Smooth, creamy, and naturally sweet, this Slow Cooker Pear Butter recipe is so simple and easy to make! No peeling or added sugar needed, just a combination of your favorite pears cooked down in your crockpot for a perfectly thick, sweet, and aromatic spread full of autumn spices, that's gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free! Ideal for canning, gifting, and eating!
Fruit butters are a must-make during the fall and winter seasons! From apple butter to pumpkin butter, these thick, sweet, and creamy spreads are perfect for swirling into a warm bowl of oatmeal, spreading on some gluten-free toast, or canning to enjoy at a later date during the year! With pears perfectly in season, it's a no-brainer to make some of the easiest slow cooker pear butter right in your own kitchen! No peeling, no added sugar, healthy, delicious, and so aromatic!
Ingredients You Need For Pear Butter
- Pears: You'll want a variety of ripe seasonal pears. Just like applesauce, it's best to use a variety so you can create a perfect balance of sweet and tart! Make sure your pears are soft and ripe so they can cook down in your crockpot easily.
- Granulated Sweetener: Some sugar-free granulated sweetener is perfect for making your pear butter extra sweet once it cooks down. You can opt to use any granulated sugar you prefer if you won't want it sugar-free.
- Dark Brown Sugar Sweetener: Dark brown sugar adds notes of rich molasses and enhances the deep color of the pear butter! You can use this sugar-free brown sugar or your preferred brand. If you don't have dark on hand, feel free to swap in with light brown sugar or even add a dash of molasses to regular sugar!
- Cinnamon + Allspice + Cloves: You can use any combination of warm autumn spices. I chose cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves for my butter. You can use all cinnamon, or even add in some nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom!
- Lemon Juice: A squirt of something acidic, like lemon juice, helps balance out the sweetness of the pears!
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of pure vanilla adds so much delicious extract flavor to this pear butter! You can even try some maple extract for an even cozier taste and aroma.
What Are The Best Pears To Use?
Any ripe juicy pear will do! You can use all of one variety or switch it up and do a combo to create a unique blend of flavors. I chose to do half Green Anjou and half Bosc (my personal favorites!) Some great easy-to-find varieties of pears to use are:
- Green Anjou: juicy, sweet, and citrusy
- Red Anjou: juicy, sweet, and slightly tangy
- Bartlett: juicy, sweet, and aromatic
- Red Bartlett: juicy, sweet, and aromatic
- Bosc: crisp, woodsy with hints of honey
- Comice: succulent, buttery, very sweet
- Concorde: crunchy, sweet with hints of vanilla
- Starkrimson: juicy, sweet, aromatic with hints of floral
How To Make Pear Butter
- Core and cube your chosen pears (no need to peel them!).
- Add them to a large 8-quart slow cooker.
- Add the sweeteners, spices, and liquid flavorings right on top of the pears.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, mash up the soft pear mixture before carefully transferring to a large blender and blending until smooth (you may need to do this in batches).
- Add the smooth pear puree back into the slow cooker and continue cooking on high for 3-4 more hours, mixing every 30 minutes or so until thick.
Additional Tips and Tricks
- The easier way to core the pears is by cutting the top stem off and then cubing the pear. Cube around the small center pocket that holds the seeds. Discard the seed-filled cube and stem. Everything else can go right into the slow cooker!
- Fruit butters are not the same as fruit sauce (like applesauce). The end result is sweet, deep in color, smooth, and very thick. That is why you cook the mixture twice in the slow cooker.
- When the pear butter is finished, leave it to cool, uncovered in the slow cooker before transferring it out into a large container to come to room temperature, and then chill it in the fridge. The butter will thicken further once it has had time to chill in the fridge overnight.
- If you want to use whole spices to flavor your butter, remember to remove them before mashed and blending the butter!
How to Store
- Once the butter has come to room temperature, you can transfer the crockpot pear butter to airtight glass jars and store them the in fridge for about 3-4 weeks.
- You can freeze the butter in freezer-safe plastic bags. Freeze flat until solid for easy storage. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost small amounts as needed. Thaw frozen pear butter in the fridge overnight.
Canning For Longterm Storage
Can the slow-cooked pear butter by filling sanitized glass ball jars (half-pint or pint) with the butter, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top, and secure the lids. Place the jars in a canner or large soup pot of boiling water, just to the tops of the jars. Bring water to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the jars with tongs and let them cool on the counter overnight or until room temperature. Label and store in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.
Ways To Use Your Homemade Pear Butter
It is delicious on pancakes, waffles, or gluten-free toast, mixed into cakes and muffins, stirred into hot porridge and oatmeal, made into a sauce, even paired with savory foods like roast chicken or sandwiches!
More Fruit Butter Recipes:
Slow Cooker Pear Butter
Slow Cooker Pear Butter (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo)
Smooth, creamy, and sweet Slow Cooker Pear Butter that's so simple to make! Your favorite combination of pears cooked down in the crock-pot for a perfectly sweet and aromatic spread recipe that's gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and allergy-free!
- Prep Time: 3 Minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 4 Cups 1x
- Category: Condiment, Snack
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 Medium-Sized Pears* (cubed, cores and stems removed)
- ½ Cup Granulated Sweetener (or preferred granulated sugar)
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar Sweetener (or preferred dark brown sugar)
- 1 ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Allspice
- ½ Tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Place the cubed pears in a greased large slow cooker and put the rest of the ingredients right on top of the pears.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, no mixing required at this time.
- After 4 hours, remove the lid and mash the pears a bit before carefully transferring into a large blender. Blend the mixture until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the mixture back into the slow cooker with the cover slightly ajar and cook on high for another 3-4 hours until thick, mixing every 30 minutes or so. (It thickens more after cooking as it cools).
- Allow it to cool a bit before storing in glass jars and refrigerating for 3-4 weeks.
Notes
* I used 4 Green Anju and 4 Bosc Pears.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
A perfectly aromatic and seasonal spread that's naturally gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, and paleo! No peeling or sugar required; just a little slow cooking and blending before you can healthfully indulge!
So tell me:
+ Do you like your pears super ripe or still crunchy and unripe, like me?
———————————————-
Stay connected: Facebook: Strength and Sunshine Twitter: @RebeccaGF666 Instagram: rebeccagf666 Pinterest: RebeccaGF666 Bloglovin’: Strength and Sunshine
Crummy Mummy
My kids would love this!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Glad you think so!
Mel
Oh yummy! My babies loved pear butter when they were little!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So yummy!
Roseann Hampton
I have a pear tree in my backyard. I'm hoping I get a good crop this year because I'm definitely trying this if I do!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Wow, lucky you!
Wendy | The Art of "Why Not?"
I love pear butter! My grandmother made dozens of jars every year, and I did more than my share of work emptying them! I've never made it myself, but would like to give it a try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think you need to bring back the tradition then!
Chloe
This looks delicious and a perfect topping especially on porridge. I shall be trying this.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Such a yummy addition!
Akaleistar
That pear butter looks delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It is such a great topping!
Heather LeGuilloux
This sounds like such a unique butter to make, and a great way to use the slow cooker. I will need to give it a try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Fruit butters are the best!
Bailey
This looks so delicious! So easy too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Super simple!
Shanna
I LOVE making apple butter! It smells SO good when it's cooking! I had never thought about making pear butter but now I can't wait to try it!! Looks easy enough!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Anytime you have fruit and cozy spices simmering down in the slow cooker....the aromas!
Rebecca Smith
Never been a huge fan of pears but this has me intrigued...going to give this a go.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It is so yummy!
Yolanda
You sound like my husband when it comes t pears! He too will only eat them hard and they need to go in the fridge right away 🙂 I am definintely going to make this so I can have in my porridge oats. It looks so good and I need to find that bourbon vanilla! Delicious 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
He knows what's up then! Haha!
So good in some hot porridge!
Jessica | PetiteStyleScript
This looks delicious and I eat gluten-free so this recipe is perfect to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This obviously is gluten-free though. It's fruit. So nothing special.
shan
My Dad used to make apple butter. I haven't thought about it in years. You've convinced me to try your recipe. Thanks so much for this!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Fruit butters are just the best!
Renee
My tummy is rumbling like crazy! So so so yummy looking.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I bet!
Erin Haugerud
This looks so good!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Jacklyn
I love making apple butter in my slow cooker but never even thought of pear! Can't wait to try this!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Pear is game changing!
Tiffany
OMGoodness!! This sounds amazing! I think I am going to have to try my hand at making this, but I'm afraid that all my pears might get eaten before I get them in the Crock Pot, lol. I have lots of fruit monsters in my house, but I'm okay with that. 😉 Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
The week I made this, I bought a WHOLE lot of extra!
Felicia @ The Starving Chef
This sounds heavenly - i could eat it right out of the jar!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Spooning it straight is totally acceptable 😉
mel
Omg I never thought of its existence! I am so excited to try this, thank you!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It is a fantastic sweet spread!
Eryn
This sounds delicious! I may have to spread my wings and try making this.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
There is nothing difficult about this! Haha!
Nicole | What She Ate
This would be a lot of fun to use in baking, or to eat by the spoonful (many spoonfuls.) I'm more of a soft, ripe pear fan myself. I love when they're juicy and the fruit juice runs down your hand. The mess is part of the fun. Haha. Although, I do like a nice unripe, crunchy pair once in a while.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
The taste changes when they get ripe...not so good!
Farrah
Love this idea (+ yay for slow cookers)! I've always wanted to try making my own fruit butter! 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
No time to waste now!
Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy
Yum, yum! I've made apple butter, but never pear butter. This sounds so good!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Add this to the list then!
Shelby @Fitasamamabear
Mm I never thought to make pear butter! This would be tasty on pancakes!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes it would!
Jaime
Pears are my favorite! I've never tried pear butter, so I'll be saving this recipe to make really soon!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You're in for a pleasant surprise 😉
Amanda Martin
OH MY. Drooling! Definitely want to try this on a biscuit or in oatmeal like you suggested!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It is so good! Perfect way to sweeten anything up!
Nellwyn
I love apple butter so I'd really like to try pear butter as well! I'm really thinking I have to invest in a slow cooker sometime soon.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That is an URGENT need!
Keri
I just tried apple butter this summer. I am excited to try pear butter too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You will love it just as much!
Rachel (Little Chef Big Appetite)
Haha, I am the opposite kind of pear eater! I like when they're soft. This pear butter sounds amaaaaazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O no, haha! Unripe all the way! I hate when they're all mushy 😛