Recipe 7: Healthy Warm-Spiced Baked Pears

Lifestyle |
4 min read

Written By

Mallory Junggren

Published

November 25, 2025

Medically reviewed by

Alyssa Dweck MS, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer

With this recipe, Bites with Bonafide is serving up a warm, healthy holiday dessert designed to make even the coldest nights feel irresistibly cozy. This comforting treat brings together seasonal flavors, beneficial ingredients, and festive sweetness—without weighing you down. Even better, several of the ingredients come with menopause-friendly benefits, offering support for everything from steady energy to digestion and mood.

It’s a win-win: a sweet holiday treat that loves you back.

This simple, cold weather dessert recipe lets the natural sweetness of pears shine, enhanced by warm spices and a touch of maple syrup to warm you up during the colder months. The walnuts add a crunch and healthy omega-3 fats, while the Greek yogurt provides a creamy, protein-rich finish.^{1, 2}

This is the perfect cozy dessert for winter, and it's secretly a powerhouse for supporting your body through perimenopause and menopause. We’re combining fiber-rich pears³, brain-boosting walnuts,⁴ and calcium-packed yogurt⁵ into something that feels indulgent while actively working to stabilize your energy, sharpen your focus, and support your bones.^6,7,8

To make this recipe we’ll start by preparing our pears. The fiber content in the fruit is key for supporting gut health and, importantly, for smoothing out those energy peaks that can disrupt your day.⁹

We'll then brush them with a warming blend of spices. The cinnamon we’re using isn't just for flavor, it's actually a powerhouse for helping our bodies manage blood sugar, which can mean fewer energy crashes and more clarity.¹⁰

After a quick roast, we’ll add a sprinkle of walnuts on top of our pears. These tasty nuts not only bring a satisfying crunch, but they also provide a healthy dose of omega-3s that are so important for helping to manage through brain fog experienced during menopause and supporting your heart health.^{11, 12}

To finish, add a healthy dollop of creamy Greek yogurt. This gives us a double-win: high-quality protein to help maintain muscle mass, and a much-needed boost of calcium for bone density,¹³ which should be considered a top priority as estrogen levels decline.

And there you have it.

More than just a delicious dessert, this is simple food that supports you where you need it most, from your energy and focus, down to your bones. It's a sweet way to take care of yourself this holiday season!

Recipe Details:

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

2 large, firm pears (Bosc or Anjou work best)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1 tbsp pure organic honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp ground ginger
1⁄8 tsp ground nutmeg
A tiny pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1⁄4 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Wash and dry the pears. Slice them in half, lengthwise. Using a melon baller or a small spoon, gently scoop out the core and seeds from each half.
Place the pear halves, cut-side down, in a small baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, organic pure honey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom (if using), and lemon juice.
Brush or spoon this mixture evenly over the cut surfaces of the pears and flip to cover the pear skin.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Flip the pears carefully. Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the pears are tender when pierced with a fork.
Serve two pear halves warm, topped with a generous dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
Sprinkle walnuts and a drizzle of honey over the top.

For a quick instructional video on how to put this recipe together, check out the below clip!

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