Pear Bread? I think you mean SHARE bread!

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Slightly sweet, and loaded with chunks of soft pear, this Pear Bread is a great treat all on its own. Every slice is moist and tender, with cinnamon all the way through. If that isn’t reason enough to grab a few fresh pears while they’re at their best, I don’t know what is!

sliced bread with pears on cutting board

I’m just going to say it. Pears are entirely underrated. So many bakers are bananas (hah!) about apples, pumpkins, and chocolate. But, I’ll stand on the hill that pears have a wonderfully delicate flavor that makes people do a double take when they find it in a sweet treat like this. Try making this rustic caramel pear tart with fresh, ripe pears and you’ll see what I mean.

Pear Bread

A few years back, we were gifted a box of pears for the holidays. So, obviously that meant that I needed to take a few of them to play with in the kitchen. And let me tell you, I had a lot of fun trying new recipes!

If the idea of making bread stresses you out, let me clarify that this is a “quick bread”. That means there’s no yeast, no rising, no kneading, etc. It’s really more like making muffins. Super simple, and also super tasty.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pears – Pears are the star of the show here! So, you’re going to want to look for the ripe ones. Soft, but still firm with a tender, juicy texture.

Flour – I am not brand loyal on flour. Any regular, all-purpose flour will work well here.

Sugar – For this recipe, we’re including some light brown sugar for moisture and a rich caramel note. I also use some plain white sugar.

Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is not a dominant flavor in the bread. The extract brings the same notes we recognize in everything from chocolate chip cookies to banana bread.

dry ingredients mixed with wet in glass bowl

Eggs – You can’t taste this ingredient. But, boy will you miss them if you accidentally forget to crack them into the bowl.

Oil – This is what keeps the bread moist and tender as it bakes.

Baking Powder & Soda – You need both. They work together to give this quick bread its lift.

Cinnamon – This spice complements the natural flavor of the pears really well.

Salt – I always use kosher salt in my baking, unless otherwise stated.

Notes on Equipment

Vegetable peeler. You can peel ripe pears quite easily with the right peeler. This has been the only peeler I’ve used for over ten years now. It’s comfortable to hold, still sharp as the day I bought it, and remains the best I’ve ever tried.
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Spatula
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
8×5 loaf pan. An hour and fifteen minutes in the oven, and the loaf still comes out clean. I swear by these loaf pans. They have perfectly square edges, and yet I’ve never had anything stick to them. And, mine have been in the baking rotation here for over ten years now. They are truly the best.

How to Make Pear Bread

Warming the Oven: You’ll start by preheating the oven to 325°F.

Preparing the Pan: Grease and flour an 8×5″ loaf pan. Or depending on my mood, I might just line the pan with parchment paper. Both work.

Dicing the Pears: I wash, core, and peel the pears. Then, finely dice them.

Chopping the Pecans: Pecans are optional for this recipe, but if you’re including them, then chop them into tiny pieces after the pears.

Mixing the Dry Ingredients: You’ll measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk to combine everything.

Mixing the Wet Ingredients: In another large mixing bowl, you’ll whisk together the oil, eggs, white sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Combining the Ingredients: Carefully add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Then, I stir just until moistened and stop, even if the batter looks a little rough.

Folding In The Rest: Use a spatula to carefully fold in your chopped pears (and the pecans, if desired).

Baking: I pour the batter into the baking dish and place in the oven. We’re going to let it bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cooling: Let the bread cool completely before you try to remove it from the pan.

Serving: Slice this loaf at room temperature and serve it just like that. No glaze required.

Expert Tip

Did you know that bread can climb? Well, not really. But, if you ever wondered why we grease and flour the sides of a loaf pan, it’s because the batter needs something to grab hold of on its way up. Parchment paper serves the same purpose and makes it even easier to remove the loaf, usually at the cost of some oddly wrinkled edges where the paper may have creased it. Regardless, just don’t skip this step, or you’ll end up with a shallower, denser loaf.

Fold Them In – Don’t know what it means to “fold in” the ingredients? Well, don’t worry. It’s just a gentler way to stir. The exact method is to cut down through the center of the mixture, sweep along the bottom, and then kind of “scoop” mixture up and over the top toward the center again. Rotate the bowl and repeat the process. This helps keep delicate ingredients like the pears from getting crushed.

Keep It Uniform – Preparing the pears might sound at first like an arduous process, but it goes quickly. Once they’re peeled, the trick is to slice them a few times lengthwise before cross-cutting to dice them. You’re looking for tiny pieces about ¼” thick.

Avoid Overmixing – When you’re first stirring together the wet and dry ingredients, you are not looking for total incorporation. You’ll be folding in the pears and pecans as well, which also helps to even out the batter. If you stir everything together until it’s fully combined, you’re liable to overmix the batter, resulting in a dense crumb.

Serving Suggestions

Is there anything better than a warm slice of pear bread and a spread of this whipped maple pecan butter? I’ll happily call that breakfast, snack, and dessert, depending on the hour.

Because this one isn’t particularly sweet, it actually goes really well with soup and salad. I’ve served it with both my sausage potato and kale soup and this bowtie pasta salad. It’s not dessert, but it brings a sweet element that just works with a savory meal.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make Ahead: This is a wonderfully moist quick bread recipe that gets even better over time. The pear flavor deepens overnight, and that makes it a fabulous treat for bake in advance.

How to Store: I store leftover slices in an airtight container on the counter. It’ll keep for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this bread in a zip-close bag. Just make sure to separate the slices with some parchment paper.

How to Reheat: Just pop a slice in the microwave at 30 second increments to warm it back up.

More Pear Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I look for when shopping for pears?

Fresh, fully ripe pears should have a vibrant color, with no dull or bruised spots. Press gently near the stem end. A ripe pear will give a little there while staying firm everywhere else. If it’s rock hard, it needs more time.

Can I use canned pears?

If you drain them well, and take the time to pat them dry, they may work. (Though I haven’t tested that myself.) Excess liquid will make the bread too moist.

Will gluten-free flour work?

If you have a 1:1 gluten-free replacement flour that you’ve used successfully in other recipes, it will work well in this recipe.

How do I know it’s done?

The crust on the top should be a golden brown color and spring back when you tap it. I like to insert a tooth pick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out mostly clean with no wet dough on it, and and just a few moist crumbs sticking to it, then the loaf is done.