Delicious Spiced Pear Oatmeal Recipe

Spiced pear oatmeal features cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg in the oatmeal and in the topping of delicious caramelized pears and maple syrup. It’s also gluten-free and vegan.

Learn how to make a tasty spiced pear oatmeal dish. This oatmeal recipe is a great way to start the day and is perfect for colder mornings (though we eat it year round), so quick and easy to prepare.

I’ve been making this delicious Spiced Pear Oatmeal almost every weekend since we first tried it. The combination of the cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg go so well with the pears, like no other spice combination I’ve tried.

Spice flavor profiles-

Cinnamon- Cinnamon is often categorized as sweet and woody in both aroma and flavor.

Cardamom- Cardamom is piney and fruity.

Nutmeg- Nutmeg is warm, nutty, and slightly sweet.

All of these spices are promoted as excellent in sweet and savory dishes. As you can see by each flavor profile, some notes from each spice overlap but they also each have their own unique quality. Since pears are mildly sweet with a slight tangy flavor, they’re perfect in this recipe. I’ve substituted apples in this recipe when I didn’t have pears and it was “okay”. I think the soft texture of the pears is key for this oatmeal.

Key ingredients in Spiced Pear Oatmeal shown in photo above

Ingredients in Spiced Pear Oatmeal-

• Pear – Two small pears, Bartlett pear is our favorite for this recipe and the most readily available. Any type will work, however.
• Coconut oil – Any “fat” works but the coconut oil imparts a nice complimentary flavor with the pear and spices.
• Cinnamon – This is the top note of the spices, using a half teaspoon in the recipe.
• Cardamom – One of the best spices that goes with pears, cardamom is fruity with pine notes.
• Nutmeg – Fresh grated nutmeg adds warmth and sweetness to the mix.
• Salt – a tiny dash of salt helps bring all the spices together.
• Almond milk – or any milk of your choice. An equal amount of water is also added.
• Oats – Not instant, but regular oatmeal works best for this recipe. Most oatmeal is gluten-free, but make sure it’s labeled as such if you have a problem with gluten.
• Steel cut oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, and quinoa – These ingredients are used with the oatmeal to bump up the nutrients and crunchiness.  You can skip them if you don’t have everything, but they do add to the complex texture that makes this oatmeal so appealing.
• Vanilla extract – A teaspoon of vanilla helps to meld and even sweeten the oatmeal a bit. It’s perfect with the spices in the oatmeal.
• Real maple syrup – Two tablespoons of maple syrup go into the oatmeal as it’s cooking and then another two tablespoons get added to the pear topping. Heaven.
• Caramelized Maple Syrup Pear Topping – This is soooo good, I can think of other ways to use this yummy topping. Like over ice cream or yogurt.

How to make Spiced Pear Oatmeal-

Start with a small saucepan and skillet on your stove top. The initial ingredients- pear, coconut oil, and spices are the same quantities in the oatmeal itself as in the pear topping. So measure out those ingredients in both pans at the beginning of the recipe. You won’t turn on the burner for the topping until the oatmeal is nearly finished cooking.

The pears that are going to be cooked in the oatmeal itself get softened in the coconut oil and sautéed with the heavenly trifecta of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. I highly recommend buying whole nutmeg and using a microplane grater to grate it fresh for any recipe calling for nutmeg. It’ll last for a long time and is glorious.

The main ingredient in Spiced Pear Oatmeal (beside pears) is regular old-fashioned oats, about 3/4 cup. Then, if you have them, adding 2 tablespoons of steel cut oats adds a nice “tooth”. Also 1 tablespoon each of chia seeds and ground flax seeds for more nutrients, flavor and again, texture. If you don’t have the steel cut oats, chia seeds, and flax seeds, just add a full cup of the old-fashioned oats. I’ve done both. The variety of the other ingredients is notable and excellent but using only oats is still tasty. I also add about a tablespoon of quinoa during the last couple of minutes of cooking for added crunch and protein. Again, add it if you want.

Along with the grains, you’ll add one cup milk and one cup water. Once all the ingredients are in your pot and it simmers, cook until it thickens to how you like your oatmeal. Turn it down to stay warm while you caramelize the pear topping.

The pear topping is basically pears softened in coconut oil, the same amount of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg as in the oatmeal, then two tablespoons of maple syrup get added just before topping the oatmeal.

If adding extra milk at serving, pour a little, or a lot, or none at all. This is truly delicious spiced pear oatmeal that satisfies and gets you going.

Tips for making Spiced Pear Oatmeal-

• Make sure your pear is ripe or nearly ripe. I usually buy a very hard pear about four days ahead of when I want to make the oatmeal and it’s perfect on the day of.
• Experiment with other fruits. We’ve made the oatmeal with apples and though pretty tasty, we missed the softness and mellow flavor of the pear. You could add berries for beautiful color and flavor.
• After you chop the pear, divide it into the pan for the oatmeal and the skillet for the topping. Then measure out your coconut oil and spices for both the oatmeal and topping at the same time, even though you won’t be caramelizing the topping until the oatmeal is nearly ready. After about ten minutes of cooking the oatmeal, just turn on the skillet burner, soften your pears, add the maple syrup and it’s ready.
• The recipe calls for one pear but if you want a lot of topping, or just extra pear goodness, cut up two pears.

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5 from 5 votes

Spiced Pear Oatmeal

Delicious spiced pear oatmeal is made with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Gluten-free and vegan, topped with delicious, caramelized pears in maple syrup.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 168

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the oatmeal

• ½ tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 ripe Pear peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Cardamom
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• dash Salt
• 1 cup Almond milk or any milk you prefer
• 1 cup Water
• ¾ cup Old-fashioned oats
• 2 tbsp Steel cut oats
• 1 tbsp Chia seeds
• 1 tbsp Ground flax seeds
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Real maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Quinoa

Maple Syrup Pear Topping

• 1 Pear peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
• ½ tbsp Coconut oil
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Cardamom
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• 2 tbsp Real maple syrup

Instructions

Make the oatmeal and prep the topping

• Place a small skillet and a small saucepan on your stovetop. Place one chopped pear in each of the pans. Add ½ tablespoon to each pan, then add to each pan ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
• Do not turn on the burner for the skillet yet. Add a dash of salt to the pears in the saucepan. Heat the pears, coconut oil and spices for the oatmeal over medium heat. Stir to coat the pears with spices and coconut oil as it melts. Let this cook for just a couple minutes to let the spices incorporate into the pear.
• Add 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup water, ¾ cup old-fashioned oats, 2 tablespoons steel cut oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, 1 teaspoon vanilla to the pan and give a stir. Let the oatmeal boil slightly, then simmer and thicken, stirring occasionally. If adding 1 tablespoon quinoa, do so now.

Start the pear topping and finish the oatmeal

• When the oatmeal mixture looks almost ready to serve, after about 10 minutes of cooking, heat the skillet with the pear topping ingredients to medium and stir as the coconut oil melts and the spices coat the pears. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the pears are softened, about 5 minutes. At this time the oatmeal should be thick enough to serve.
• Add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup to the oatmeal and also add 2 tablespoons maple syrup to the pear topping, stir and remove pans from heat.
• Pour oatmeal into bowls for serving, then divide the pear topping among the individual bowls. Serve with additional warmed almond milk, if desired.

Equipment

1 Small sauce pan

1 Small skillet

Notes

• If you don't have chia seeds, flax, and steel cut oats, you may add 1 full cup old-fashioned oats to the saucepan and it will still be delightful. But for the best texture, I highly recommend adding all the options.
• The 1 tablespoon quinoa is added to the oatmeal near the very end of cooking for extra texture. It won't cook fully before serving and that's just how you want it. This is an optional step.

Nutrition Facts

Spiced Pear Oatmeal

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 87mg4%

Potassium 110mg3%

Carbohydrates 21g7%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 0.5g1%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 4IU0%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 120mg12%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.