Halloween dessert with pears that look like skulls in red fruit puree

Who knew that pears could be so spooky? Get into the Halloween spirit with these easy and oh-so spooky poached pears. This make-ahead dessert is on the healthier side of after dinner sweet bites.

The pears are poached in a ginger-honey liquid then transformed into Halloween skulls with a few simple additions. Finish off the poached pears with a scary, “bloody” sauce of pureed frozen berries and a touch of yogurt. Throw in a few “blood” spatters to really boost your spooky factor.

I made a strawberry sauce with this Halloween dessert of Ghost Meringues. Such fun!

Wouldn’t these be great with a change in decorations for a Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration too? Switch out the spooky eyes for something floral. As for the rest of the year make these spooky poached pears (without the spooky!) for dessert any time; they are a real crowd-pleaser. Both the poached pears and the berry sauce can be made ahead of time which is ideal when entertaining.

Yield: 8

Spooky Poached Pear Skulls

Get into the Halloween spirit with these easy and oh-so spooky poached pears. This make-ahead dessert is on the healthier side of after dinner sweet bites.

Ingredients

3 cups water
½ cup Sprouts Organic Honey
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
8 Bartlett Pears, stems removed and peeled
10 oz bag Sprouts Organic Frozen Berry Medley
¾ cups water
¼ cup whole milk plain yogurt

Instructions

In a large sauce pan bring 3 cups water and ½ cup honey to boil. Add the chopped ginger and reduce to a simmer. Gently add the peeled pears (likely in batches of 4 at a time depending on the size of your saucepan) and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. If the pears are not completely covered with liquid, simply use a spatula to carefully rotate them half way through. Repeat with remaining pears as necessary.
If eating right away remove the pears from the liquid, place on parchment and let cool slightly. If eating later, you may keep the pears in the poaching liquid and refrigerate overnight.
Meanwhile prepare the berry sauce. Puree the bag of frozen organic berry medley with ¾ cup water and ¼ cup whole milk yogurt until smooth. Set aside.
Decorate the cooled pears to look like Halloween Skulls. Push in the red, French Burnt Peanuts for eyes. Gently use a sliced almond to make an indentation for the nose. Carefully poke the sunflower seed hulls into the pear to create teeth. Be creative and use what decorations you might have in your kitchen- have fun!
Plate the dessert: pour about 3 tablespoons of the berry-yogurt sauce onto a plate or bowl. If you wish, spatter a little extra sauce around the edges for a “blood-spattered” look. Place a pear on top of the sauce. Save any extra sauce to make a smoothie at another time.

Notes

This is a great make ahead dessert. Poach the pears and refrigerate overnight.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 pear
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 6gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g

This data is provided by Nutritionix and is an estimate only.

Here are more pear recipes!

Please note that this is a sponsored post. I developed this recipe in partnership with #Sprouts; ingredients were purchased at my local Sprouts store. I was compensated for my participation and all opinions are my own.

Holly Baker

Holly Baker started the food blog, A Baker’s House, in 2011. She is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer for the site. Holly loves to bake and shares recipes for gluten free food, canning recipes, as well as traditional desserts too. Her recipes and food photography have been highlighted by BuzzFeed, Reader’s Digest, and She Knows.