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Pear Walnut Muffins

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Juicy ripe pears and ground walnuts are the stars of these easy to make, moist and delicious cardamom scented Pear Walnut Muffins.

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Delicious, cardamom scented Pear Walnut Muffins

A platter with walnut topped muffins and pears

Juicy fresh pears and ground walnuts are the stars of these moist and delicious muffins.

These lightly sweet Pear Walnut Muffins are easy to make and terrific for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Buttermilk does its magic creating a moist and tender crumb, and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar and chopped walnuts are icing on the cake!

Don’t let the simple appearance keep you from giving them a try. The flavor is complex and delicious and highly rated from all our taste testers.

 

Pear and walnut muffins on a platter and in cupcake liners.

One of my favorite special friends asked me if I had a good recipe for Pear Walnut Muffins.

My friend Dean often walks in the mornings with a friend near her home in Tennessee.  From time to time they stop by a cafe for coffee and, when available, a Pear Walnut Muffin.

I’ve never even seen the muffin Dean described, but was intrigued with the combination of flavors. I love a good challenge and set out to develop a recipe she could make at home.

After several good and tasty efforts I’m finally thrilled with this solid recipe. We love the muffins texture, the perfect balance of fruit to nuts and the lightly sweet flavor.

 

 

Walnut topped muffins in a cupcake liner

The warm cardamom spice compliments the fresh diced pear like a match made in heaven. Talk about perfect fall comfort food!

 

 

A closeup of walnut topped muffins sprinkled with coarse sugar

Finally, grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and share a pan of these delicious treats with a good friend on a chilly morning!  It’s the simple moments that make life grand.

 

 

A muffin broken open showing a moist tender interior. Topped with walnuts and filled with chunks of pear

 

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Close-up shot of Pear and Walnut Muffins sprinkled with coarse sugar and chopped walnuts

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Pear Walnut Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins
Course: Breakfast or Brunch
Author: Tricia
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5 from 5 votes
Juicy fresh pears and ground walnuts are the shining stars of these moist and delicious, cardamom scented Pear Walnut Muffins.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup ground walnuts
  • 1 large ripe pear peeled, cored and diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • ½ cup buttermilk well shaken
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small chunks, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar for garnish or granulated sugar will work fine too

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin, or use paper liners.
  • In a small mixing bowl, shift together 1 cup of flour, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the ½ cup ground walnuts and set aside.
  • Toss the diced pear with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, making sure all pieces are well covered. Set aside.
  • In a two cup measure, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugars and butter on medium speed until combined, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and blend just until incorporated. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add one-third of the flour mixture and one-third of the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and beat just until combined. Add the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture, in two additions. Scrape down the sides and using a rubber spatula, fold the batter over a few times to ensure it is well mixed.
  • Add the diced and floured pears and fold together using the spatula.
  • Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter between 12 muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Sprinkle the muffins with the turbinado sugar and the chopped walnuts if desired. Bake until the muffins are firm on the top, and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  • Allow the muffins to cool in the pan, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack or serve slightly warm.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, up to three days.

Recipe Notes

  • Anjou or Bartlett pears work well in this recipe.
  • You can easily prepare ground walnuts in a small food processor
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 187IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

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38 Comments

  1. Gail Glasgow

    5 stars
    These were delicious! I loved the addition of Cardamom, it is something I had in my spice rack but never knew what to use it for. My family loved them and wants me to make more! Thanks!

    Reply

  3. Shangra

    5 stars
    These are delish! Changed the spices up to add 1/2 t cinnamon , 1/2 t. nutmeg and half of the cardamom called for and no vanilla. Made 6 jumbo ones and I can’t stop eating them!

    Reply

  6. Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners

    These kind of treats are right up my alley, Tricia. I love the flavours here and I’m a big fan of muffins. It’s the one time I permit myself lots of butter! These are so scrumptious looking and your photos are simple beautiful!
    The leaves are changing here and further north they are absolutely stunning right now. Bright reds and oranges that would take your breath away. I hope the winter is easy on us this time around, lol.
    Sharing your beautiful creation!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      These are wonderful muffins Robyn. I can only imagine how beautiful your autumn colors are there in Canada. We hope to see some color next weekend when we head to the mountains. Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

  10. John/Kitchen Riffs

    The pears are wonderful at this time of the year! And walnuts are so abundant. So this is the perfect recipe for the season. Looks really good, and who doesn’t love a good muffin? Super dish — thanks.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Abundant walnuts may mean a harsh winter, or so they say 🙂 I love cooking and baking with walnuts so bring them on! Walnuts and pears, and especially cardamom, are a happy trio in this moist muffin. Thanks so much for stopping by John.

      Reply

  11. Susan

    I know I would love these! What a delicious combination that I’m craving one right now 🙂 Thanks for the recipe, Tricia! We have a black walnut tree on our property and it didn’t produce as many walnuts this year as last year and last year we had a fairly mild winter for Wisconsin. I’m hoping the opposite isn’t true as fair as predicting a harsh winter!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      I am so pleased with these muffins Susan – I hope you get the chance to try them. Fingers crossed for another mild winter! I’m on the fence since we don’t usually get tons of snow in Virginia, but a few bigs ones will be fine with me, especially around Christmas. Have a lovely day and thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

  12. Mandy

    What a winner of a recipe! I have pears waiting for somethings scrumptious. Wish I had walnuts in stock. Will make these as soon as I can get to the store.
    Have a wonderful day Tricia.
    🙂 Mandy xo

    Reply

  13. Betty

    I love the pear/cardamom flavor combo, and the walnuts are a perfect match for it. Our black walnut trees are loaded this year- I wonder if that means a hard winter as well? I’d better get busy before the squirrels beat me to them! 🙂

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Some say we’re supposed to get a lot of snow this year – but who knows. Nice you get to pick your own walnuts! Have a wonderful week Betty and thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply

  17. sue | theviewfromgreatisland

    What a luscious combination…I have a huge bowl of pears that I’ve been procrastinating about all week, now I know what to do with them! We have no color yet, but we’ll be heading to Wisconsin in a couple of weeks and we’ll hopefully get some there. Thanks for the inspiration, Tricia, sharing and pinning!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Pears are one of my favorites! I bet you get gorgeous color in Wisconsin. We’re heading to the mountains next week (along with a billion other leaf-peepers) at peak season so we’re excited!

      Reply

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