Pear Cream
Last Updated on October 17, 2023 by Heather Reseck
This pear cream is the perfect sauce to add creamy sweetness to breakfast foods and desserts.
It’s made from two simple ingredients–pears and cashews. Plus a touch of salt and vanilla.
It works well with fresh pears–especially those that are too mushy to eat fresh. It works equally as well with canned pears. Look for pears canned in fruit juice.
How to Make Pear Cream
Place cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Let stand 1-2 minutes.
Boiling the cashews softens them for easier blending. It also makes the cashews lighter in color and extends the shelf-life by killing bacteria.
Drain and rinse the cashews. Transfer them to a blender.
Drain the pears, reserving the juice. Add the pears, salt, and vanilla to the blender.
Process in a blender until smooth.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Serve it on waffles, toast, steel-cut oats, granola, brown rice pudding, fruit salad, apple crisp, or pumpkin pie.
Variations:
- For a thinner pear cream, add pear juice or water to thin it to the desired consistency.
- Pear-Cardamom Cream: Omit vanilla. Add ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, to taste.
- Coconut Pear Cream: Substitute ½ cup coconut milk for the cashews. (nut-free)
- Pear Cream with Fresh Pears: Substitute 3 peeled and cored large ripe pears for the canned pears. (It will discolor slightly after a few hours. In order to prevent this, simmer until heated through.)
- Pear Cream Popsicles: Add maple syrup to taste. Freeze in popsicle molds.
- Pear Cream with Almonds: Substitute blanched almonds for the cashews. Omit step one (boiling in water.)
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Make extra and freeze it for up to 6 months.
- Let thaw slightly and serve as a frozen dessert.
- Or thaw it in the refrigerator and use it as a topping.
Pear Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can fruit juice sweetened pears (about 2 cups)
- Pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract preferably alcohol-free
Instructions
- Place cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Let stand 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Transfer cashews to a blender.
- Drain the pears, reserving the juice. Add pears, salt, and vanilla. Process in a blender until smooth.
- For a thinner pear cream, add pear juice to the desired consistency. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
- Refrigerate covered for up to 1 week. Or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Serve on waffles, toast, steel-cut oats, granola, brown rice pudding, fruit salad, apple crisp, or pumpkin pie.
- Pear-Cardamom Cream: Omit vanilla. Add ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, to taste.
- Coconut Pear Cream: Substitute ½ cup coconut milk for the cashews. (nut-free)
- Pear Cream with Fresh Pears: Substitute 3 peeled and cored large ripe pears for the canned pears. (It will discolor slightly after a few hours. In order to prevent this, simmer it until heated through.)
- Pear Cream Popsicles: Add maple syrup to taste. Freeze in popsicle molds.
- Pear Cream with Almonds: Substitute blanched almonds or blanched almond flour for cashews. Omit step one.
- Make extra and freeze it for up to 6 months.
- Let thaw slightly and serve as a frozen dessert.
- Or thaw in the refrigerator and use it as a topping.
- Boiling the cashews softens them for easier blending. It also makes the cashews lighter in color and extends the shelf-life by killing bacteria.
Thank you for posting this recipe for Pear Cream – I have yet to try it as don’t have cashews on hand. Do you need to use the quantity made all at once or does it keep without turning brown?
If you use canned or cooked pears, it does not turn brown. If you use fresh pears, bring it to a boil and simmer for several minutes to lightly cook the pears. It keeps well for up to a week in the refrigerator. Or it can be frozen. You could also substitute blanched almonds or blanched almond flour for the cashews.
This is so delicious! It makes me wonder if you could use other canned fruits like peaches?
Glad you enjoy it. I haven’t tried it, but it should work fine with canned peaches. The cashews would dilute the color slightly but it should taste good. If you try it, let us know how it turns out.