Pear and Hazelnut Cookies are creamy, lightly spiced Fall Cookies filled with chewy dried pear pieces and chopped hazelnuts. Maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg add warmth, while cream cheese gives the cookies their soft, rich texture.
Pears do not always get the spotlight in cookie baking, but their mild fruit flavor pairs beautifully with nuts. For another pear and nut combination, try my Caramel Pear with Almond Cookies. Or, for another fall cookie with hazelnuts, try my Hazelnut Pumpkin Orange Cookies.
A Quick Look: Pear and Hazelnut Cookies
Recipe Name: Pear and Hazelnut Cookies
Ready In: 2 hours 21 minutes, including infusion and chill time
Yield: 36 cookies
Texture: Soft and creamy with chewy pear pieces and a light hazelnut crunch
Flavor Profile: Pear, hazelnut, maple, cinnamon, and nutmeg
Difficulty: Medium
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- 🍐 Chewy pear pieces: Dried pears are infused before baking, giving the cookies plenty of pear flavor without adding excess moisture.
- 🌰 A light hazelnut crunch: Chopped hazelnuts add texture and a mild, buttery nut flavor.
- 🍁 Warm fall flavor: Maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg complement the pear and hazelnuts without overpowering them.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Butter and cream cheese: Bring both to room temperature so they blend together smoothly and create the creamy cookie texture.
- Dried pears: The texture can vary by brand. Soaking them softens any firm edges and adds pear flavor. Blot them well before chopping so extra liquid does not go into the dough.
- Pear juice: Use pear juice or juice from pears packed in their own juice. Avoid heavy syrup because it adds more sugar than the recipe needs.
- Hazelnuts: Chopped hazelnuts are convenient. If using whole hazelnuts with skins, remove the skins before chopping them into small pieces.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pear and Hazelnut Cookies
I purchased chopped hazelnuts made by Fisher, but if all you can find are whole hazelnuts with the skins on here is a YouTube for skinning hazelnuts by Dadatouille.
Prep the Dried Pears
I found dried pears at Wegmans here in Lancaster PA, but Amazon has quite a collection of dried pears. Different manufacturers will have different textures from semi-hard to very soft. Wegmans brand had soft flesh but some of the rims were a little stiff so I did soak them for about 20 minutes to soften the outside of the slices.
I also used the concentrated juice from a can of Wegmans sliced pears. This brand did not have any added sugar. There are many brands, but you do not want the juice from a can that uses heavy syrup.
Pear Juice Tip!
- Heavy Syrup - The liquid is thicker and contains the most sugar and sometimes corn syrup. These can contain up to 40% sugars in the liquid.
- Light Syrup - This is a thinner liquid and does not contain as much sugar as the heavy syrup with only 10-20%.
- From Concentrate - The water is removed and a thick concentrate is created. Then water is added back in to create a thin liquid and only the natural fruit juices are calculated.
Step 1: I weighed out 9 dried pear slices which came out just a little over the 180g. I added the dried pears to a bowl and covered them with the pear juice.
Step 2: After 20-30 minutes I laid the pears between paper towels to absorb the excess juices. Cut the pear into pieces and set them aside.
Step 3: Weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars into a bowl and set it aside. In another bowl weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the flour, then run a whisk through to blend.
Mix the Dough
Step 4: In a mixer bowl, cube the butter and divide the cream cheese into blocks.
Step 5: On a medium mixer speed cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes.
Step 6: Next, add the sugars and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes.
Step 7: Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and one of the eggs. I break mine into a small dish before adding to the cookie dough to make sure there are no egg shells. Once incorporated add the second egg.
Step 8: The cookie dough will look very soft and smooth at this point. I scrape down the sides and bottom and turn the mixer on for about 10 seconds to finish blending the dough.
Step 9: Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture about a third at a time. This only takes about a minute. Try not to overmix you can always finish incorporating any loose flour with a spatula.
Step 10: Finally add the cut up dried pears and chopped hazelnuts. I mix for about 10 seconds.
Step 11: I take a spatula and mix it around to make sure the pears and hazelnuts are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
Chill
Step 12: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Scoop and Bake
Step 13: I almost always use a cookie scoop. It really helps keep the scooped cookie dough the same size. Using a medium cookie scoop, place twelve mounds on each prepared baking sheet.
Step 14: Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the pan for about 1 minute before moving them to a cooling rack.
🫙🍪 Storage
Cool the cookies completely before storing them. Place them in a container and rest the lid loosely on top instead of sealing it tightly. The cream cheese makes these cookies soft and creamy, and a little airflow helps keep them from becoming too moist. They will stay fresh for 4 to 6 days.
FAQs
I recommend dried pears for this recipe. They add chewy pear pieces without releasing excess juice into the cream cheese cookie dough. Fresh pears can make the cookies too moist or soggy after a few days.
Yes. Walnuts or almonds both pair well with pears. Each nut will change the flavor slightly, but either can replace the hazelnuts in the same amount.
I use equal amounts of dried pears and chopped hazelnuts because both have a mild flavor. This gives you pear and hazelnut in every bite without one overpowering the other.
Still Have Questions?
Need help with ingredient swaps or wondering if these cookies freeze well? I've added a few extra baking helpers below for common home baker questions.
Other Cookies with Hazelnuts
If you tried this Pear and Hazelnut Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Pear and Hazelnut Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 8 ounces Cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (120 g) Chopped hazelnuts
- 1 cup (180 g) Diced dried pears infused
- Pear juice from canned pears packed in natural juice, enough to cover the dried pears
Instructions
- Infuse the dried pears by soaking them in pear juice for 30 minutes. Remove the slices from the liquid, pat them dry with paper towels, and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- Weigh or measure the white and light brown sugars into a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine evenly. If using whole hazelnuts with skins, remove the skins and chop them into small pieces. If already chopped, you can skip this step.
- Add the butter and cream cheese to your stand mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the white and brown sugars and mix for another 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour in the vanilla extract and maple syrup, then mix to combine. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small dish (to catch any sneaky eggshells) before adding them to the batter, blending just until each is incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry flour mixture in thirds, blending just until combined. Scrape down the sides and across the bottom of the bowl once more, then add the chopped pears and hazelnuts. Mix just until the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed, this should only take a few seconds.
- Cover the mixer bowl loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. I love using a cookie scoop because it helps keep the cookies uniform in size. Using a medium-size scoop, I placed 12 mounds of dough per sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, then let the cookies rest on the pan for about a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Once fully cooled, store them loosely covered in a container, cream cheese cookies like a little breathing room to stay soft and flavorful.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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