Pear Bread-this easy pear quick bread has a sweet almond streusel topping and simple almond glaze. It is great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Pear Bread
What do you do when your nice neighbors bring you over a huge bag of pears from their tree? First, you say thank you and then you make Easy Pear Sauce and the best Pear Salad.
I thought those two recipes would use up all of the pears, but luckily I still had a few left so I made, Pear Bread with almond streusel topping. This easy quick bread is a new fall favorite. You are going to LOVE it!
Pears are usually the back up singers during the fall. The apples and pumpkins usually take the lead and steal the show. Well, move over apples and pumpkins because it is time for the pears to shine. This Pear Almond Streusel Bread is a real show stopper!
The Best Pears to Use
I highly recommend using fresh pears for this recipe and not canned pears. This is a great recipe for pear season!
Bosc, Anjou, and Bartlett pears are great for baking because they hold their shape and texture. I don’t recommend comice pears because they are juicier and tend to fall apart and get mushy when baked.
Look for pears that are firm-ripe. When you press the fruit near the stem, the pear should give a little. If the pears are mushy, don’t use them for baking. If the pears are rock hard when you buy them, you will have to wait a few days for them to ripen on the counter.
Peel the pears and chop them into small chunks right before using so they don’t turn brown. If you are going to chop the pears in advance, drizzle a little lemon juice over the pears to prevent them from browning.
How to Make Pear Bread
I love making quick breads because they are easy to whip up and the end results are SO delicious.
- This cinnamon spiced bread is super moist thanks to the buttermilk, egg, and oil. Make sure your buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature. The loaf also has brown sugar that adds moisture and a caramel sweetness.
- I like to use vanilla extract AND almond extract. The flavor combo is incredible.
- You can toss the pear chunks in a little bit of flour before adding them to the loaf. This will prevent them from sinking. Gently fold in the pears, being careful to not over mix the batter.
- Pour the loaf into a greased 9×5-inch pan and top with the almond streusel.
- After 30 minutes of baking, loosely cover the bread with foil and continue baking for 30 more minutes (60 minutes total). Covering the bread half-way through will prevent the streusel topping from getting too dark. If this is your first time baking the bread, you can check at 50 minutes to be safe. Every oven is different. It might take your bread a little less time or a little longer.
- When the loaf is completely cool, drizzle the simple almond glaze over the top! The perfect finishing touch to our pear bread! If you don’t want to add a glaze, the bread will still be good without one, but I say go for it:)
- Use a serrated bread knife to slice into the loaf! Enjoy!
How to Store
Let the glaze on the bread completely set up before storing. Once the glaze is set, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the bread. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap AND aluminum foil. Place the loaf in the freezer and freeze for up to three months. Defrost before slicing.
More Quick Bread Recipes
For the Almond Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
For the Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups chopped pears, skin removed and tossed in 1 tablespoon of flour
For the Almond Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
First, make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter pieces. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until combined and crumbly. Stir in the chopped almonds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and egg. Whisk until smooth and there are no brown sugar clumps. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk until there are no more lumps. Don’t overmix. Fold in the chopped pears.
Pour batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle the almond streusel topping evenly over the bread.
Bake for 60 minutes, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent the top from getting too dark. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes on a wire cooling rack. Use a knife to loosen the bread around the edges in the pan. Carefully remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.
The bread will keep covered on the counter for up to 4 days. Can freeze the loaf for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Pear Bread with Almond Streusel Topping
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 237mg10%
Potassium 184mg5%
Carbohydrates 70g23%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 35g39%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keywords
fall, streusel topping
