Poire Belle Hélène (Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Custard)
Vanilla poached pears set in warm custard and covered in glossy dark chocolate sauce.
Made with Egg custard (creme anglaise). Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.21 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the water, sugar, vanilla and lemon halves in a pan that just fits the pears standing up. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- 2
Add the pears and cover with a circle of baking paper. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife slides in easily.
25 min - 3
Lift the pears out and leave them to drain and cool a little. Keep 100 ml of the poaching syrup.
- 4
For the sauce, heat the cream and the 100 ml syrup in a small pan until steaming. Take off the heat, add the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
- 5
Gently reheat your ready made egg custard (creme anglaise, see the base recipe) in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until steaming hot.
- 6
Pour the custard into four shallow bowls, set a pear in each and spoon over the warm chocolate sauce.
Tips
- Use firm Conference pears. Soft ripe pears fall apart in the syrup.
- Dip a skewer into the pear to test it. It should slide in with no resistance, but the pear should not feel mushy.
- Poach the pears up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the syrup in the fridge.
Storing and freezing
Keep the pears in their syrup in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the sauce for up to 3 days and reheat gently until steaming hot.
Questions
What is Poire Belle Hélène?
A classic French dessert of poached pears served with vanilla ice cream or cream and hot chocolate sauce. This version uses homemade custard in place of ice cream.
Can I use ice cream instead of custard?
Yes. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream beside each pear for the traditional version. Warm custard gives a lovely contrast with the cool pear.
Is this pudding gluten free?
Yes. Pears, syrup, dark chocolate, cream and the custard base have no gluten. It is vegetarian and nut free.
More made with egg custard (creme anglaise)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
