An easy infused pear simple syrup with fresh pears and cinnamon sticks.
This is a super easy spiced pear simple syrup, and I’ve been pairing it with all sorts of spirits this year! It’s so easy to make, and easy to keep on hand for cocktail parties. OR for an fancy “mimosa” during your next at-home brunch feast. 🙂 (Just add prosecco!)
This recipe makes about two cups of spiced pear syrup, and will last a couple of weeks if stored properly in the refrigerator. I always add a splash of vodka to my infused simple syrups to extend their life, too. You can usually get another week or two out of them if you do that!
I also made a thyme simple syrup, which I used last year in these delicious blackberry, thyme, and lemon bourbon cocktails. But I’m currently exploring other ways to use it – primarily in a recipe which includes pears and prosecco. 🙂
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1.5 cups Chopped Pears (2-3 pears, such as Comice, d’Anjou, or your favorite)
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
Ingredient Notes and FAQs
Pears
Comice pears were the original pear I used to create this recipe about seven years ago, and a lot of people have enjoyed using them for this pear syrup. I also recommend d’Anjou pears or Bartlett pears, which will retain their shape pretty well and make a less cloudy syrup. You can use your favorite pears though; they’ll taste great here. (Some might make a cloudier pear syrup than others).
Granulated Sugar
Granulated sugar is true to creating simple syrup. I don’t recommend substituting this ingredient. If you have to use an alternative sweetener, honey is a good option, but will make a much richer pear syrup. Artificial sweeteners have a totally different flavor, and if you’re planning to make this for guests who aren’t used to that, it could get weird.
Hopefully some of the following tips and tricks can help you make this Spiced Pear Simple Syrup successfully, but if you have any other questions, feel free to email me anytime! 🙂
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Ripe Pears: Ripe pears will have the best flavor, and will release their flavor and juices much easier than hard pears that aren’t quite ready to eat. The Best Way to Identify Fresh Pears is to smell them first; ripe pears will smell like pears, while unripe pears won’t really have much smell. You can also lightly press the neck of the pear, and if it has a little give (kind of like an avocado), it’s ripe and ready to use
- If You’re Not that into Cinnamon, use Less: The cinnamon sticks go a long way here. If you’d rather taste more of the pear flavor in this syrup, start with one cinnamon stick. You can add a second one and continue to steep the syrup if you think it needs a boost of spice later.
Directions
How to Make Spiced Pear Simple Syrup
Step One: Core and Cut the Pears. Cut the pears in half, then use a spoon or melon baller to remove the core from all halves. Cut the pears into about 1″ pieces (this doesn’t have to be exact).
Step Two: Add Everything to a Sauce Pan. Combine water, chopped pears, sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer, and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves.
Step Three: Let it Simmer. Turn the heat beneath the pot down just a little, and allow the ingredients to gently simmer for about 25 minutes.
Step Four: Steep. Remove the sauce pan from the heat, stir the ingredients together. Let the mixture sit at room temperature to cool down for about 15 minutes.
Step Five: Strain the Syrup. Strain the contents of the sauce pan through a fine mesh strainer (or cheese cloth) into a glass measuring cup. Discard the pears and cinnamon sticks.
Step Six: Strain Again. Strain a second time, again through a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth, into a glass jar that seals tightly (a mason jar is great for this). Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Make this Spiced Pear Simple Syrup Yours!
Ways to Customize this Recipe: You can add more flavors to this pear syrup if you like!
Customize this Recipe:
- Add Fresh Ginger: Add a couple teaspoons of grated fresh ginger for an extra kick.
- Add Baking Spices: Cloves, allspice, or nutmeg would be a great addition here, too. Start very small with these; a little goes a loooong way.
- Add Fruit or Citrus: Slices of apple, lemon, orange are great companions to this pear syrup.
- Make it with Maple Syrup: Omit the sugar and swap in maple syrup for a thicker, richer syrup that you could drizzle over. vanilla ice cream, pancakes, waffles, and more!
How to Make this Ahead of Time + Store Leftovers
Make this syrup up to 3 days ahead; it actually gets more flavorful as the flavors sit together. Store it in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. For longer storage, add a splash (about 1 tablespoon) of vodka, and it’ll stay fresh-ish for up to 1 month (or about 2 weeks without vodka).
More Infused Simple Syrup Recipes
What to Mix with Pear Simple Syrup:
- Spirits: Bourbon, Tequila, Vodka
- Fresh Citrus: Lemon Juice, Orange Juice
Holiday Cocktail Inspiration
If you make this Spiced Pear Simple Syrup recipe and love it, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share it on Instagram and tag me, or use the hashtag #aflavorjournal so I can see it! If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make it, send me an email so I can help out.
xx Sara
Spiced Pear Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1.5 cups chopped Pears such as Comice or Bartlett, chopped into 1" pieces
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine water, pears, sugar, and cinnamon sticks over medium heat. Stir gently until sugar has completely dissolved.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes).
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup. Discard the pears and cinnamon sticks.
- Strain the syrup a second time through a fine mesh sieve into a large glass bottle that tightly seals.
- Refrigerate for up to two weeks, or add a splash of vodka and refrigerate for up to one month.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Made as written, great! Used to make a pear version of a French 75. One oz pear brandy, one oz of the syrup, 1 1/2 oz lemon juice, mix in shaker, pour in champagne flute rimmed with cinnamon/ginger sugar and finish with sparkling wine.
That cocktail sounds amazing, Susan!! Thank you so much for sharing – I’m absolutely going to try if you don’t mind!
Making these today for thankgiving goodie bags sending family home with a small mason jar. Is there a reason i have to discard cinnamon stick and pears.. was thinking it would look pretty in the bottle but unsure if there was a reason why like if it made it spoil faster or something of that nature thanks!!
That’s such a GREAT gift idea!! As far as discarding the pears and cinnamon sticks goes – I have a couple of thoughts: the longer either of them sit in the syrup, the stronger the flavors will become. I totally agree that they make the syrup look so pretty, but I think the cinnamon sticks in particular might become overpowering if they stay in the syrup for an extended period of time, so I would probably go ahead and discard them. 🙁 My other thought is that the pears could potentially cause the syrup to go bad a bit faster if they’re left in … however, I think if you keep the bottled syrups refrigerated and add a small splash of vodka (like 1/2 – 1 tsp. per jar), you could leave the pears in the syrups for a couple of weeks! The vodka helps keep the syrup stable for much longer, and won’t change the flavor at all! The only downfall to this part is that the syrups will probably become pretty cloudy as the pears continue to break down, so just a heads up on that part! Also – just a random thought, but maybe you could tie a cinnamon stick to each jar somehow just for a pop of personality and a cue to what’s in the syrup? I hope this helps and I hope everyone loves it!! Just let me know if you have any other questions for me!
I also added allspice seeds, peeled ginger and a crushed half of nutmeg. Very tasty.
Oooh, that sounds delicious!!