These Dutch oven stuffed pears are an amazing autumn dessert that you can make at camp or in your oven at home. Filled with a just-sweet-enough mixture of oats, brown sugar, and dried cranberries, these juicy baked pears can easily double as breakfast the next morning.
By the time we reach fall camping season, everyone in my house is a little tired of the s'more-inspired desserts, and are craving those cozy fall flavors and crisp fruit, so we lean heavily into apple and pear crisps, pumpkin cheesecake, and these oh-so-simple-yet-spectacular Dutch oven stuffed baked pears.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pears--Use pears that hold their shape well during baking, such as Anjou or Bosc pears. Avoid using Bartlett as they tend to become mushy and fall apart. I like Anjou best for this stuffed pear recipe, as their round shape makes it easy to fit them into the Dutch oven. Look for pears that give slightly when gently pressed, but aren't mushy or bruised. Avoid overly soft fruit, which will fall apart, and very underripe fruit, which won't soften during baking.
- Oats--Use regular or old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe, not quick oats.
- Butter--I used salted butter here for ease of preparation, but if you prefer unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the oat mixture before scooping it into the pears.
- Dried cranberries--I recommend using sweetened dried cranberries as this isn't an overly sweet dessert.
How to Bake Stuffed Pears in a Dutch Oven
1. Combine the oats, brown sugar, dried cranberries, and ginger in a medium bowl.
2. Slice the pears in half lengthwise, and scoop the core out of the center of each half.
3. Stuff each pear with a spoonful of the filling and top with a pat of butter. Arrange the pear halves in a parchment-lined Dutch oven.
4. Cook on a bed of hot coals or embers with coals on the lid, until the pears are soft.
FAQs
Yes. Cook them in the Dutch oven, covered, at 350°F (180°C) until soft.
If you're camping, I recommend serving these baked stuffed pears with some canned whipped cream. It's portable and doesn't take up much space in your cooler. If you're at home or have access to a freezer at camp, feel free to top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you want to double the recipe, use a 6 to 8 quart cast iron Dutch oven. You'll also need to increase the amount of coals to 8 on the bottom and 16 on top.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- To get ahead, mix up your stuffing and store in a resealable bag or airtight container before heading out to camp.
- Ensure that you don't have any bits of parchment sticking out of the Dutch oven as it could ignite.
- Since you're cooking in a Dutch oven outside, the cooking time can vary due to outside temperature and wind. If you're cooking on a very windy day, try to protect the Dutch oven with a barrier, such as a pile of rocks, or a tarp.
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Recipe
Stuffed Pears
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 ripe pears such as Anjou or Bosc
- 2 tablespoons salted butter cut into 4 cubes
- Whipped cream or ice cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prepare a chimney of coals or a bed of hot campfire embers. You'll need 12 coals to start cooking. Coals take about 15 minutes to heat and are ready to use when they turn white.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cranberries, and ginger. Stir to mix well.
- Slice the pears lengthwise and use a sharp spoon or melon baller to scoop out the core from the center of each pear.
- Scoop about ¼ of the oat mixture into the center of each pear where the core was removed. It's ok if it doesn't all fit in the hole where the core was. You can gently mound it on top of the pear.
- Line a 2-quart Dutch oven with parchment paper and set each pear filling side up in the Dutch oven. They may be a little snug, but this is good as it helps to keep them from tipping over. Top each pear half with a square of butter.
- Cover the Dutch oven and cook in your fire pit with 4 coals under the Dutch oven and 8 on the lid until the pears are tender, about 1 hour. You'll need to replace the coals after about 30 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.
Notes
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- Get ahead--Mix up your stuffing and store in a resealable bag or airtight container before heading out to camp.
- Tuck in your parchment--Ensure that you don't have any bits of parchment sticking out of the Dutch oven as it could ignite.
- Cook it in the oven--To make oven-baked stuffed pears, follow the recipe, baking in a 350°F oven until tender, about 1 hour.
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