If there's one thing I appreciate about fall produce, it's pears. Sure, apples are the hero of the fall, but the unsung victor will always be pears. They're perfectly gritty, sweet, and make for really delicious recipes, such as this spiced pear margarita. Making margaritas couldn't be easier once you get the hang of the ingredients, and then adding in your favorite flavors. I love this spiced pear version, especially for Thanksgiving and the holiday season.

Spiced Pear Margarita

A spiced pear margarita incorporates all the typical ingredients to make a margarita, with the addition of a little cinnamon and, of course, pear pureé. This spiced pear margarita tastes just like what Thanksgiving feels like: crisp, warm, comforting, and bound to make you happy. Margaritas are my favorite cocktail, so it's no surprise why I made this spiced pear version. Read on how to make it for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving table this year!

How do you make pear pureé

I'm not an expert in making pureé, but here's what I found to work really well for this recipe:

• Blend: Adding the pear to a blender (even if it's a nutribullet) with a little bit of water will make the pureé needed for this margarita. A little water helps to thin out the pureé as we don't want it incredibly thick. Any chunks that don't get fully blended will be strained when pouring the cocktail into the glass upon serving.

Want to muddle the pear? I'm sure this would work fine, adding a little water to the pear and using a muddler, but I find it simpler to add the pear and some water to a blender and let it do its thing. If the pear turns brown, it's totally normal, as it's the oxygen in the atmosphere causing it to brown.

Ingredients

To make this ultra-festive margarita, you'll need a few basic ingredients, and of course, the pear!

• Pear: I choose Bartlett, I just really like them best!
• Tequila: I'm a huge fan of Casamigos or Tanteo, but Santera Tequila is quite delicious too. VERY smooth texture, which is great for this margarita.
• Cointreau: A typical orange liqueur added to margaritas
• Lime: Fresh is best here! Just a squeeze of half a lime is perfect.
• Cinnamon or apple pie spice: this will be the garnish on the glass, but also a little dash in the drink. I get my apple pie spice from Primal Palate, which you can learn more about here!

Directions

The most labor intensive part of this cocktail is making the pureé, after that, it's all a breeze!

1. To a blender, add the medium diced pear and blend with a little water until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a shaker cup, add ice, tequila, squeeze of lime, cointreau, and pour in the blended pear puree
3. Cover the top of the shaker and shake well.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon or apple pie spice into a medium plate and spread out well. Rim the rocks or coupe glass with a little lime juice and dip the glass into the cinnamon, creating a rim of spice around the class.
5. To the glass, pour the margarita 3/4 of the way full. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and serve.

Spiced Pear Margarita FAQs

Can I use any fruit other than pear?

Yes! Feel free to make this a spiced apple or spiced cranberry margarita!

What if I use mezcal?

Oooh, mezcal. That'll work too, it'll make the cocktail a little smokier than using regular tequila.

Can I serve this over ice, or does it need to be sans ice?

Do what feels good for you! I like the way this one tastes without ice, but feel free to pour over a rocks glass with ice!

Still Thirsty?

Take a shot at other satisfying and crowd-pleasing cocktails:

• Tropical Mezcal Margarita
• Grapefruit Gin Fizz
• Rose Sangria