Caramelized Pear Bread

Pears may take second place to apples in many books, but it’s high time they step into the limelight with this fantastic Caramelized Pear Bread. It will become your ultimate fall bread recipe because it’s irresistible with the impressive pears on the top and all the flavors packed in it.

We can eat pears in any form. For the easiest dessert, go check out out Roasted Pears Recipe!

As a fan of fruit bread, I was in the mood of baking something seasonal last weekend. What I had in my mind was a bread like our Peach Bread with Walnuts but we are already out of peach season, right? That’s what can be called as pure reality when I saw a full bag of pears sitting in the fridge. Believe it or not, I made an out-of-this-world Caramelized Pear Bread with just one easy additional step. This recipe uses ripe autumn pears that are lightly caramelized in a pan before adding them to the top of a simple spiced quick bread. The pears give it an impressive visual touch as well as a ton of fall flavor and texture.

Social media is full of trips to the apple orchard and children in pumpkin patches. There’s no denying that fall is in full swing. I could have definitely baked a delicious Apple Cinnamon Bread. However, fall is such a bountiful season. That means it’s not only apple and pumpkin season but it’s also the perfect time for pears! Not only is it seasonal, this pear bread is perfectly moist and rich, with a hint of cocoa and the dark juicy caramelization of the pears adding to the flavor.

Pears, warming spices and chocolate are mostly an underappreciated pairing, but this recipe will be a game changer!

How to Make

Like most quick breads, this delightfully spiced pear bread is simple to make. The caramelized pears add an unusual and sophisticated touch that is easy to pull off and looks great. There are so many amazing pear varieties around the world and any of them would be perfect for this. I personally love using Bosc or Anjou as they have a great texture for baking.

When it comes to the actual cooking process, the recipe starts with a simple caramel. Although making caramel can sometimes be intimidating, this is a great version for beginners as it uses orange juice to thicken the sauce and balance the sweetness of the bread. Although I prefer orange juice, lemon or lime juice can be used instead if you’d like.

As for the batter for this pear bread recipe, it gets its fat from oil instead of butter. Oil has the advantage of being easier to whisk into the batter and has a unique way of coating the flour that makes the final product incredibly moist. It’s completely fine to substitute more all-purpose flour for the whole wheat flour. Just know that you’re losing a little bit of fiber.

Can I Use Canned Pears?

Using canned instead of fresh pears is a great option if pears are not in season where you are. Plus, you can even make this recipe more budget friendly with canned pears. Just note that if you’re using canned pears,  you can skip the caramelization step as the pears will already be softened. Cut them in half, place them in the baking pan, and drizzle a little bit of the canning liquid over them before moving on to make the bread.

How To Freeze

If you’re making this Pear Bread ahead or simply don’t want to finish it all off in one sitting, it can be frozen. It will keep for up to two months when properly stored. Simply wrap the pear bread in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag to keep out any freezer burn. Alternatively, you can cut the bread into single-serving slices and similarly wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Then place them in an airtight freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat it, allow the slices or loaf to thaw completely at room temperature.

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Caramelized Pear Bread

By Zerrin & Yusuf

Caramelized pear bread with warming fall spices is an irresistible dessert.

Yields: 10

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PREP 20 minutes mins

COOK 50 minutes mins

TOTAL 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

INGREDIENTS

  

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Caramelized Pears:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1½ tablespoon orange juice
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 pears peeled and halved lengthwise

Bread:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground pistachio for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Caramelization:

• Cook water, orange juice, sugar and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
•  
• Add pears, cut side up. Cook about 3-4 minutes. Turn them over and cook just until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Let them cool slightly.
• Line the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Place the pears, cut side down in the pan.
• Heat the remaining liquid in the skillet and pour it over the pears. Freeze while you prepare the batter.

Bread:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy about 5 minutes. Add in olive oil and mix well.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in 2 additions. Don’t over mix. Just use a hand whisk and whisk until everything is combined.
• Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the batter over pears. Smooth the top.
• Bake until top is golden or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle ground pistachio on the bread before serving.

NUTRITION

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 239mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 4gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

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