Pear Streusel Muffins

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A tender crumb, sweet pear, cinnamon streusel swirl, and crunchy streusel topping. That’s what makes these muffins simply delicious!

Muffins are so versatile. They are delicious as a quick on-the-go breakfast, a convenient snack, or a delicious dessert.

The Beauty of Pear

Once the weather starts to get a bit chilly, apples get all of the attention: apple crisp, apple pie, apple streusel muffins… What about pears? Pears have a delicate sweetness that is often overlooked. They are juicy and tender and break down beautifully when baked. They add moisture and tenderness to baked goods, making them a wonderful addition.

Pear Streusel Muffins

Using pear in this classic streusel muffin recipe adds a lightly sweet taste and pairs perfectly with the wonderfully moist and tender crumb. The mellow sweetness and delicate texture of the muffin is complimented by the warm spice from the cinnamon streusel. We use cinnamon streusel two ways in this recipe for added YUM. In addition to the crunchy cinnamon streusel topping, we have used it within the muffin as well for extra pockets of flavor.

Missing an Ingredient?

If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a certain ingredient on hand, here are some common swaps:

Sour Cream – You can swap sour cream for an equal amount of plain yogurt.

Buttermilk – This recipe calls for 1/3 cup of buttermilk. To create a substitute: pour 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice into your measuring cup, then fill the cup to the 1/3 mark with milk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to curdle before using.

Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar adds a deeper flavor than light brown sugar or white sugar. The streusel in this recipe uses 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar; to substitute:

• If you have light brown sugar, use 1/4 cup of light brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar. This will work just fine, but the streusel will have a lighter, less rich flavor.
• If you have light brown sugar, use 1/4 cup of light brown sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon of molasses. This will restore some of that rich taste that dark brown sugar provides.
• If you have white sugar, use 1/4 cup of sugar plus 2 teaspoons of molasses.

Equipment

You’ll need a muffin pan, whether that’s a traditional muffin pan or a cast iron muffin pan. Note – if using cast iron, baking time may need to be decreased. You may also want cupcake liners.

Pear Streusel Muffins

Brookside Kitchen

These muffins have a tender crumb, pockets of sweet pear, a cinnamon streusel swirl, and crunchy streusel topping.

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Total Time 28 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Yield 12 muffins

Equipment

• Muffin Pan
• Cupcake Liners (optional)

Ingredients

  

Muffins

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 cups plus 1 tbsp flour, divided
• 1 cup chopped pear (approx. 1 pear)

Streusel

• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ cup flour

Instructions

 

Prepare the Streusel

• Add butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix until combined.
• Add flour and mix until combined. Set aside

Prepare the Muffins

• Preheat oven to 350℉.
• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
• Add eggs and whisk until combined. Add sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and whisk until fully combined.
• Fold in 2 cups of flour until just combined.
• In a separate bowl toss chopped pear with 1 tbsp flour to coat.
• Add pear to the muffin batter and gently fold the batter until the fruit is evenly dispersed.
• Grease or line a muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.
• Add a spoonful of batter to each muffin well.
• Take about ⅓ of the streusel and divide it evenly over the muffin batter in each well.
• Divide the remaining batter evenly among the muffin wells.
• Crumble the remaining streusel over each muffin, dividing it evenly.
• Bake muffins for 18 – 22 minutes or until edges have browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Keyword cinnamon streusel, easy dessert, homemade, streusel muffins

If you try out this recipe, I’d love to know what you think! Please leave a comment with a rating here and share a photo of your creation on Instagram using the hashtag #brooksidekitchen and tag @BrooksideKitchen