These pear muffins are easy to make and are bursting with spiced pear flavor. And the best part is the crumble topping made with oats and brown sugar for a sweet, crunchy streusel. These delicious muffins are great for an easy breakfast or an afternoon snack!
To me, pears are a sleeper hit of fall. We all think of pumpkin and apples, but pears are at their peak in late summer to early autumn. They have a delicate flavor that pairs perfectly with cinnamon and ginger and keep these pear oatmeal muffins super moist.
Pears can go from underripe to overripe pretty quickly, so make sure you use pears that smell nice but still have some firmness.
The crumble topping really adds another layer of flavor and texture to these muffins. If you love streusel bakes, be sure to try:
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Pears - Sweet and delicate juicy pears make these muffins special and unlike other muffins you've probably had. Their flavor is delicate and delicious and adding warm spices amps up the fall vibes in these juicy pear muffins.
Streusel - I never say no to a sweet, crunchy topping, and the streusel in this recipe is delicious! It uses oats for added texture and flavor, plus butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Not a huge streusel fan? Add a crunchy sugared top like in these spiced gingerbread muffins!
Easy - Muffins are so simple to make, and with a few tweaks, like adding pears and a crumble topping, they go from basic to over the top in one easy recipe! While the flavors and textures are unique, the process is still straight forward, and these come together in no time.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter. This will be used melted in both the crumble and muffin batter. Unsalted should be used.
- Sugars. Brown sugar is used for the crumble topping and granulated sugar for the muffin batter.
- Rolled oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats, these are slightly larger and provide more texture to the streusel topping.
- Cinnamon. This adds that cozy fall flavor, which pairs perfectly with the pears.
- Oil. Any neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil should be used.
- Dairy. Both sour cream and milk are used in the muffin batter to create ultra moist muffins.
- Pears. Ripe, baking pears such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou can be used. They will need to be peeled, cored, and diced.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add toasted, chopped nuts like pecans, almonds, or walnuts to the batter or the streusel.
- Substitute canned pears in place of fresh, but make sure to drain well and pat very dry before mixing into the batter.
- Use yogurt or buttermilk as a substitute for the sour cream.
- Omit the streusel and add turbinado sugar for a simpler variation that still results in a sweet and delicious crunchy topping.
What are the Best Pears to Use for Baking?
There are many different types of pears you can find at your local grocery store, and any of them will work in this recipe! The best pears to use are Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett pears if you can find them, and they are typically the most common types of pears as well. You want to look for pears that are ripe yet still a bit firm.
These will bring the right amount of sweetness and the fresh pear chunks will hold their shape. If the pears are overripe, they will have too much moisture and can make the muffins mushy.
How to Make This Recipe
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One: Combine all ingredients for the crumble topping and mix together with a fork.
Two: Whisk together the dry ingredients, then toss the pears with a bit of the flour to coat.
Three: Whisk together the butter, oil, eggs, and sugar until very smooth.
Four: Add the sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Five: Add the whisked dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. Lumps are ok!
Six: Add 1 tablespoon of batter to the bottom of the greased (or lined) muffin openings and tap to spread.
Hot tip! Using two muffin tins and leaving space in between the muffins allows for more air to circulate around the muffins, leading to taller muffin tops.
Seven: Fold the pears into the batter until evenly distributed.
Eight: Add the pear batter to the top of the muffin cups.
Nine: Top with all of the streusel, then bake according to instructions.
Ten: Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and enjoying!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients so they combine evenly without a lot of mixing.
- Don't over mix your batter or your muffins will be tough.
- Fill batter to the top of your muffin cups.
- Toss chopped pears in flour before mixing them into the batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
- Add a bit of plain batter (before the pears are mixed in) to the bottom of each muffin cup, then add the pear batter on top.
Recipe FAQs
A combination of sugar, fats, and moisture create a moist muffin, as well as not over-measuring the flour or over mixing the batter.
Fill the batter to the very top of the muffin liner, then start the baking at a high temperature before reducing it to a lower temperature. Finally, space out the muffins between two pans so heat can circulate around each muffin.
Pear skin can turn a bit rubbery when baking, so it is recommended to peel the pears before dicing and adding them to the batter.
Yes, definitely. Try my Apple Crumble Oat Muffins if you are looking for an apple variety.
Storage
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
To freeze, add the muffins to a zip-top bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for one month. Remove as many muffins as desired, and thaw at room temperature (uncovered).
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📖Recipe
Pear Muffins with Crumble Topping
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin
- Cupcake liners optional
- Whisk
Ingredients
Streusel
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Muffin Batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups ripe pears peeled, cored and diced into 1cm pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners (or grease the wells with butter or baking spray).
- Add all ingredients for the streusel to a bowl and mix together with a fork until small and medium crumbles form. Set aside.¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup rolled oats, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Take 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss it with the pears to coat them completely (in a separate bowl).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, oil, sugar, and eggs until very smooth.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup neutral oil, 3 large eggs, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- Add the sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated and smooth.1 cup sour cream, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold it in just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop one tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin hole and tap the pan to spread it out.
- Fold the pears (and any excess flour) into the muffin batter until evenly dispersed.1 ½ cups ripe pears
- Use two spoons or an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin holes the entire way to the top.
- Sprinkle the streusel on top of all of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature (don’t open the door) to 375℉ and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until they spring back when touched and the centers are not wet.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Cut the pears into small bite-sized pieces so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Some lumps are totally fine.
- Fill the muffin holes the entire way to the top.
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