Pear Bread with Candied Ginger

Pear Bread with Candied Ginger is a delicious quick bread recipe for fall! Roasted pears add an amazing flavor that complements the candied ginger and buttery streusel.

I love a good quick bread. I keep making my Apple Bread over and over. It’s great for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

This Pear Bread with Candied Ginger is based on the apple bread recipe, but with a few tweaks. I obviously used pears instead of apples, and I roasted the pears first. I got the idea from a New York Times recipe and I’m hooked on the idea.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of fruits and veggies, and pears are no exception. This recipe calls for two pears that are almost-ripe. That ensures that the pears keep their shape when baked into the bread, and any lack of sweetness is made up for by roasting.

This pear bread is even more delicious with a buttery streusel. It crisps up in the oven and the toasted almonds are a great complement to the pears and ginger.

Ingredients

• Pears are the star of this quick bread. I used D’Anjou, but Bosc or Bartlett would work, too.
• Candied ginger is optional, but if you like ginger, definitely add it! It adds a little warm spice to the bread which complements the sweetness nicely.
• The bread starts by beating together butter and sugar.
• Flour, baking soda, and salt make up the dry ingredients.
• You can make your own buttermilk using milk and vinegar OR lemon juice (see instructions below).
• Eggs help the bread to rise nice and high (and keep it moist).

How to roast pears

Chop two pears into ½ inch pieces, then toss them with melted butter and a pinch of sea salt.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pears are slightly soft and beginning to caramelize. The skin will change color from green to brown.

How to make pear bread

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. You want the butter to be room temperature before doing this—leave it out on the countertop for one hour to get it to room temperature.

Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Beat in half the buttermilk, then half the flour mixture. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and remaining flour mixture.

Fold in the pears and candied ginger with a spatula until just combined.

Combine the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl and use clean hands to work the butter in with your fingers until there are pea-sized pieces.

Pour the pear bread batter in a greased loaf pan, then top with the streusel. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick stuck into the center comes out without any batter attached.

FAQs

How can I make my own buttermilk?
Make your own buttermilk by combining 1 teaspoon of vinegar (white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice) with ⅓ cup of milk.

What are the best pears for baking?
D’Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc pears are all suited for baking. They hold their shape well when cooked, particularly in baked goods such as pear bread.

The bread is chock full of pears and it’s super moist. I love it with a cup of tea for an afternoon treat!

If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below, or tag me on Instagram or Pinterest. I love hearing from you!

Pear Bread with Candied Ginger

Kate Shungu

Super moist and chock full of pears, this pear quick bread with almond streusel is perfect for fall!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins

Course Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the pears:

• 2 almost-ripe pears, unpeeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces (I used D’Anjou)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Pinch of sea salt

For the quick bread:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup buttermilk (see substitute in the notes below)
• 2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger, optional

For the streusel:

• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons cold butter
• ¼ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

 

For the pears:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss the pears with the melted butter and a pinch of sea salt. Spread the pears on a baking sheet and roast for 12–15 minutes, until the pears soften slightly. Let cool. 

For the bread:

• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a 9x5x3 inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
• Place ½ cup softened butter in a large bowl. Mix on high with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until pale yellow and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat on low until just combined. Add half the milk and beat until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and remaining milk.
• Stir in the roasted pears and candied ginger. 

For the streusel/baking instructions: 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, a ginger. Dice the butter into small cubes, and add the cubes to the flour mixture. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture, squishing the butter between your fingers. Stop when the butter reaches pea-size pieces.
• Spread the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle with the streusel. Pat down lightly. 
• Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Check the loaf around 40 minutes—if the top looks golden brown, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil on top for the rest of the baking time.
• Remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges of the pan. Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes

To make homemade buttermilk, combine 1 teaspoon white vinegar with ⅓ cup milk (I use 2% milk but skim or whole would be fine).

I used D’Anjou pears for this bread and I kept the skin on. Bosc pears would be good, too! Slightly under-ripe pears keep their shape best when baked into the bread. The roasting process will bring out the sweetness. 

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 303mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 554IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg

Keyword baking, pears, quick bread

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