Chai Pomegranate Poached Pears with Vanilla Chai Honey Ice Cream

There's something about pears, warming spices, and pomegranate that feels like the beginning of fall in a bowl. This recipe turns seasonal fruit into something deeply comforting, beautiful, and a little decadent — pears gently poached in pomegranate juice, coconut sugar, and warming chai spices until tender and fragrant, served alongside a creamy homemade vanilla chai honey ice cream.

Created in collaboration with naturopathic chef @panaceas_pantry, this dessert weaves a little extra nourishment into every spoonful. We added our Vanilla Chai Protein Powder, Happiness Tonic, and Adaptogenic Powder to bring together plant-based protein, adaptogenic herbs, and mood-supportive botanicals — a dessert made for slow evenings, dinner parties, and fall gatherings.

It's rich without feeling overly heavy, naturally beautiful on the table, and one of those recipes that proves something nourishing can still feel completely indulgent.

What's In the Bowl

Vanilla Chai Protein Powder blends straight into the ice cream base, adding plant-based protein from pea, pumpkin seed, brown rice, and sacha inchi along with warming chai spice and antioxidant-rich vanilla — turning a simple honey ice cream into something a little more grounding.*

Happiness Tonic goes into the pear poaching syrup at the very end, lending its mood-supportive blend of adaptogenic herbs to the finished glaze that gets spooned over the pears.*

Adaptogenic Powder joins the syrup alongside the Happiness Tonic — its seven medicinal mushrooms and cacao rounding out the earthy, spiced depth of the glaze.*

RECIPE

Freeze time: 4+ hours (or overnight) for the ice cream

Poach time: 20 minutes–2 hours, depending on pear ripeness

Serves: 6

Recipe by: Jade

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream:

• 600ml heavy/thickened cream
• ⅔ cup milk
• ¼ cup raw honey
• ½ cup Anima Mundi Vanilla Chai Protein Powder
• 6 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 ripe banana, peeled

For the Pears:

• 6 pears — brown pears like bosc work best
• 2 cups pure pomegranate juice
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 slice gingerbread
• 2 cloves
• 4 star anise
• 1 dropper Anima Mundi Happiness Tonic
• 1 tsp Anima Mundi Adaptogenic Powder

Method

Make the ice cream:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream to soft peaks and set aside.
2. Add all remaining ice cream ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the blended mixture into the whipped cream and whisk through until you have soft peaks again.
4. Transfer to a loaf tin or your preferred container. Smooth the mixture out, then cover firmly with baking paper or plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 hours, or overnight.
5. If freezing overnight, allow at least 10 minutes to defrost on the bench before scooping — more if the weather is cold.

Make the pears:

1. Peel the pears, keeping the stem intact. You can also halve them lengthways to speed up the process — whichever you prefer.
2. Add the pomegranate juice, water, sugar, and spices to a small-to-medium pot — small enough that the liquid mostly covers the pears. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and carefully lower in the pears.
3. For whole pears, simmer for up to 2 hours — the time will vary depending on ripeness, so keep an eye on them. They're ready when tender all the way through; test with a skewer. For halved pears, simmer for 20–45 minutes.
4. Remove the pears from the pot and set aside carefully.
5. Continue cooking the poaching liquid until it reduces to a thick syrup, watching closely as it can burn quickly once reduced. Strain into a bowl, then whisk in the Happiness Tonic and Adaptogenic Powder until smooth.
6. Set the pears and syrup in the fridge overnight, or until ready to serve.

To serve, plate the poached pears, drizzle generously with the spiced syrup, and add a scoop of the vanilla chai honey ice cream alongside.

Shop The Ingredients

Vanilla Chai Protein Powder: plant-based protein blend with warming chai spice and vanilla, for daily nourishment and vitality*

Happiness Tonic: adaptogenic spirit tonic supporting balanced moods*

Adaptogenic Powder: organic blend of 7 medicinal mushrooms + cacao for daily resilience*

Discover more fall-ready recipes in the Blog.