Pear Almond Muffins
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Muffins packed with pears, almond flour, oats. Slightly tweaked with spiced warmth. Uses maple syrup instead of honey for a gentle twist. Batter thick but moist. Baked until golden with crisp almond topping. Easy to adapt for lactose intolerance or vegan swaps. Moist, fragrant, textured. Adjust heat and timing by aroma and toothpick test not clock. Good brunch staple or snack grab. Lots of real kitchen tips inside.
Prep:
18 min
Cook:
28 min
Total:
46 min
Servings:
12 servings
#baking
#brunch
#gluten-free option
#vegan swaps
#almond meal
#maple syrup
#pear desserts
#spiced muffins
Pear muffins again. Tried many ways. Pears juicy, sweet but tricky. Too much juice, muffin falls apart. Too dry, crumb chalky. Almond meal adds moist richness, like secret weapon. Oats bring texture bite. Started with honey, switched to maple — softer, less sharp. Butter or coconut oil? Coconut oil adds subtle flavor but milk fat lends richness worth fighting for with lactose free butter. Spices punch vital; cinnamon and nutmeg balance pear sweetness. Oven heat change can upset colors and crumb so watch. Puffs rise slow but worth patience. Topping almonds with maple syrup caramelizes, crackling on top. Muffins not just sweet, but layers of scents, textures. Sounds of crackling almonds when cooling. Takes practice to read signs—some times underbaked centers hide in golden tops. Don’t rush cool recovering crumb. All about balance, feel, and smell.
Ingredients
- 1 can 398 ml (14 oz) pears in juice unsweetened
- 185 g (1 1⁄4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 130 g (1 cup) almond meal
- 50 g (1⁄2 cup) rolled oats
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
- 2.5 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 2.5 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 2.5 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
- 75 ml (1⁄3 cup) maple syrup
- 55 g (1⁄4 cup) vegan butter or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
Topping
- 30 g (1⁄4 cup) sliced almonds
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup
About the ingredients
Original calls honey—went for maple syrup to soften sweetness and add deep mellow flavor. If stuck with honey, use same volume but reduce extra water by a spoon. Pear juice amount feels critical; I always keep extra pear juice or water on standby to top off measurement. Almond powder—if unavailable, sub finely ground hazelnuts or cashews but nut taste alters final note. Rolled oats add chew; quick oats less good, they dissolve, make batter gummy. Butter swap notable; melted unsalted butter works better than oil for binding and flavor layering but coconut oil works well vegan substitute. Eggs needed for structure; for vegan version, flax or chia eggs work but muffins denser and heavier. Spices easy to tweak: more nutmeg for warmth or switch to cardamom for twist. Salt balances sweetness. Almond slices toasted bright gold add needed crunch and visible contrast. No sugar added except maple; keeps muffins clean and natural. Paper liners essential or muffins stick to tin; oils substitution risks tearing delicate muffins.
Method
Preparation
- Put rack middle of oven. Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F) — fan ovens run cooler, so 175 keeps gold color without drying. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or grease well.
- Drain pears, reserve juice. Cut pears into small dice. Measure juice, if less than 180 ml (3⁄4 cup) add water to fill. Keep juice cool while mixing.
Dry Mix
- In a large bowl, sift flour, almond meal, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. Toss well to spread leavening evenly. No clumps — dense spots kill rise.
Wet Mix
- Whisk eggs, maple syrup, melted butter/coconut oil, and pear juice in separate bowl until glossy. Stir in diced pears gently just before mixing with dry.
Combine
- Pour wet into dry. Fold carefully with fork or spatula. Don’t overmix — look for slight streaks but mostly incorporated. Batter will be thick yet moist. Overmix churns gluten tough.
- Spoon batter into muffin cups filling about 2⁄3 full. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top then drizzle maple syrup evenly; syrup creates sticky glaze and toasted nut pockets.
Baking
- Pop in oven immediately. Bake about 28 minutes. Check doneness with toothpick inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs not sticky batter. Watch color — golden tops means caramelized sugars stepping up.
- If edges brown too quickly but center raw, lower temperature by 10 °C and extend time by 3–5 minutes. Muffin crown should spring back when pressed lightly. If it stays indented, needs more time.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to rack. Warm muffins tempt to crumble if moved too soon.
- Store airtight at room temp up to 2 days or freeze individually wrapped.
Notes
- Extra pears add moisture—if juice very watery, reduce added water or muffins soggy. Maple syrup swap better for honey as it’s milder and keeps batter silky. Coconut oil brings subtle tropical hint.
- You can sub egg with flax egg for vegan version but texture denser, bake 2 minutes longer.
- Almond meal quality affects crumb—fresh, finely ground almond flour yields softer crumb. Using old or coarse meal leads to gritty texture.
- Avoid plastic spoons or bowls for mixing acidic batter. Metal can react with juice causing off flavors.
- Using gluten-free flour blend will change rise—add extra baking powder or xanthan gum for similar lift.
- Keep vigilant—ovens vary wildly; your nose and toothpick are best timers.
- Pears in fresh or tinned forms work—untreated fresh pears diced and tossed in lemon juice can replace canned. Just skip extra juice or reduce water added.
Cooking tips
Drain pears well to avoid soggy batter; dice uniformly for even bake. Mixing order matters. Dry ingredients sifted for even rise, prevent clumps of powdery baking powder or cinnamon. Wet mixed separately to avoid premature gluten development and uneven hydration. Fold wet to dry only until just combined; still streaks okay, overmix toughens crumb. Don’t beat or whisk after combining; muffins tough if gluten bumps too much. Muffin liners make cleanup easier and stabilize shape. Top almonds add crunch, but add late or bake dry and sprinkle at last minute to avoid burning. Maple drizzle before baking adds gloss, sticky top layer; skip if avoiding stickiness or swap with dusting cinnamon sugar after baking. Oven rack mid position critical — too low burns bottom, too high burns tops. Muffin done when toothpick shows moist crumbs but no wet batter; surface golden, edges pull away slightly from cups. Let sit in pan briefly to firm up before removing—hot muffins crumble easily. Cooling rack prevents sogginess below. Freeze leftovers, warm thawed muffins briefly in microwave for fresh-baked feel. Adjust bake time depending on altitude and oven quirks; don’t rely on timer alone. I trust sight, touch, and toothpick over minutes.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Oven heat tricky — fan ovens run cooler so 175 °C is balanced; top color shifts if wrong. Watch not timer alone. Golden hues signal caramelized sugars, deeper aroma. Muffins puff slow. Patience.
- 💡 Fold wet into dry only briefly; overmix churns gluten tough. Batter thick but moist, streaks okay. Pear juice critical — too watery adds sog, too little chalky crumb. Keep extra juice or water ready.
- 💡 Use sliced almonds just before baking or toast separately to avoid burning. Drizzle maple syrup on top to create sticky glaze and crunchy pockets. Avoid sugar; maple’s mellow sweetness suffices.
- 💡 Sub vegan butter with melted coconut oil but expect slight tropical hint. Eggs can swap flax egg but muffins denser and bake 2 mins longer. Almond meal quality influences crumb; fresh ground softer, old gritty.
- 💡 Drain canned pears well and dice uniformly. Juice leftover? Add to wet mix or water. No plastic bowls for acidic mixing — metal reacts, off flavors lurk. Oats add texture bite; quick oats dissolve too much, gummy batter.
Common questions
How to tell muffin done?
Toothpick inserted center moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tops golden, edges pull slight from cups. Muffin crown springs back pressed light. Listen for crackling almonds cooling too.
Can I use fresh pears?
Yes, dice fresh untreated pears tossed in lemon juice. Skip extra pear juice or cut water added. Tinned juice consistency differs; watch batter thickness carefully for balance.
What if muffins too wet or soggy?
Reduce water if pear juice watery. Overmix toughens crumb but also affects moisture retention. Drain pears extra well. Baking powder clumps kill rise, so sift dry mix well always.
Best storage for leftovers?
Room temp airtight up to 2 days. Freeze wrapped individually, thaw, then warm briefly in microwave. Avoid storing warm muffins or get soggy fast. Cooling rack prevents condensation underneath.
