White Rum and Citrus Poached Pears

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-18 · Updated 2026-06-18

Elegant pears gently poached in a white rum, citrus, and vanilla syrup, perfect for a light dessert or special occasion. This French-inspired recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, layers firm ripe pears, peeled and cored, white rum, water into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 4, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 firm ripe pears, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup white rum
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups water, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup white rum, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp orange zest, 1 split vanilla bean, and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Step 2: Add 4 peeled and cored pears to the poaching liquid, spooning syrup over them. Reduce heat to low and poach pears gently for 20-25 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
3. Step 3: Carefully remove pears with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and boil the poaching liquid until reduced by half and syrupy, about 10 minutes.
4. Step 4: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice to the syrup, removing the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick before pouring over the pears.
5. Step 5: Serve the poached pears warm or chilled, drizzled with the rum-citrus syrup for a refined dessert.