Description
These Spiced Pear Muffins are a delightful way to celebrate the flavors of fall. Featuring a tender crumb combined with juicy chunks of ripe pears and a blend of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom, these muffins offer a cozy and flavorful breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert option that is sure to become a seasonal favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- â…› teaspoon ground cardamom
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
Fruit
- 2 medium ripe pears, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes using a mixer or vigorous stirring.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. Then stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can make the muffins tough.
- Fold in Pears: Gently fold the diced ripe pears into the batter, distributing them evenly but carefully to keep the batter light.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Muffins: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to ensure the muffins remain tender and light.
- Use ripe pears as they provide the best sweetness and moisture.
- Folding in pears gently helps prevent the batter from becoming dense.
- These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute milk with almond or oat milk and use vegan butter.
