A quick and easy pear pudding, this pear pudding cake is a lovely way to enjoy pears! One bowl and no mixer required. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
I debated what to call this delicious pear dessert. It’s not quite a pudding, but not quite a cake, either. So I hedged my bets and called it a pudding cake. Just know that it’s filled with lots of pears, baked in a custard-like batter and topped with an unusual egg/sugar topping that bakes onto the top, upping the custard flavours in this one.
And did I mention easy? This one is one bowl and no mixer needed! If you love baked pears, this dessert is for you, no matter what you call it :)
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pears – you can use any type of pear you like, as long as it’s ripe. I’ve use Bosc pears here, as they are one of my favourites. I also find that they are sold ripe or almost ripe, so you don’t have to wait days to use them.
To prepare, simply peel, then quarter. Use a knife to slice away the core, seeds and the tough membrane that runs up to the stem. Then cut into chunks. Make the size of your chunks somewhat according the to size of your cooking pan. If using smaller ramekins, chop them smaller. For a larger pan, you can keep them larger.
Other ingredients you will need: Eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and vegetable oil.
Recipe Tips
- I haven’t tested this one with gluten-free flour, but I suspect that a one-for-one gluten free flour should work just fine here. Likewise, I haven’t tested this with milk-alternatives, but it may work here, as well.
- Make sure the puddings are set before pouring on the topping, so it doesn’t sink and disappear into the batter. That should take about 20 minutes in the oven. Return the pudding cakes to the oven until set and golden on top, about 15 minutes longer.
- I’ve used four larger ramekins here. You can use smaller ramekins, where you will probably get 5 or 6 puddings.
- These will rise in the cups, so don’t over-fill. Be sure to bake on top of a baking sheet, too, just in case :)
- These cakes are lovely warm, maybe even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They are also nice at room temperature, as well.
- You can cover and refrigerate any left-overs, as it stands up reasonably well in the fridge, to re-warm and enjoy later.
Making Ahead and Storing
These pudding cakes are nice freshly baked and served warm, though they can be made ahead and refrigerated, then re-warmed. Pop into a 350F over loosely covered with foil to re-warm. Store left-overs in the refrigerator.
Get the Recipe: Pear Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup milk, whole or 2% recommended
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs
- 4 pears, ripe, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
Topping:
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Garnish:
- Icing/Confectioners' Sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) Prepare 4-6 ramekins (4 large or 5-6 smaller) by lightly buttering or spraying with cooking/baking spray. Set aside.
- Prepare the pears and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Measure out the milk and add the vegetable oil and vanilla to the milk. Pour into bowl with the flour mixture. Add the eggs and stir until smooth. Add the pear and stir to coat.
- Spoon batter into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly between them. Don't over-fill, as these will rise as they bake. Fill no more than about 2/3 full! Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- While the pudding cakes are baking, prepare the topping. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Once cooled, stir together the sugar, egg and melted (and cooled) butter until combined and smooth. *Be sure the butter has cooled, or it will cook the egg. Set aside.
- After 20 minutes of baking, remove the pudding cakes from the oven and pour the topping mixture over-top, dividing evenly. Use a spoon to spread evenly, if necessary. Return to the oven and bake an addition 15 minutes, or until set and golden on top.
- Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving warm. Serve dusted with icing sugar or alternately, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. These are also good at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
More Pear Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I made the batter first then prepared the pears and tried to put an equal amount of cut up pears in each ramekin then spooned the batter on top. I wanted it to be fair for everyone. It was so delicious. I have taken this quite a few times when asked to bring a dessert and people are excited just seeing the individual desserts for everyone. Then they taste it! It has been a hit every time. After pear season was over, I began to experiment and have made the dessert with apples, apples and blueberries, peaches, peaches and blueberries and the results have all been fantastic. The peaches and blueberries were frozen and the results were still delightful. I want to try strawberry rhubarb or rhubarb next. I have frozen of each and expect them to be amazing too. Easy recipe with fantastic results every time. People will think you fussed all day. The ramekins lift the dessert to a higher level of presentation and eating.
Hi Lynda, I am so glad you are enjoying it and I love all the variations you’ve tried! I agree, individual desserts are always just extra special :) Thanks so much!
This is a really great recipe. And I love that it’s not sickly sweet. We paired it with some English custard which was delicious.
I’m curious how it would taste if you use brown sugar with the top instead of white sugar. Maybe I’ll try next time
Glad you enjoyed it, Jenalyn. I think it would taste fine with brown sugar, but may not make a crispy top as white sugar does.
I was looking with such envy at the comments where they got their pears for a great price or had too many.
Pears here right now are something like $2.50 per pound and seem scarce at that. I have some jarred pears to use in this recipe so that is what I will be trying.
Hi Carol and jarred pears will work just fine. Other than the brief period when local pears are in season here in the Fall, pears are expensive here, as well.
I have tried this dessert with all kinds of fruit permutations- apples, apples and blueberries, peaches, peaches and blueberries- and they have all been fantastic so don’t limit yourself to pears. If you see something on special, go for it.
These are insane good!! I used an 8×8, but think I’ll do ramekins next time. It was way too easy for me to just eat half the pan! I even got up at 2 am and grabbed more to eat quietly (or so I thought) in bed, it woke my husband up I thought he’d be irritated but he asked if I’d share the rest 😂. The topping really takes it to another level.  Yum!Â
Lol! I love that :) So glad you both enjoyed them. Thanks so much.
A friend has a very productive pear tree and every year I get some. This pear pudding cake is in the oven now. I used buttermilk to replace regular milk. Smells delicious. Grandkids are on the way over. Cool grandma coming up. 🥧
Enjoy! Thanks so much :)
I made this twice tonight. Once for my family and it was sooooo good I made one for my mother in law. We had pears this week 57¢ a pound with five pound limit. I got 15 pounds of pears. And this was a well chosen recipe to try. Kudos to you. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper
Ellen
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Ellen! Thanks so much :)
Wow this was so yummy and comforting! Silly me started mixing together all the dry ingredients before I realised the recipe called for milk – which I didn’t have – I still made it as we had loads of pears in the fridge to use up, and I’m so glad because this was still really lovely! I also didn’t have any icing sugar but that wasn’t a problem either. Definitely a recipe I’ll be making again soon, thanks for sharing it!
I’m so glad to hear, Rosie. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy pears :) Thanks so much!
Excellent!
Varied it a bit…added tsp almond emulsion with vanilla, cinnamon to batter and topping, coconut palm sugar (perfect sweetness), grated the pears and used the juice and put all in 8″ round pan. Added 2 long soda spoons of flour to topping.
Will freeze dry all the pears and rehydrate to make this again…yummm.
Thank you
OMG these were freaking delicious! Hubby and toddler love them so much. We served them with ice-cream and it was sooo good. Thank you for sharing!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Lucy! Thanks so much :)
Hi Jennifer. The recipe sounds great but my son can’t have eggs. Do you know if anyone has tried it using egg replacer?
Hi Annette, I haven’t had anyone say they have tried it. This one is a simple custard – milk and eggs, so I’m not sure how an egg replacer would perform, as I’ve never used it myself. That said, I think it would be worth a try. If you do, let me know how it worked out.
Have you tried doubling this one? it seems like it *should* work with a 9×13 for a larger gathering?
Hi Jana and no, I have’t, but I agree that it should work just fine.
This was super easy and yummy. Had to adapt a few changes though. I only had 3 pears and that was fine. I also added a pinch of cinnamon to the batter to give it more of a fall flavor. Lastly, for the topping I only had salted butter but that was fine too! My husband said it reminded him of a home town classic, bread pudding.
So glad to hear, Amber :) Thanks so much!
I was not expecting to love these but I did. I ate mine, finished my husband’s and had an extra one haha – something I never do. Highly recommend this easy, tasty recipe.
So glad to hear! And yes, we don’t think of pear desserts being that exciting, but cooked pears are seriously under-rated :) Thanks so much!
Would you be able to freeze these
Hi Jean and yes, I think they should freeze fairly well. The pear may soften slightly from the freezing/thawing, but not in an unappealing way.
Hi! Great recipe! What do you think about using canned pears?
Hi Enrique and thanks :) I think canned pears would work just fine in this one as well.
Hello,
The ramekins in the picture are adorable! Would you be able to tell me what brand those are? Thank you!
Hi Cathy, they are Ciroa brand (pattern is “Braided). I got them at Homesense (Home Goods) earlier this year. I did check the ciroa website and they don’t seem to have the anymore, but they have some other nice patterns there that are nice, too. https://ciroa.com/collections/ramekins
I loved this. I baked it in a 8 inch square pyrex dish for the baking time recommended for the ramekins and it was nice and brown and cooked through. But my ripe Bartlett pears were too firm, as if they needed more baking time. I think I might poach the pears and lightly pan fry them in butter the next time before adding them to the batter. It also suggested to me that I might try the recipe when pears are not in season with canned pears, really well drained and patted dry. The flavour was excellent. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lori :) You might try Bosc pears. They are the pears I generally use and haven’t had an issue with them being too firm after baking. Thanks!
I don’t use pears often enough, but do really enjoy them! This looks like such a delicious dessert, Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Dawn :)
My hand is up – I adore pear desserts! This looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it. Brilliant and inspired and no doubt delicious :)
Thanks so much, Tricia and I’m right there with you. I love baked pears in any form :)
What size ramekins did you use? Is large 8oz? I’m going to have to buy some and I’d like to get the size that will let me make 4 servings instead of 6 servings. Thank you
Hi Laurel and yes, my large ones were 8 oz.
Is there a type of pear that you recommend? There are so many varieties.
Bosc? Bartlett? etc.
Thanks. Sounds like a grand dessert.
Hi Janice, I tend to favour Bosc pears, as I love the texture and you can generally buy them reasonably ripe (so you don’t have to wait days for them to ripen :). That said, really any ripe pear will work fine here. Enjoy :)
Hi this is the second time I made this recipe and I really like it. I use my Bartlett pears that we grow so is very convenient and I cut them small with a small square and they cook fine ,but the only part that I don’t like is the last topping. It just makes it too sweet and not necessary for my liking. Other than that, is great use and taste thanks am also will try your other recipes.
Hi Yvette and glad you are enjoying it. Thanks! As for the topping, you could try cutting the topping in half, so there would just be less of it and see how that works out.
I’m always looking for new pear recipes for fall Jennifer and these little cakes look delicious. Pinned!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
If you cook this in an 8″ x 8″ dish, does the cooking time change?
Hi Ellen, yes, it may. I haven’t cooked this one in one large pan. You’ll want to do the first part of cooking until it’s set (may be a bit longer than 20 minutes). Once set and you add the topping, another 15 minutes in the oven should be enough.
 Ellen, how long did you cook yours for? I kept putting mine in for five minute increments possibly a total of 35 minutes. The inside did not seem to be cooked. But then the rest of it got more caramelized and darker brown. I then even ended up having to cook it longer than 15 minutes for the second part. Jennifer, what is the texture of the inside supposed to be like? I like your YouTube videos, but it just does not give enough information. It is delicious.Â
Hi Teresa, it sounds like you were expecting it to get firm, like a cake. As this is a pudding cake, it will be wet – pudding like. While ovens will vary, my best advice it to try to stick to the suggested times in the recipe when you first make something.
Pears are one of my favorite fruit and I love how easy this pudding dessert is to make! Using ramekins is a great way to pace oneself, too:) I have a feeling we will be having little bites of this goodness soon by the fire.
Thanks Milena and yes, individual portions have built in portion control :)
This is incredible! Just yesterday, while at the grocery store, I passed the pears and thought – I haven’t had one in the longest time…now I know what to do with them!! Pinned!
Thanks Annie and yes, pears are often over-shadowed by Fall apples, but I love pears, so I never miss the season :)