The Very Best Pear Bread Recipe
There are few things as comforting as a slice of warm pear bread. It is perfectly sweet and the best comfort food when it is chilly outside.
This pear bread recipe is perfect for cold winter mornings. Pop a slice into the toaster oven, and add a dab of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for the perfect bite with morning coffee.
Chilly Winter Mornings and Pear Bread, The Perfect Combination
Winter mornings, even here in Southern California, are cold. Our mornings have been in the low 40s lately, and it has been snowing on the East Coast and Midwest.
Brrrrrr.
If you have never heard of pear bread, it is a cousin of banana bread, just not as sweet. Nothing says cozy and warm than a slice of pear bread straight from the oven.
I created this recipe years ago when I began receiving Harry & David pears at Christmas. For years, we received a dozen perfectly ripe pears, and while we love pears, we couldn’t eat an entire dozen. I didn’t want them to waste, so I adapted my favorite banana bread recipe to create this one.
What I love about pear bread is that it is not as sweet as banana bread, so it is kind of a sweet bread. My favorite way to serve it is to pop a slice into the toaster oven; when toasted, spread a bit of butter and a little cinnamon sugar mixture over the top and have it with my coffee.
Pure heaven!
It is not a bad afternoon snack or evening snack either. When I make a loaf of pear bread, it never lasts very long!
One of the keys to this pear bread is since I saute the pears, you don’t have to have perfectly ripe pears to make this recipe. And you don’t need fresh pears as I have used pears in a jar before when pears are out of season.
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How to Make Pear Bread
This bread is easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.
Sauteeing the pears in the butter, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture is a tricky way to soften them while allowing them to soak up the yummy mixture and release their juices. If your pears are ripe, they will release all of their superb juices.
Once you add the flour, baking soda, and half and half, the mixture will be pretty wet which is perfect!
The Very Best Pear Bread Recipe
A slice for breakfast with your coffee, as you dash out the door, or as an afternoon snack, this pear bread will quickly become a family favorite
Ingredients
- 5 pears, peeled and diced (½”-¾”-ish)
- 2 TBL butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 4 TBL ½ and ½
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- Peel and dice the pears.
- Using a saute pan large enough to hold all of the diced pears, melt the butter. Add vanilla and cinnamon, thoroughly combine
- Add the peeled and diced pears to the butter, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture. Cook until pears are softened and the pear juice has added liquid to the pan. Depending on how ripe your pears are, this can take as little as 10 minutes or as long as 20 minutes. Put a lid on the pears as they cook to capture all of the juice
- Once pears are browned, softened and juicy in the butter mixture, set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, blend together the brown sugar and 2 eggs. Make sure there are no lumps from the brown sugar.
- Add the cooled pears and juicy butter mixture to the bowl with the brown sugar and eggs. Thoroughly combine.
- Add flour, baking soda, and half and half to the mixture and combine thoroughly. The mixture will be quite wet.
- Pour the mixture into a prepared loaf pan.
- Place the loaf pan onto a cookie sheet in case of seepage and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.
Notes
Depending on how ripe or unripe your pears are, step 4 can take as little as 10 minutes or over 20 minutes. I have used jarred pears before and they work beautifully!
Make sure to cool the pear, butter, and juice mixture before adding to the brown sugar and egg mixture so that the warm pear mixture doesn't cook your eggs!
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We also have a very prolific pear tree, altho they are hard as rocks! I made your delicious recipe just as printed above and it was sooo good❤️I love the idea of sautéing the pears and then using the yummy sauce. The bread was very moist! I now prefer pear bread to banana. Thank you!
What a treat! So happy it turned out yummy, I love this recipe ☺️
Would you cook for the same temp and time if you were using multiple mini loaf pans?
I would cook for less time and just keep an eye on them!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks delicious and I will definitely try it.
Looks very tempting! Thank you for sharing, I will definitely try it.
The ingredients are simple and the steps are clear, which is exactly what I like! Let’s get started~
This is really timely. I was just looking for a similar recipe and saved it immediately!
Everything about it is easy to understand, from the materials to the methods, which is precisely what I appreciate about it! Let’s get this party started.
Ahh, pear bread—so fancy it gives banana bread an inferiority complex! What’s next, avocado toast wearing a tuxedo?
I love how you casually throw in, ‘oh yeah, use jarred pears if you’re lazy.’ That’s my kind of cooking tip!
I mean, pear bread sounds awesome and all, but pumpkin spice is the real king of fall eats. This is just a nice sidekick, you know?
This pear bread sounds awesome, man. Who knew a cousin of banana bread could be this cozy? I’m definitely trying this when it gets even colder.
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Pear bread? Sounds fancy, but let’s be real: just another way to use up those sad, forgotten fruits. Make it or not, no one’s judging you.
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I really enjoyed how you framed pear bread as a “cousin of banana bread, just not as sweet.” That single comparison instantly set expectations and made the recipe feel approachable while still special. The sautéed pears step especially stood out as a thoughtful touch.
The way you described winter mornings and pairing a warm slice with coffee felt incredibly relatable. It’s not just a recipe, it’s a little ritual, and that emotional framing made me want to bake it right away. Cozy without being overdone.
I appreciated how practical the instructions are, especially noting that the pears don’t have to be perfectly ripe. That detail lowers the barrier a lot and makes the recipe feel forgiving and realistic for home bakers.
The step-by-step flow is very clear, and the explanation of why the batter stays quite wet was reassuring rather than confusing. It reads like guidance from someone who has made this many times, not just written it once.
I also loved the serving suggestions—toast, butter, a little cinnamon sugar—it made the bread feel versatile beyond just a loaf on the counter. You can really tell this is a recipe that gets eaten, not just photographed.
I loved how you framed pear bread as a “cousin of banana bread, just not as sweet.” That comparison instantly set expectations and made the recipe feel both familiar and special, especially for cozy winter baking.
The step where you sauté the pears really stood out to me—it feels like a small detail, but the way you explain the flavor and moisture it adds shows real experience. It made the whole recipe feel thoughtful rather than rushed.
I appreciated how forgiving this recipe feels, especially noting that the pears don’t have to be perfectly ripe. That kind of reassurance makes it much easier to actually start baking instead of waiting for “ideal” ingredients.