Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange

0Shares
1 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
1 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste – healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Pears are baked with cardamom and orange for this simple, satisfying dessert.  A sweet date paste adds rich flavor with whole foods, plant-based ingredients.  This makes the perfect recipe for weekend meal prep.  Or, use for a healthy, vegan finish at a dinner party.

Baked Pears: Healthy, Whole Foods, Plant-Based Dessert

Fruit always makes for a simple dessert. Eating fruit is a healthy way to enjoy a whole foods, plant-based sweet treat while also getting tons of nutrition. While it’s easy to grab a banana or an apple, it’s also nice to enjoy some grilled pineapple, roasted peaches, or baked pears. Baking pears helps intensify their sweetness. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to add interesting flavor from dried herbs and citrus.

2 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
2 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste – healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule

What are Best Pears for Baking?

When it comes to choosing the best pears for a recipe, there a few things to keep in mind:

  • Texture:  First, you want a pear with firm texture.  Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Forelle, and Bosc pears all have a firm, crisp texture.  In turn, these pears hold up well to cooking.  They are the best varieties to use for roasting, baking, poaching (LINK), or making a pear chutney (link).  Softer varieties, like Bartlett or Comice will get mushy and dissolve if you try to cook them.
  • Size: The bigger the pear, the longer it will take to cook.  Plus, consider portion sizes for your pears.  Think about how you want to serve your pears.  If you’re hosting a dinner party and want a small, individual dessert, then perhaps you want small Forelle pears.  If you just plan on enjoying the pears for a weeknight treat, then choose a bigger size.  If it doesn’t matter, just go with what’s on sale and available.
  • Color: Pears generally come in four colors: red, green, brown, and yellow.  For an elegant presentation, I love red-skinned pears.  I think they look absolutely beautiful after baking.  Green and yellow skins tend to turn brown after baking.  However, if you’re peeling the pears (or if you’re not too picky), choose whatever color pear is on sale and available.
Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
Cardamom pods add bright, fresh flavor to roasted pears

What is Date Paste?

Date paste has become a popular go-to ingredient for many whole foods, plant-based eaters.  Date paste is made by soaking dates in water, then pureeing into a smooth, thick paste.  According to Chef AJ at Forks Over Knives , you want about 1 cup water to 1 pound (about 2 cups) pitted dates.  You can use this date paste to add natural, whole foods sweetness to puddings, smoothies, sauces, frosting, and other dessert recipes.

I use this basic idea to replace caramel and maple syrup in many of my plant-based recipes.  For instance, this recipe for baked pears was based off a Maple-Baked Pears recipe I saw.  I replaced the maple syrup with a watered-down version of date caramel.  I still got rich, sweet flavor.  However, using dates means I get extra fiber and nutrition.  Plus, I don’t get the sugar spike that many syrups can cause.

Infusing Flavor: Cardamom Pods

Cardamom is one of those secret, under-used spices.  It has a bright, fruity flavor that pairs well with berries, orange, cherries, and pears.  Cardamom comes both in whole pods or ground.  You find it often in Indian cooking, where it’s used in both savory and sweet recipes like Chana Masala or sweet rice pudding. 

The cardamom pods from this recipe actually come from a spice company called Maya Mountain.  Maya Mountain procures the finest spices, oils, cocoa, and other flavors from Belize farmers.  They are committed to paying their farmers above fair trade wages.  Plus, 10% of all profits go back to organizations working within the Belize community.

Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule (2)
Maya Mountain sources green cardamom pods from Belizean farmers. They are committed to fair pay for their farmers.
Cardamom Pods for Spicy Massaman Oil-Free Thai Curry - Healthy, Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe from Plants-Rule
Cardamom Pods are used to add bright flavor to baked desserts, jam, compote, and Thai and Indian curry.

Other Variations of Baked Fruit

Depending on what’s in season, you can use this recipe as a template for baking other fruit. In the summer, stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots would be delicious. During the fall, swap out the pears for a variety of apples.

Baked stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots make an easy, healthy, whole foods, plant-based dessert.
Baked stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots make an easy, healthy, whole foods, plant-based dessert.

You’ll Love this Healthy, Plant-Based Baked Pears Recipe! It is:

  • Packed with Pear Flavor!
  • Easy to make
  • Sweet and Satisfying
  • A Light, Low-Fat Dessert
  • Perfect for Weekend Meal Prep
Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste – healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule

Chef Katie’s Healthy, Plant-Based Cooking Tips for Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange:

No Refined Sugar or Syrup? I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories.  This recipe don’t use any refined sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweetener. The pears and dates provide plenty of sweetness, along with healthy fiber and essential nutrients.

Weigh Your Ingredients: For precise measuring and consistent results, always weigh your ingredients. A small kitchen scale makes this easy to do. This will save you time and give you more delicious muffins and breads.

Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange

1 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste - healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule
1 Baked Pears with Cardamom, Orange, and Date Paste – healthy, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free vegan recipe from Plants-Rule

This healthy, vegan breakfast combines the flavors of banana bread with baked oatmeal. A must-have recipe for a plant-based diet. With cinnamon and raisins, this is a dish kids and adults will both love!

  • Easy
  • Servings: 4
  • Ready In: 40 minutes
  • Yield: one 8×8” or 9×9” square pan

Kids and adults will love diving into this warm, satisfying breakfast.  Serve with Chia Coconut Cream, Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes, or just dive in with a spoon.

Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange

Pears are baked with cardamom and orange for this simple, satisfying dessert. A sweet date paste adds rich flavor with whole foods, plant-based ingredients. This makes the perfect recipe for weekend meal prep. Or, use for a healthy, vegan finish at a dinner party.
Course Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Low-Fat, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword baked, dessert, easy, fruit, gluten-free, grain-free, hclf, healthy, low-fat, oil-free, plant-based, Roasted, wfpb, whole foods diet
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 135kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 medium firm pears (red Anjou, green Anjou, or Bosc)
  • 5 whole Maya Mountain cardamom pods
  • 3 strips of orange rind
  • 8 dates pitted
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  • To make the Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange: Preheat your oven to 350F.
  • Cut the pears in half. Use a paring knife to remove the core. Place the pears, cut-side-up, in a baking dish. Place the cardamom pods and orange rind in the baking dish. In a blender, puree the dates with water. Pour the date paste over the pears, caradamom, and orange.
  • Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake until golden on top, another 10-15 minutes. The pears are done when they are knife-glide tender. A knife should easily slide in and out.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

Medium
45 minutes
4 Servings

 


Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 135
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0 g 1 %
Saturated Fat 0 g 0 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
Sodium 5 mg 0 %
Potassium 234 mg 7 %
Total Carbohydrate 36 g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 7 g 29 %
Sugars 23 g  
Protein 1 g 2 %
Vitamin A 3 %
Vitamin C 18 %
Calcium 19 %
Iron 1 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Shopping and Gear List

  • Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3-Pack Red/Green/Yellow
  • Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Deglet Dates

 

print
0Shares

Discover more from Plants-Rule

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.