Easy Pear Butter Recipe with Elderflower
This easy pear butter recipe is perfect for fall. Sweet, juicy pears are simmered with lemon, ginger, cardamom, and elderflower, until thick and spreadable. This spiced fruit butter is delicious stirred into oatmeal or yogurt, or served alongside a cheeseboard.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
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Pear butter recipe
This easy pear spread goes with everything from your morning toast to cheese on a charcuterie board. You could also stir some into my pear coffee cake for a jammy layer.
While apple butter tends to lean heavily on cinnamon, I wanted to pair something a bit more delicate and floral with the pears. We’re using cardamom, ginger, and star anise to flavor the butter, as well as some elderflower liqueur.
What you need to know
You’ll need a food mill, if you don’t want to peel and core the pears. A case for NOT peeling the pears – the skins have pectin, which helps it set up and thicken. Pectin is added to jams to jellies to make them gel. If the pears are peeled, we’re not getting that added benefit.
You will also need a large, heavy pot, like a Dutch oven, and a ladle. A wide-mouth funnel is also helpful, it’ll keep the messes to a minimum. I like to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot while I’m cooking, to ensure that nothing gets stuck.
Ingredients
- Pears – I used Bartlett pears, but Anjou or Comice would also be great.
- Sugar – A combination of sugar and brown sugar gives the butter a nice flavor. You can also try maple syrup or honey.
- Lemons – Strips of zest and the juice are added to the pears as they cook.
- St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur – Made from elderflowers, this liqueur has a delicate flavor.
- Vanilla – Vanilla adds complexity to the pear spread.
- Star anise, ginger, cardamon, and salt – These spices add extra flavor.
How to make
Here’s a quick summary of how to make pear butter. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Prep – Remove stems and blossom end from pears. Cut into large chunks, and place in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with water, star anise and lemon.
- Simmer – Bring to a simmer and cook until pears are falling apart.
- Purée – Run cooked pear mixture through a food mill, discarding solids.
- Cook – Return the purée to the pot and cook for 2 – 3 hours until thickened.
Pear butter recipe for canning
Ladle mixture into clean jars. Wipe rims, to make sure they are completely clean – otherwise you may not get a good seal, then place lids on top and screw rings on until “fingertip tight”. Carefully lower into water bath (jars should be covered by 2 inches of water in the canning pot) with canning tongs. Process for 15 minutes. (For higher altitude, adjust accordingly – 20 minutes for 1,001-6,000 feet or 25 minutes over 6,000 feet).
Pear butter FAQ’s
Yes! If you don’t have a food mill, you’ll need to peel the pears and remove the seeds and stems before starting. To purée it after cooking, you can use an immersion blender, food processor, or mash it up with a potato masher if you prefer it with more texture.
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Storage / Freezing Information
To store: Store in jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or process in a hot water bath to seal the jars and store in the pantry for up to a year.
To freeze: Place cooled pear butter into a glass jar, or plastic container. Leave at least half an inch of headspace on top of container, as it will expand when frozen. Store int he freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations and substitutions
- Bourbon – Try switching out the St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur for your favorite bourbon.
- Alcohol-free – Omit alcohol, or replace with apple juice.
Serving suggestions
Serve this vanilla pear butter with buttermilk biscuits, on toast, stirred into yogurt or oatmeal, or on pancakes. Use it to make puff pastry tarts for an easy dessert or a delicious topping for ice cream.
It also makes a wonderful homemade gift for friends, family and neighbors.
Helpful tools and equipment
- A food mill makes quick work of puréeing the pears.
- Basic canning supplies, like a jar lifter, are needed if you want to can the pear butter for longer storage.
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Pear Butter
Ingredients
- 4 ½ pounds ripe pears Bartlett or Anjou, stems and blossom end removed, roughly chopped (do not peel or seed) / 2kg
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice *you'll need about 3 lemons + strips of zest from 1 lemon
- 1 star anise
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar *adjust to the sweetness of your pears – you may need more or less
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅓ cup Elderflower liqueur * Bourbon or apple juice can be substituted
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large, deep pot, combine pears, lemon juice, strips of lemon zest, star anise and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook for approximately 30 – 40 minutes until pears are falling apart.
- Run mixture through the fine mesh disc of a food mill to remove seeds and skin. Discard solids. Return purée to the pot, and stir in brown sugar, granulated sugar, ginger, cardamom, elderflower liqueur, and salt.
- Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until thick and amber colored. This will take anywhere between 2 – 3 hours. *Mine took 2 hours and 20 minutes.*If you plan to can the pear butter, start setting up the canning equipment.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Carefully ladle into 6 sterilized half pint jars, top with lids, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To can the pear butter:
- Ladle the pear butter into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ – ½ inch headspace. Wipe the rims to make sure they are clean (this may prevent a good seal if they are not). A canning funnel will help minimize mess. Top with lids and rings. Tighten rings to "fingertip tight", not all the way tightened – air needs to escape in order to form a seal.Carefully lower jars into a boiling water bath, making sure the jars are submerged under 2 inches of water, then process for 15 minutes in the boiling water. Remove the jars from the hot water, and place on a towel on the kitchen counter. You will likely hear them "ping" very shortly after removing them from the water. That means they are sealed. The pear butter will set up overnight, leave them undisturbed for about 24 hours. Label the jars, and store for up to a year. *Any jars that have not sealed should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Originally published 10/7/13, most recent update 9/17/25.
Oh, Sissy! *You* are the evil genius with the addition of St. Germaine!!! I have the smartest Sissy in the world! (but thank you for the shout out!) <3