Anytime is muffin time! These Spiced Pear Muffins are fluffy, incredibly moist and delicious. The abundance of pears and an irresistible oatmeal crumble, give you that little crunch that you crave. The combination of spices, including cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and all-spice, add a ton of flavour and warmth to this sweet treat.
These muffins are easy to make, come together in just 20 minutes and are gluten-free. They are also freezer friendly, if they ever make it there in the first place. Enjoy them for breakfast, with an afternoon coffee or tea, as a post-dinner dessert or a midnight snack. They won’t disappoint!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Total Time: 46 minutes
Serves: 12 Muffins
Ingredients:
Pear Muffins
2 cups gluten-free flour (See Notes below)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of ground allspice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Bosc pears, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (approx. 2 pears)
Oatmeal Crumble
1/2 cup quick or instant oats
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (See Notes below)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/8 inch cubes
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F and line a muffin tray (12 muffin capacity) with 12 muffin/cupcake liners.
Preparing the Muffin Batter: To a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients, including the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, salt and allspice and whisk until combined.
To a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is fully incorporated and light and fluffy.
In 3 instalments, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. After each addition, mix the batter with a large spoon, whisk or a hand or stand mixer until just combined. You should be left with a batter that is free of any streaks of flour.
Using a large spoon, gently fold the cubed pears into the muffin batter. You want to ensure that the pears are evenly distributed throughout so that you get a piece of pear with every bite of your muffin.
Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 muffin liners.
Preparing the Oatmeal Crumble: In a separate medium bowl, add the oats, flour, brown and granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. With a large spoon, give it a good mix until just combined. Using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients, until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Top the muffins with the crumble topping.
Baking the Muffins: Bake the muffins at 425F for 6 minutes and then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin trays for 15 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a baking rack to fully cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Gluten-Free Flour and Oats: I use Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour and Only Oats in this recipe and they work beautifully here.
Filling the Muffin Liners: To ensure equal distribution of the muffin batter and a consistent bake time, use an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter between the 12 muffin liners.
A Change in Baking Temperature Makes All the Difference: At the onset of the baking process, baking the muffins at a higher temperature gives the muffin tops a little lift. Reducing the temperature for the remainder of the baking process allows the muffins to fully cook without drying them out.