Vanilla Pear Pie has a heavenly flavor and aroma. A hint of vanilla bean enhances but doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavor of fresh pears. Move over Apple Pie, this just might become your favorite new autumn dessert.
Apples and pumpkins get all the attention in the fall – apple cinnamon this and pumpkin spice that. Well, pears are also an autumn fruit and deserve a little of the fall-baking glory.
For this pie I purposely kept the flavors simple. Much as I adore pears and ginger together, I wanted a more subtle and surprising flavor profile.
A little hint of vanilla bean gives this pie the perfect little “something”. Serve this pie for the holidays and it will certainly stand out from all the cinnamon and spice desserts on the table.
How to make the perfect Vanilla Pear Pie:
- For the best flavor and texture, use pears that are ripe but still firm.
- I used a variety of pear similar to Anjou. Bosc pears are also great for baking.
- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, macerate the fruit for your pie filling. Pears are quite tender and macerating helps keep them from completely breaking down as the pie bakes.
- Precook the pear juice with the cornstarch. Precooking ensures that the starch is activated so we don’t end up with soupy pie filling.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar in the filling based on the sweetness level of your pears.
- Use a vanilla bean to flavor the pie filling. In a pinch you could use vanilla extract, but vanilla beans have a much fuller flavor that is so so good with the pears.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make Vanilla Pear Pie:
I made this pie with a fantastic Sourdough Pie Crust. If you keep a sourdough starter it’s a wonderful recipe to use sourdough discard.
If you love the flavor of vanilla, here are a few recipes for you to try: Pear Custard Tart with vanilla, Vanilla Sponge Cake, Vanilla Chiffon Cake, Vanilla Buttermilk Cake, Vanilla Butter Cake, Vanilla Mousse, Vanilla Ice Cream.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Vanilla Pear Pie
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean (split)
- 3 pounds firm ripe pears (peeled, cored, sliced ½" thick)
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust
- 1 ½ oz cornstarch (¼ cup)
- 1 egg white
Instructions
- Split 1 vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Combine 3 pounds firm ripe pears (sliced) with 4 oz granulated sugar, the seeds and pod from the vanilla bean, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside to macerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Roll 1/2 the pie dough and fit into a 9 deep-dish pie plate. Roll the other 1/2 of the dough to a 12" circle. Sprinkle the circle with flour, fold in half then fold again. Wrap the folded dough in plastic and set into the dough lined pie plate. Set the pie plate into the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Remove the vanilla pod from the pears. Drain the pears, save the juice. Transfer the drained pears to a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the pear juice with 1 ½ oz cornstarch. Heat the juice on medium until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low and whisk constantly until the juices are very thick and become translucent. Immediately toss the thickened juice with the pear slices.
- Remove the pie plate from the refrigerator. Pour the pears into the pie plate. Unfold the dough round for the top crust. Use the tip of a small knife to cut a 2" pear-shaped hole in the middle of the crust. Brush the edges of the bottom crust with egg white. Lay the top crust over the filling with the pie shaped vent hole centered on the pie. Pinch the two crusts together to seal. Trim the excess dough and use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges.
- Brush the entire top crust of the pie with egg white and generously sprinkle the pie with granulated sugar.
- Place the pie a sheet tray and bake until golden brown and the fruit in the middle of the pie is tender and the juices are bubbling, about 1 hour.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting.
Equipment
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Kathy Strickland
Monday 15th of February 2021
I love the idea of Pear Pie for Autumn Festivities! I do make the standard American pies but I have occasionally rolled my pie crust to thin. Could you tell me the thickness I should roll the dough out for the crust? Thanks
Eileen Gray
Monday 15th of February 2021
Hi Kathy, to some extent it's a matter of taste whether you prefer a super-thin or slightly thicker crust. I roll mine about 1/8" thick.