Spiced Pear Butter with Honey
This post was sponsored by Nature Nate’s Honey Co. All opinions are my own.
Want a rich pear butter recipe that’s flavored with ginger, seasonal fall spices and has no refined sugar? This easy fruit butter spread is the one. The only sweetener in this simple spiced pear butter is 100% pure raw and unfiltered honey. It’s thick, creamy and delicious on morning toast and biscuits.
Table of Contents
The best honey for spiced honey pear butter? Nature Nate’s
Life is sweeter with honey, don’t you think? I do. Which is why I wanted to share my favorite brand, Nature Nate’s, with you. I like it swirled in yogurt and my morning oatmeal as well as an afternoon cup of tea — and it’s amazing in this spiced honey pear butter recipe.
What is fruit butter?
A fruit butter is a spread, like a jam or jelly, however, it has no added pectin and thickens by slowly cooking off the excess liquids until it’s become a concentrated fruit spread. Typical fruit butters are smooth and creamy and can be lightly or heavily spiced. Most are made with sugar, but my pear butter recipe uses 100% raw and unfiltered honey from Nature Nate’s.
I was first introduced to Nature Nate’s Honey a few years ago when I attended the Fancy Foods Show in NYC. I learned that Nature Nate’s Honey Co. is the number-one branded honey company in the U.S. and producer of 100% pure, raw & unfiltered honey… then I tasted it… and was SOLD.
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Deep, balanced & sweet
The flavor is complex and nuanced because they work with the best bee keepers to get the best honey for their proprietary blends. It’s deep, rich, balanced and sweet. You can taste the difference. That’s why I use it in this lovely fall pear butter recipe. The flavor of the honey accentuates the perfumed pears and heady fall spices for a delicious breakfast spread.
You’ll want to try Nature Nate’s not only for their superior product but because they have strict testing standards to ensure every bottle is as simple & pure as it is straight from the hive.
Purity guarantee
The folks at Nature Nate’s are on a mission to steward the precious resources honeybees have gifted us, and their purity guarantee provides an unmatched level of care and precision that any honeybee would be proud of. That’s their purity guarantee.
Pear butter ingredients
- Ripe Pears
- Nature Nate’s Honey
- Lemon Zest & Juice
- Fresh Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Whole Anise
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Mace
- Water
Making this pear butter (or any fruit butter) only requires 3 simple steps.
Method for making fruit butter
- Simmering the fruit, spices, sweetener and liquids until the fruit is soft.
- Pureeing the fruit to a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Concentrating the flavors and thickening the spread by slowly simmering until most of the liquid has evaporated.
To cut the initial simmering time, I used my pressure cooker, but you can also simmer the pears on the stovetop until they’re soft and fragrant.
Pureeing the spiced honey pears
When the fruit is soft and fragrant, use an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender to puree the pears with their spiced honey liquid.
Note: Be sure to remove the whole cinnamon stick and star anise before blending.
Transfer the pear puree to a heavy pot (I like to use a dutch oven) and bring to a low simmer. Cover the pot with the lid slightly askew and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how much liquid has been given off by the fruit).
Tips for simmering fruit butter
- You’ll want to stir the pot every 5-8 minutes to prevent scorching.
- Pay attention to the consistency of the pear butter. The mixture will get darker and thicker the longer it cooks.
- A telltale sign that your butter is done, is to streak a wooden spoon along the bottom of the pot. When the pear butter doesn’t rush in to fill the void, it’s ready.
If you’re a fan of fall spices and flavors, this heady, fragrant spread is for you. The Nature’s Nate Raw & Unfiltered Honey sweetens the pears without being cloying and adds further depth and complexity to the spice blend. Add a dollop of this fruit spread to your morning muffin for a real treat.
More honey recipes & inspiration
- Click for more ideas and recipes from Nature Nate’s
- Asian Chicken Wings
- Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
- Bourbon and Honeyed Peach Ice Cream
- Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
More jams, marmalades and fruit butters:
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Honey Pear Butter
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- Blender
- Dutch Oven
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker (optional)
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 pounds anjou or bosc pears Peeled, seeds and core removed, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick optional
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground mace
- ¾ cup Nature Nate’s honey
- 1¼ cups water
DIRECTIONS:
FOR THE DUTCH OVEN/STOVETOP METHOD:
- Add all of the ingredients to a heavy dutch oven and stir to combine. Bring the contents to a boil, reduce heat and cover with a tight fitting lid to simmer until the pears are quite soft and breaking down. About 45 minutes to one hour, perhaps longer if your pears are particularly hard. Stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the pears and their liquid to a food processor or blender and puree.
- Transfer the pureed pears back to the dutch oven and return to a slow simmer over medium low to medium heat. Rest the lid on the pot so it’s slightly askew and steam can escape. Cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours until the pear butter is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a thick jam in the pot.
- You can tell when it’s done by running a wooden spoon across the bottom of the dutch oven, exposing the bottom of the pan. When the pear butter doesn’t immediately fill the gap and takes several seconds to fill in the exposed part of the dutch oven, it’s ready.
FOR THE INSTANT POT:
- Add all of the ingredients to the instant pot. Set the pressure cooker to 20 minutes at high pressure. After the pears have been cooked, let the pressure release naturally.
- Transfer the pears to a food processor or blender and pulse until pureed and smooth. Transfer the pears to a heavy pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat until the pears start to simmer and splutter. Reduce the simmer to low, cover the pot with the lid so that steam can still escape. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or until most of the liquid has evaporated and a thick jam has formed.
- You can tell when it’s done by running a wooden spoon across the bottom of the dutch oven, exposing the bottom of the pan. When the pear butter doesn’t immediately fill the gap and takes several seconds to fill in the exposed part of the dutch oven, it’s ready.
STORING PEAR BUTTER:
- Let the pear butter cool to room temperature and transfer it to a storage container with a tight fitting lid. Pear butter must be refrigerated unless you’re following traditional canning methods.
NUTRITION:
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Best pear jam ever! I’ve made several varities but always come back to this one. It’s really rich, sweet and spicy. I love it on biscuits.
Sounds delicious! Can you make this using a regular pot on the stovetop?
Absolutely. It will just need to cook at a lower heat, for longer — stir frequently so it doesn’t scorch.
Can this pear butter be canned in a water bath and stored in cool dark place safely.
I’ve never tried it, because this recipe doesn’t make huge quantities, but theoretically, yes! If you’re familiar with water canning, then go for it.
My favorite honey….and I love how easy and healthy this recipe is!
Thanks so much Debra! Yes Nature Nate’s is the best honey!
This Spiced Honey Pear Butter would make such a great gift for the holidays! AND Whoah, I’m loving those little mini honeys in packages!! Have not seen those before and now I need to get some!!
Aren’t they great!!
Love that it’s sweetened with honey. Sounds so perfect for the season
I’ve been enjoying it on my morning toast and yogurt. It’s perfect for fall.
I’ve never tried pear butter before, but this recipe is so easy, and the pear butter is heavenly with a piece of toast in the morning.
Can this be frozen?
I’ve never frozen this pear butter, but there’s really no reason that you couldn’t. I’d advise putting it in a freezer safe container and freezing for up to 3 months.
This honey pear butter sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it with some fresh bread.
What a great idea to make pear butter, and the use of honey is genius. I cannot wait to try this recipe at home.
This honey pear butter is so delicious! We just enjoyed it on buttered biscuits. What a great easy recipe.
I’m always ready for a delicious fruit spread! Can’t wait to make it this weekend!