Whole Wheat Pear & Pecan Streusel Muffins #MuffinMonday

A buttery oatmeal streusel tops these whole wheat pear and pecan muffins.

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I like to bake a batch of muffins to welcome new families to my town.



Typically I'll grab a seasonal fruit (no Beet and Horseradish Muffins for someone I don't know well) and make something sweet and snack-like, then pull them out of the oven, take some photos--and a bite of one--then send my daughter off with a basket of warm baked treats. [Not the one I took a bite of, I finish that one. And my kids get to eat some, too. I give away the rest.]

These muffins were no exception--a new family moved in a few blocks away, and I had a couple of pears to use up. I was in the mood for streusel, so I threw this together.  The recipe is loosely based from the general muffin recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but with lots of adaptations for the spices and mix-ins.

I'm working through a stash of white whole wheat flour so in addition to great flavor, these muffins are a bit higher in fiber and whole grain goodness compared to the original recipe. I like baking with white whole wheat because I get a fairly fluffy end result. It works great in waffles and pizza crust as well.

When I got back on FB later in the day after baking these muffins I saw the following post:

"What kind of crack is in these muffins? They're delicious!"

I've dubbed these muffins the Crack Muffins ever since.  I hope you enjoy the recipe!

For more recipes using pears, please see my Pear Recipes Collection. It's part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating from the farm share, the farmer's market, the garden, the neighbor's garden, and great deals on ugly produce at the grocery store.



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Whole Wheat Pear and Pecan Streusel Muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter (I use unsalted)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 Tablespoons rolled oats (old fashioned)
• ¼ teaspoon Baking Spice or cinnamon nutmeg blend of your choice
• 2 cups (8 ounces by weight) whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Spice or cinnamon nutmeg blend of your choice
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) buttermilk
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 1 pear, cored and chopped

Instructions

1. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine first 4 ingredients with a fork or your fingers until well mixed. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 12 well muffin tin or line with paper liners.
3. Mix up the dry ingredients by whisking the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and Baking Spice in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Mix up the wet ingredients by whisking together the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a small bowl.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently together until briefly mixed.  Dump in the pecans and pear, then stir until just blended.
6. Scoop into prepared pan. Top with streusel, dividing evenly among the 12 muffins.
7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned.
8. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to completely cool. These are great warm with butter or at room temperature.

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

Here's what we've baked up for August!

• Apple Zucchini Muffins by Palatable Pastime
• Blackberry Lemon Thyme Muffins by Food Lust People Love
• Doughnut Muffins by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Key Lime Pie Muffins (two ways) by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Whole Wheat Pear & Pecan Streusel Muffins (aka the Crack Muffins) by Farm Fresh Feasts
• Plantain Muffins by Passion Kneaded