With a lovely, spicy sweet flavour, my Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins are perfect for breakfast, tucked in a lunch box or served alongside a cup of tea in the late afternoon. The crunchy streusel makes them a real treat. You can also serve them with a wedge of sharp mature cheddar for a more substantial snack – the juxtaposition of sweet and savoury flavours this creates is a real party for your taste buds.
A Great Way to Use Fresh Apples and Pears
Apples and pears always seduce me with their gorgeous colours, the sweet smell of their skin, and their wonderful flavours. My passion for them means I tend to overbuy. Sometimes we just can’t eat them fast enough and when that happens, I make Crock Pot Apple and Pear Sauce. It’s perfect for making these Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins.
Apple and Pear Sauce
I also serve Apple and Pear Sauce on its own, alongside pork roasts, warm with ice cream for dessert, and I use it in baking. It makes gorgeously moist loaf cakes and tasty muffins – especially these Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins.
What if I haven’t made Apple and Pear Sauce?
Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins can be made with homemade or store bought applesauce. The resulting muffins will just be Apple and Pecan Streusel Muffins instead! Or you could use Pear compote to make Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins.
There’s already cinnamon in the Apple and Pear Sauce – Is it really okay to add more?
Apple and Pear Sauce does already contains cinnamon and ginger but I like to add even more to my muffin recipe as well as some nutmeg as well. If you don’t love those spices as much as my family, friends and I do, feel free to reduce the quantities to suit your taste.
Can these Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins be frozen?
The Apple and Pear Sauce makes these muffins really moist. This means the muffins keep well at room temperature for about 3 days although I must admit they never last very long in our house! You can also freeze them if you like but do bring them back to room temperature or heat them gently before eating. Streusel is never quite the same texture after it is frozen, but it still tastes good.
Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins – Printable Recipe
Apple Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
- For the streusel
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small pieces
- 5 tablespoons plain flour All purpose flour is known as plain flour in the UK
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar or you can use Demerera or Turbinado sugar for extra crunch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
- For the muffins
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup mild olive oil or you can use another lightly flavoured vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream light or low fat versions are fine and natural or vanilla flavoured yogurt also works
- 1 cup apple and pear sauce You can plain apple sauce if you have not made the apple and pear sauce, but the muffins will be apple pecan muffins instead of apple and pear pecan muffins.
- 1⅔ cup all purpose flour All purpose flour is known as plain flour in the UK
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly ground if possible
- ¾ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 165°C for a fan oven).
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Make the streusel - Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and ¼ cup chopped pecans . Set aside.
- To make the muffins, beat together the oil and the eggs in a medium bowl or jug.
- Beat in the vanilla and crème fraîche or sour cream.
- Stir in the apple and pear sauce
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped pecans and toss to coat them in the flour mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients (the egg mixture) to the dry ingredients (flour etc) and stir together thoroughly. Do not over beat.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups.
- Sprinkle the streusel mixture over top of each muffin.
- Bake from 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
- Take the muffins out of the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag #apriljharris on Instagram and follow @apriljharris for more.
More Apple and Pear Recipes
Chocolate Almond Pear Pudding Cake
Applesauce Date and Walnut Loaf Cake
Comments & Reviews
Jess says
These sound SO delicious! YUM!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Jess 🙂
Winnie says
These are wonderful muffins!!
I love baking with apples, and love crumbles 🙂
But these are a bit different as you combine pears as well, and also – you make a sauce first.
I must try your recipe 🙂
April Harris says
Thank you, Winnie, I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as my family and I do!
Colleen says
I love the combination of apples and pears…perfect for those of us who can’t decide which one we like best!
April Harris says
Thank you, Colleen 🙂
Diane says
Apples pears and struesel are making me pay attention! I really want to make this recipe! looks very good!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Diane. It really is a family favourite!
Miz Helen says
What a lovely Muffin for my morning coffee. Your recipe is awesome, I have pinned it. We really enjoy you sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again soon!
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Miz Helen, and thank you for pinning too!
Nicole says
These muffins sound really delicious! Love the idea of using both apples and pears 🙂
April Harris says
Thank you, Nicole!
Kavey says
Love the look of these, very seasonal and I like that crumbly topping!
April Harris says
Thank you, Kavey. I love crumble topping on so many things 🙂
Patty Haxton Anderson says
The photograph definitely grabs you in – great job on that. Plus this recipe sounds so fall, so homey and delicious!
April Harris says
Thank you so much for the compliment, Patty. It means a lot as I’ve been really working hard on my photography. My son, who teaches photography, has been helping me 🙂 I’m so glad you like the recipe too.
swathi says
Delicious muffin with all fall flavors April, love it
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Swathi!
Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
April, these are so my kind of muffins…putting them on my holiday baking list!
April Harris says
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Linda! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Debra @ Bowl Me Over says
I bet your house smells amazing when you baking these! Pinned & tweeted to pass the word – thanks for sharing with us at #TryaBiteTuesday – please stop by this week!
April Harris says
It really does, Deb! Thank you so much for sharing my post. Will pop by soon!
Platter Talk says
Anything with streusel is OK in my book. Great recipe.
April Harris says
Thank you, Dan 🙂 I love streusel too!
Lisa | Garlic + Zest says
These are just the kind of muffins I love for breakfast!
April Harris says
Me too, Lisa! Thank you 🙂
Bintu (@recipespantry) says
Love the streusel mixture topping on these muffins, really lovely recipe
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Bintu 🙂
swayam says
Love a good streusel topped muffin! Pears are everything right now. Looks so good April!
April Harris says
Thank you so much! I really am into pears at the moment too. We are getting some amazing ones this year in the UK.
Jenn says
You had me at streusel! 🙂 Sounds like the perfect fall muffin!
April Harris says
Thank you, Jenn 🙂
The Ninja Baker says
Your photos as always are gorgeous, April. And your words certainly evoke autumn, too. Love the pairing of a sharp cheddar with a fruit filled muffin…especially when topped with streusel!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Kim 🙂
Hadia says
This looks really so good, April! Will definitely give it a try! Thank you for sharing!
April Harris says
I’m so glad you like them, Hadia! Thank you for sharing and tweeting!
Miz Helen says
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,489. Hope you have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I hope your week is going well 🙂
Marilyn says
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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April Harris says
Thank you, Marilyn!
Alexandra says
Mmmm – the pear and apple are delightful together I bet!
April Harris says
Thank you, Alexandra. They really are delicious.
Miz Helen says
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, 511. We will be live for our special Thanksgiving Edition on Tuesday this week, be sure and stop by! Hope you have a very special Thanksgiving!
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you, Miz Helen! I hope your Thanksgiving is lovely.