If you have ripe pears on hand, this pear muffins recipe is a perfect way to use them. Filled with juicy pears and warm spices, then topped with cinnamon crumble, they are hard to resist!
You can make a double batch and freeze them for hectic mornings. They make a perfect snack or easy breakfast on the go.
Why You’ll Love These Pear Muffins
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients, no special equipment required.
- Moist and tender: Fresh pears add natural moisture to every bite.
- Perfect Any Time: They’re delicious for breakfast, brunch, after school, or a late night snack!
- Fall flavor: Cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the pear flavor, and make your house smell amazing.
- Freezer-friendly: Bake a batch ahead of time and save some for later.
- Crumb Topping: Who can resist a muffin topped with buttery, crunchy cinnamon crumbs?
How to Make Pear Muffins
- PREP: Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. (These are my favorite muffin tins!) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Peel and dice the pears.
- CINNAMON TOPPING: Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until crumbly.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- WET INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, oil, and sugars for 1-2 minutes. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
Gently stir in the flour mixture and fold in the pears.
- ASSEMBLE: Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top of the muffins.
- BAKE: Bake muffins in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350° and bake for another 13-15 minutes.
- COOL: Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove them to a wire cooling rack.
Pear Muffins Recipe Tips:
- Finely chop the pears. Smaller pieces distribute evenly throughout the batter, and are less likely to sink to the bottom.
- Don’t overmix. After adding the flour, stir the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make muffins dense and chewy.
- Use high heat at first. Baking the muffins at 425° for a few minutes allows them to rise and set quickly. Turning the heat down lets the middle bake without the outside burning.
- Don’t overbake. Muffins are best when they’re soft and moist. Remove them from the oven as soon as the middle is set.
VARIATIONS:
- For a more hearty muffin, replace half the white flour with whole wheat flour.
- Feel free to add additional spices like ground cloves, ground ginger, or even pumpkin pie spice.
- Chopped nuts can be added to the batter, the topping, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Canned Pears?
Yes. Canned pears can be used if fresh pears aren’t available at your local grocery store. Drain them very well and gently pat them dry with paper towels before chopping. Keep in mind that canned pears are softer, so stir them in very gently so they don’t fall apart.
What are the best pears for baking?
Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou pears are all good choices for baking. Bartlett pears are particularly juicy and sweet, while Bosc pears have a firmer texture that holds up nicely during baking.
Do I need to peel pears for muffins?
For best texture, I recommend peeling the pears before you dice them. The skin can leave fibrous bits in the muffins, which isn’t pleasant to chew.
Why are my muffins soggy?
Ripe pears have a lot of moisture, so if you underbake your muffins, they can become soggy. I like to bake my pear muffins on a lower rack of the oven so the bottoms get nice and golden.
More Muffin Recipes:
- Peach Muffins
- Rhubarb Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffin Recipe
- Cinnamon Sugar Muffins Recipe
- Mini Apple Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
- Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Crumb Topped Pear Muffin Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
Muffin Batter:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups diced fresh pears (I use Bartlett pears.)
Instructions
Prep:
- Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Peel and dice the pears.
Make crumble topping:
- Stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the butter and mix everything together with your fingers until crumbly.
Batter:
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large bowl, preferably glass. Add the oil and sugars, whisk for a minute or two. Whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Gently stir in the dry ingredients just until there are no streaks of flour, then fold in the diced pears.
Bake:
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups – they will be full. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of crumbs.
- Bake the muffins at 425° for 10 minutes. TURN DOWN THE HEAT to 350° and bake for another 13-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with no batter. (Moist crumbs are fine.)
Cool:
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, or until you can easily rotate them. Use a butter knife to carefully remove them from the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- For best results, use ripe pears that are still slightly firm. Can’t find in-season pears? Canned pears can also be used, just pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
- Leftover muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. You can also freeze them for several months in a heavy duty ziplock freezer bag.
Nutrition
These easy pear muffins are soft, moist, packed with fresh pear flavor, and have just the right amount of sweetness. Make a batch for your family and enjoy them warm from the oven!
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