Baked Quince

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/27/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Baked quince on a plate

rezkrr / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 8 quince halves
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
253 Calories
12g Fat
39g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 253
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 38mg 189%
Calcium 19mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 209mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Baked quinces are a great, simple fall dessert. Quince is like an apple or pear, but the flesh is very hard and has a tart, astringent flavor.

The quince is not a very popular fruit in the West, but can be found in many supermarkets and at some farmer's markets. While some may be more familiar with membrillo or quince paste, the fruit itself is wonderful, but is usually overwhelmingly tart when eaten raw. It also tends to be very hard and can be acrid in its raw form.

However, when cooked, it transforms and becomes a tender, delicious fruit that is wholly unique in flavor, texture, and aroma. It blends beautifully with apple and pear, is super fragrant, and is naturally high in pectin. It's also delicious with vanilla or warming spices. While it's certainly not the most ubiquitous fruit, there is now no better time than now to acquaint yourself with it.

Quince is also fantastic when eaten in savory contexts, but in this case, it becomes a delectable dessert that can be enjoyed in myriad of ways. 

"I had never cooked or eaten quinces before, and this recipe was easy and delicious. The cores are quite hard, but I found an apple corer helpful. Baking is a simple and excellent way to enjoy fresh quinces. They would be great with some cinnamon or a warm spice blend as well." —Diana Rattray

Recipe Test: Baked Quinces
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  2. Place the quince halves in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish, cut-side up. Top each quince half with 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pour the hot water around the quince halves without disturbing the topping.

  3. Bake in the preheated oven until the quinces are a golden color and soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

  4. Remove the baking dish to a rack and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

  5. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, custard sauce, or with the cooking liquids.

Tips

  • To keep the quince halves from browning as you prepare them, brush with lemon juice.
  • A pitting spoon is handy for removing the tough cores. Or try using an apple corer, peach pitter, or melon baller.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace all or part of the water with apple juice or apple cider.
  • For a warm spice flavor, combine the sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
  • For caramel flavor notes, replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar.

How to Store Baked Quinces

  • Refrigerate baked quince halves with the juices in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze the baked quince halves, transfer them to a freezer container or food storage bag and add the liquids. Label the container with the name and date and freeze the quinces for up to 12 months. Defrost frozen quinces in the fridge overnight.