Seasonal Spiced Pear Muffins (Printable)

Moist, aromatic muffins with ripe pears, walnuts, and warming spices for a delightful snack.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
11 - 1/2 cup whole milk or plant-based milk
12 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Fruit & Nuts

14 - 2 medium ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
15 - 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil (or melted butter), milk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing to maintain muffin tenderness.
05 - Gently fold the diced pears and chopped walnuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pears stay soft and jammy inside while the walnuts give every bite a satisfying crunch.
  • The spice blend is gentle enough for kids but deep enough to impress anyone who thinks they've tasted every muffin variety.
  • They taste like fall even if you bake them in July, and they freeze beautifully so you can pull one out on a rushed morning and feel like you planned ahead.
02 -
  • Don't skip peeling the pears—the skins turn chewy and distract from the soft fruit pockets.
  • If your batter looks thick, that's correct; adding more liquid will make the muffins spread instead of rise.
  • Let the muffins cool completely before storing them, or condensation will make the tops soggy.
03 -
  • Use room temperature eggs and milk so the batter mixes more evenly and the muffins rise higher.
  • If you toast the walnuts for five minutes before folding them in, they'll taste richer and smell like autumn in a pan.
  • Don't open the oven door before the 20-minute mark, or the muffins might sink in the middle.
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