Easy Pear Appetizer with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

An easy Pear Appetizer with Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts requires only 3 ingredients and can be made in less than 5 minutes! It’s the best fall appetizer recipe for a crowd.

Sweet, savory, crisp and crunchy – it’s the perfect start to your holiday meal!

With the holiday season coming up, I am always looking for easy appetizer recipes for my friends and family can munch on while they anticipate the holiday meal. And I love a quick appetizer that is easy for guests to eat. A finger food at its best.

I love bringing you fast and easy appetizers that are perfectly portioned for guests. Try my spinach artichoke cups or this Handheld Endive Salad for a delicious and pretty appetizer guests will love.

And don’t forget my little guacamole bites – the best way to enjoy guac in an individual serving! 

That’s why I decided on pears, blue cheese and candied walnuts. These three simple ingredients make this pear appetizer sweet, salty, crunchy and sweet. That makes this delicious combination, well, perfect!

I love pears, especially when they’re in season in fall and winter. If you love them too, be sure to check out this incredible Pear Cider recipe!

Pear Appetizer Ingredients

• Pears – I choose to make this appetizer recipe with Comice pears, which just so happens to be the sweetest pear variety! And because those were the freshest and ripest pears available at the grocery store. Bosc or Red Anjou would work beautifully, too.
• Blue Cheese – Purchase a whole block from the cheese counter in your grocery store or local market. This is the good stuff and has much more flavor than the pre-packaged blue cheese crumbles. Plus, the softer and fresher the cheese, the easier it is to stick to the pear slice. My favorites are Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton. Soften to room temperature before assembly.
• Candied Walnuts – I love to make homemade candied nuts, especially during the fall and winter season, but feel free to purchase a store-bought brand for convenience. Many gourmet markets sell exceptional candied walnuts that are far better in quality than the commercial varieties.

How To Make Pear Blue Cheese Appetizer

1. Thinly slice pears on a mandoline or with a knife.
2. Place the pear slices on the serving platter, top with a soft, fresh blue cheese and a candied walnut.

How To Slice Pears Evenly

I found the best way to get the most even pear slices is with a mandolin. First, set the mandolin to a medium thickness. Then, cut the pear into four and remove the core. Slice each quarter on your mandolin, using the hand guard for safety! Each quarter should give you six even slices.

Is The Pear Appetizer Healthy?

Yes! Since we are using the freshest ingredients possible, this healthy pear appetizer is good and good-for-you.

You can, of course, take it a step further and replace the candied walnuts with plain nuts. This will make the pear recipe keto-friendly.

As an added tip, if you purchase raw, unsalted nuts, roast on a baking sheet in 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, or until slightly golden. Toasting the nuts brings out more of their natural flavor.

The Best Appetizer For Your Fall Party

This easy pear appetizer takes just five minutes to make and no clean-up necessary! Light, crisp and refreshing, it will keep your friends and family going back for more. It’s an elegant bite-sized snack and the perfect start to your holiday meal!

If you try this Pear Appetizer with Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too! For more easy recipes and simple living ideas, subscribe to my newsletter!