When everyone is clamoring about apple season, I’m the one ogling the pears. As much as I like baking with apples, I prefer the subtlety of pears. Once I get my first ones and start baking, I know fall has officially arrived.
If you could somehow take all the awesome parts of fall and condense them into a muffin, you’d have yourself one of these gems. Pears and pecans and cinnamon make for a pretty perfect combination. These muffins are simple yet tasty, soft yet sturdy.
The nuts are theoretically optional, but I love the crunch and flavor they add. I came very close to using hazelnuts, but ultimately decided to go the pecan route. They are, after all, my favorite.
Another plus is that you don’t need to haul out your mixer for these. Just grab a couple of bowls and a spoon, and you’ve got this.
I like making muffin recipes that give you 12 muffins. You can enjoy them for a few days that way. If you’re feeding a crowd (or just feeling really hungry), you can easily double this recipe, too.
For more fall baking recipes, be sure to see my Fall Baking collection and Pinterest board.
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 medium pear, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Stir together oil, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Stir in egg and vanilla, mixing well. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in pears and pecans.
Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until edges are browned and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2012/10/pear-and-pecan-muffins/
October 17th, 2012 at 9:35 am
mmmm-sound great
October 17th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
I love this, it feels like a refreshing change from the constant apple and pumpkin recipes i’m being bombarded with. I love those too, for sure. But I need to give pears more attention. Thanks!
October 18th, 2012 at 7:16 am
These sound incredible! I love the combination of nuts and pears!
October 18th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Finally a recipe with no pumpkin in it!
Pears are so Autumn! They should be more appreciated. Great recipe thanks for sharing 
October 19th, 2012 at 9:46 am
This looks like wonderful recipe and the pears at my local grocery are on sale this week! Another great project for my daughter and me.
October 19th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
I made these yesterday….YUM!!!! I’d include a picture but we ate them all already. I had to use an apple as I didn’t have a pear handy but they were still delicious. Can’t wait to try out the recipe this weekend with a pear. Thank you!
October 24th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
I made these this morning. Easy, fast and delicious. I ended up using 1/2 cup of canola oil plus 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt, as I was low on the oil and they still turned out moist and delicious.
October 27th, 2012 at 8:55 am
I love pears and for some reason they are extra tasty this year. I’m going to try these muffins this weekend, they sound delic!
November 26th, 2012 at 12:24 am
I made these muffins, and they were fantastic. Everyone who tried them loved them. Definitely going to be using this recipe again and again. The spice of cinnamon was a perfect addition. These muffins have a crisp, delicious exterior and a soft, moist interior. One thing to note is that the batter is different from a usual muffin batter – it was almost like a soft cookie dough instead of a usual liquidy consistency. Also, they don’t rise like traditional muffins either, and they are more dense than cake like. Overall, 5 out of 5 stars.
December 25th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
These were a huge hit with my family, thanks so much for posting!