-brown ones; Bosc, Anjou and Bartlett work too.
- Olive oil or melted butter. Just enough to brush the cut sides.
- Salt and black pepper. A small pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper make the pears taste savory, not like dessert.
- Blue cheese. Crumbled. Gorgonzola, Roquefort or any creamy blue cheese works.
- Walnuts. Chopped. They toast on top of the pears in the last few minutes.
- Honey. Optional, 1 to 2 teaspoons for all four halves. It balances the salty cheese.
- Fresh thyme. Optional, for finishing.
How to Make Savory Baked Pears
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Scoop out the core with a small spoon or melon baller.
- Arrange the pear halves cut-side up in a baking dish.
- Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil or melted butter.
- Season with a small pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pears start to soften.
- Take the dish out and fill each hollow with crumbled blue cheese, then top with chopped walnuts.
- Return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is soft and the walnuts are lightly toasted.
- Drizzle with a little honey, if using.
- Finish with fresh thyme and serve warm.
Tips for the Best Baked Pears With Blue Cheese
Go light on the honey. The pear is already sweet. A few drops are enough to balance the salty cheese.
Add the cheese later. If the blue cheese goes in at the start, it melts away and turns oily. Adding it in the last few minutes keeps it creamy.
Scoop a deep hollow. It holds more cheese and keeps it from sliding off.
Season the pears. Salt and pepper on the fruit is what makes this a savory dish and not a dessert.
Serving Baked Pears as a Holiday Appetizer
For a party, cut each half once more so you have quarters that can be eaten in two bites. Arrange them on a platter or wooden board, add the thyme and honey at the last minute, and serve warm or at room temperature. They sit well next to a cheese board, a Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, or before a holiday roast.
They also make a side dish next to roast chicken, pork tenderloin or my Baked Pork Chops With Apples.
Variations
Make it a salad. Slice the baked pears over arugula with a little olive oil and balsamic for a light lunch.
Swap the cheese. For a milder flavor, use Brie or goat cheese instead of blue cheese.
Swap the nuts. Pecans or pistachios instead of walnuts.
Add prosciutto. Wrap a thin slice around each baked half for a salty, higher-protein appetizer.
Make Ahead and Storage
Bake the pears without the cheese up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Before serving, add the blue cheese and walnuts and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until warm and the cheese is soft.
Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven; the microwave makes the cheese oily.
More Pear and Fall Appetizer Recipes
For something sweet, try my Baked Pears With Yogurt, Honey and Pecans.
If you like pears with cheese, the Pear and Raspberry Chicken Salad makes a lunch with protein, and the Apple Walnut Salad has the same fruit and walnut pairing.
For more holiday appetizers, make the Egg, Leek and Feta Phyllo Cups or thMake Ahead and Storagee Sweet Potato BLT Bites.
Savory Baked Pears With Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 ripe but firm pears
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 60 –80 g, 2–3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 –2 teaspoons honey, optional
- Fresh thyme, optional
Video
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Halve the pears lengthwise and scoop out the cores.
- Place cut-side up in a baking dish.
- Brush lightly with olive oil or melted butter.
- Season with a small pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until the pears begin to soften.
- Top each half with crumbled blue cheese and chopped walnuts.
- Bake another 5–8 minutes, until the cheese is soft and the walnuts are lightly toasted.
- Drizzle with honey, if using.
- Finish with fresh thyme and serve warm.
Notes
• Gorgonzola, Roquefort or another creamy blue cheese works well.
• For a milder flavor, use Brie or goat cheese instead of blue cheese.
• The honey is optional, but a small drizzle balances the salty cheese.
• Keeps 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What cheese goes best with baked pears? Blue cheese is the classic pairing because its salty, sharp flavor balances the sweet pear. Gorgonzola is creamier and milder, Roquefort is stronger. For a milder version, use Brie or goat cheese.
Can I make savory baked pears ahead for a party? Yes. Bake the pears without the topping up to a day ahead. Add the blue cheese and walnuts and warm them in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes right before serving.
Do you peel the pears? No. The skin holds the halves together in the oven and carries most of the fiber.
Can I serve them cold? They are best warm or at room temperature, when the cheese is soft. Straight from the fridge the cheese firms up again.
