Honey-Pear Muffins

Recipes

It's not often that a muffin really makes you step back and say, "Wow!" But these honey-pear muffins might be just the recipe that changes everything. Unlike store-bought muffins that are overly sugary or contain preservatives, these homemade muffins are sweetened entirely with natural, raw & unfiltered Local Hive Honey. (Though we do call for some brown sugar for color & flavor in the streusel topping.)

We're dropping this fall recipe just in time for the changing season. Picture it: you're waking up on a breezy fall morning with the scent of fresh baked pears and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen — sounds magical, doesn't it? And the best part: these honey-pear muffins bake up in just about 30–40 minutes.

Check out more honey recipes on the Local Hive blog.

Pro tip: Make sure to use ripe pears that have been washed, peeled, and mashed to add flavor and moisture. A ripe pear should be a little soft, but not mushy. A firm pear won't add quite enough fragrance and sweetness as a ripe.

Local Hive Nor Cal Honey stars in this recipe, with a mild, buttery, and light honey flavor that makes every gooey bite that much better, plus buttermilk helps add a slight tang to balance out the sweetness.

This recipe was created by Broken Oven Baking. Check out more amazing recipes like this one on her blog and Instagram page.

Storing at room temperature: Allow honey-pear muffins to cool off, then place them in an airtight container. They'll stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Storing in freezer: Allow muffins to cool, then wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow the muffins to return to room temperature before serving — do not microwave to reheat.

Baking Tips

If you're only able to source underripe pears, place them in a brown paper bag on the counter next to your bananas. Bananas naturally exude ethylene gas, a naturally occuring (and perfectly safe) hormone that causes fruit to ripen quickly.
Preheat your oven before you start mixing your muffin batter. Preheating to 400º takes a while, and you'll want to bake the batter as quickly as possible after mixing for best results.
Weigh your flour in grams using a food scale. Packing flour into a measuring cup will lead to dry, dense muffins. Measuring by weight, not volume, keeps your recipe consistent — and tasty.
Your oven may have hot spots on the inside. Bake your muffins on the middle rack and rotate the pan 10–15 minutes in to help your honey-pear muffins bake evenly.
Can't find ripe pears at the store? You can swap them out for 1.5 cups of chunky applesauce. Just make sure it's the 'unsweetened' variety.
You can use old-fashioned oats to the streusel in Step 1 to add more texture and flavor.
Add some crunch by mixing in ½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts to the batter in Step 4.
Ginger and pear is a classic flavor combination you may not have tried. Simply add ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger to the batter with the cinnamon to give these muffins a bit of ginger zing.

100 Years of 100% U.S. Honey

This homemade honey recipe is part of our #100waystousehoney series, celebrating 100 years of 100% U.S. honey.

Throughout 2024, you can shop our limited-edition 1924 Golden Age Wildflower honey blend. It's an exclusive, 100% U.S. wildflower honey blend with a mellow, but flowery taste.

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cook Time: 20 min.

Total Time: 40 min.

Makes 12 muffins.

INGREDIENTS

Cinnamon Streusel Topping
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
0.67 cup (132 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
6 TBSP (84 g) unsalted butter, melted

Honey Pear Muffins
1 cup (336 g) Local Hive Nor Cal Raw & Unfiltered Honey
0.5 cup (109 g) vegetable oil or other neutral oil
0.67 cup (160 g) buttermilk room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature
3 cups ripe pears (about 3 pears) washed, peeled, mashed, and then measured
4.5 cups (562.5 g) all-purpose flour weighed or spooned & leveled
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Fill your muffin pan with parchment liners. This recipe makes 12 muffins.

2. Make Cinnamon Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter until it resembles wet sand and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together Local Hive Honey, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg, and mashed pears.

4. In the same bowl, slowly fold flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into wet ingredients. Stop when the flour streaks disappear.

5. Pour the pear muffin batter into muffin liners (until they're full, do not overfill.) Sprinkle streusel on top of batter, then lightly pat down on each top to secure the crumb topping.

6. Bake on middle rack at 400°F for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. (Don't open the oven door.) continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean (about 13–15 more minutes; 18–20 minutes total).

7. Let honey pear muffins cool in the pan until you can transfer to a wire rack.