Fluffy, high altitude spiced pear muffins, with cozy fall spices, juicy pears in every bite, and buttery brown sugar crumble topping. These pear crumble muffins are a delicious twist to an apple spice muffin, and you’ll love the mild flavor of the pears complemented by warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. And while you could make them without the crumble, pear muffins with streusel topping are even better!
You might also love these recipes for pumpkin crumb cake muffins, spiced pear compote and easy poached pears.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. Just mix everything together with a bowl and spoon, and your muffins are ready to bake.
Moist, Soft and Fluffy. The muffins stay soft and moist for days after baking, and the fluffy crumbly tops are just so tempting.
High Altitude Tested. Everything on my site is tested at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet, so mountain bakers can rely on consistent, dependable results at high altitude. These high altitude pear muffins with crumb topping will be a favorite with your family this fall!
Perfect for Fall. There’s a bounty of apples and pears to choose from in the fall, and spiced pear muffins make delicious use of those pears that are ripening in your kitchen.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- Flour. All-purpose flour adds structure and strength to the topping.
- Brown Sugar. Makes the crumble sweet and crunchy.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Butter. Adds flavor and moistens the crumble to hold it together.
Muffins
- Pears. Use any variety that you like, such as Red Anjou, Bartlett or Bosc. Just be sure that your pears are soft and ripe, but not mushy.
- Brown Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs. Adds moisture and strength.
- Sour Cream + Butter. Sour cream makes these muffins really soft and tender, while the butter adds more moisture and flavor.
- Flour. Adds structure and strength.
- Baking Soda. Leavening agent, so the muffins rise as they bake.
- Spices. A combination of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves adds warmth and coziness, and complements the flavor of the pears. Salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Lightly spray the papers and the top of the pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a bowl, combine all of the crumb topping ingredients until moistened and crumbly. Set aside.
- For the muffins, peel, core and finely chop the pears. In a large bowl, stir together the chopped pears with the brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla.
- Separately, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir together just until moistened. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them full. Spoon the crumble on top of the batter. It may seem like too much crumble, but it’s not. Just heap it on, and gently press it into the batter.
- When you put the muffins in the oven, immediately turn the heat down from 425 F to 375 F. Bake the muffins for about 22 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 2 minutes, then gently lift them out and let them cool on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy the muffins warm, with softened butter.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of pears should I use for spiced pear muffins?
I used Red Anjou pears, but Bartlett or Bosc pears also work well. The most important thing is that your pears are soft and ripe, but not mushy. Definitely don’t use hard, crunchy under-ripe pears.
How should I store leftover muffins?
Leftover muffins should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
How many jumbo sized muffins does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo sized muffins. The jumbo size will take longer to bake.
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High Altitude Spiced Pear Crumble Muffins
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Standard-Sized Muffin Pan
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Muffins
- 2 cups finely chopped ripe pears (from 3-4 peeled and cored medium-sized pears)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Lightly spray the papers and the top of the pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a bowl, combine all of the crumb topping ingredients until moistened and crumbly. Set aside.
- For the muffins, peel, core and finely chop the pears. In a large bowl, stir together the chopped pears with the brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla.
- Separately, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir together just until moistened. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them full. Spoon the crumble on top of the batter. It may seem like too much crumble, but it's not. Just heap it on, and gently press it into the batter.
- When you put the muffins in the oven, immediately turn the heat down from 425 F to 375 F. Bake the muffins for about 22 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 2 minutes, then gently lift them out and let them cool on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy the muffins warm, with softened butter.
Notes
- Leftover muffins should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- You can also make these in a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan, but they will take longer to bake.
I’ve had requests to make these more frequently.