Spiced Pear Muffins
Spiced Pear Muffins are very filling and will make a great addition to your “muffin menu”. You really don’t see very many pear recipes now-a-days, which is a shame, because they are a wonderfully delicious, sweet, “nutritional powerhouse” of a fruit! These moist, dense muffins are especially good served warm – so if you are going to freeze them to have later in the week, I would suggest warming them slightly in the microwave or toaster oven first.
Equipment
- oven
- 6 cup jumbo muffin tin (or 12 cup standard)
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe pears
- 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts (chopped after measuring)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 6 cup jumbo (or 12 cup standard) muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Peel, core, and dice the pears and then place them in a large bowl with the sugar and set aside.
- Combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir well to combine.
- Add the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla to the bowl with the pear/sugar mixture and stir together to mix well, then add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the raisins and walnuts, and then divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
Video
Notes
For a delightful twist, try adding a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter. The crunch and nutty flavor will complement the spiced pear beautifully.