All About Pears
Your complete guide to pears - discover how to store it properly, identify when it's gone bad, and find the best substitutes for your recipes.
Best Substitutes for Pears
Don't have pears? Try these alternatives in your recipes.
Specifically for baking applications where pears contribute moisture, sweetness, and a tender fruit component to pies, tarts, muffins, cakes, and crumbles.
Apples (baking varieties like Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith)
The most versatile substitute. Offers good structure, moisture, and a balance of sweetness/tartness. You might need to adjust sugar slightly depending on the apple variety used.
Quince (cooked/poached)
1:1 (after cooking) ratio
Excellent for tarts and pies, especially when you want a fragrant, slightly firmer fruit that holds its shape. Must be cooked down first.
Firm Peaches
Adds good moisture and sweetness, though they can become very soft when baked. Best for crumbles, muffins, or cakes where a very tender fruit is desired.
Bananas (ripe, not overly mushy)
1:1 (by volume) ratio
Contributes significant moisture and sweetness, but has a distinct flavor that will alter the overall taste. Best for muffins, quick breads, or cakes where banana flavor is acceptable.
Common all-purpose substitutions that work in most recipes where pears are used for their sweet, juicy, and slightly soft texture, whether raw or lightly cooked.
Apples (sweet varieties like Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp)
Offers similar sweetness and crisp-to-soft texture depending on variety. May be slightly less floral in flavor. Excellent for eating raw, in salads, or light cooking.
Peaches or Nectarines (ripe but firm)
Provides similar juiciness and a soft, tender texture. Has a distinct stone fruit flavor profile. Best for fresh applications or lightly cooked dishes.
Quince (cooked)
1:1 (after cooking) ratio
Requires cooking as it's very firm and tart when raw. Once cooked, it develops a fragrant, pear-like aroma and soft texture, making it excellent for compotes, tarts, or roasted dishes.
Plums (sweet varieties)
Offers similar juiciness and a soft texture, though the skin can be tarter. Good for fresh use or in cooked preparations where a slight tartness is welcome.
For general cooking applications such as roasting, sautéing, poaching, or incorporating into savory dishes where pears add sweetness and a complementary texture.
Apples (firm, sweet-tart varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady)
A superb choice for roasting, sautéing, or pairing with meats (pork, chicken) and cheeses. They hold their shape well and offer a balanced flavor.
Quince
1:1 (cooked) ratio
Ideal for long cooking methods like poaching, braising, or roasting where its aromatic qualities can fully develop. Adds a unique complexity to savory dishes.
Sweet Potatoes
1:1 (by volume, diced) ratio
While a vegetable, sweet potatoes offer a similar sweet, starchy counterpoint in savory dishes, especially when roasted or puréed. They provide a different texture but can fill a similar role.
Butternut Squash
1:1 (by volume, diced) ratio
Similar to sweet potatoes, butternut squash provides a sweet, tender component when cooked, suitable for roasting, soups, or stews where pears might have been used for their sweetness and texture.
Low-carb alternatives for the ketogenic diet, mimicking the texture and some flavor notes of pears without the high natural sugar content.
Zucchini (peeled, cooked with pear extract, cinnamon, and keto sweetener)
1:1 (by volume, cooked) ratio
When peeled and cooked, zucchini can achieve a soft, tender texture similar to cooked pears. It needs significant flavoring (pear extract, cinnamon, nutmeg) and a keto-friendly sweetener to mimic the taste profile.
Rhubarb (cooked with keto sweetener)
1:1 (by volume, cooked) ratio
While naturally tart, rhubarb cooks down to a soft, 'stewed fruit' consistency. When combined with a keto sweetener, it can provide a fruit-like bulk and texture in pies or compotes.
Avocado
1:1 (by volume, mashed or diced) ratio
Not for 'fruit chunks,' but its creamy texture can substitute for the mouthfeel of soft fruit in certain applications like smoothies, mousses, or 'nice creams.' Requires keto sweeteners and flavorings.
Starfruit (Carambola) (in moderation)
A lower-carb fruit option compared to pears, though still contains natural sugars. Can be used raw or lightly cooked. Offers a tart-sweet flavor and a crisp-tender texture. Use sparingly to maintain carb limits.