Easy Walnut Pear Muffins

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These delicious Walnut Pear Muffins are made with fresh pears, Greek yogurt, walnuts and more for a healthier, protein filled way to power you through your morning or snack time.

What Makes These Muffins So Good?

Y’all! I have been making these Walnut Pear Muffins for over a decade now and they remain one of my family’s all-time favorite muffins. They seriously are consumed in minutes; they are just that tasty!

There is so much to love about them. I was originally inspired to try these muffins from a recipe I found in Cooking Light magazine and they were a hit right away. I tweaked the recipe slightly to make them my own.

They are filled with all kind of wholesome ingredients starting with fresh, ripe pears which are in peak season during the fall and winter.

What I also like about them is that they use only two tablespoons of oil and use the power of plain Greek yogurt to help with moisture and help these muffins rise to make them moist and delicious yet better for you too.

With pears, yogurt, walnuts and whole wheat flour, that’s I like to call them power muffins because those wholesome, nutritious ingredients are just a bonus to these super flavorful muffins.

These Pear Walnut Power Muffins are great with a cup of coffee in the morning or just about any time of day.

Jump to:

• What Makes These Muffins So Good?
• What Ingredients Are Needed To Make This Recipe?
• How To Make This Recipe
• Make Ahead Preparation Tips
• More Muffin and Biscuit Recipes
• Walnut Pear Muffins

What Ingredients Are Needed To Make This Recipe?

All of the ingredients needed to make these easy pear muffins are easy to find at the grocery store.

I also keep a bag of whole, shelled walnuts in my freezer year-round so that I can use them in other recipes. I buy the large bags from Costco or Sam’s Club because they are such a better value that way! To freeze, just store in a freezer safe, airtight bag or container, label and freeze up to a year.

For this recipe, I make sure they are finely chopped so that they are more evenly distributed throughout the batter. I like to use my handheld food chopper (affiliate link) or food processor (affiliate link). (1)

I also buy the big container of plain Greek yogurt at Costco because we like the flavor and it’s less expensive than some other name brands. and I also use it in several other recipes that call for plain yogurt like these Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread, Lemon Bread Recipe and Green Monster Banana Spinach Avocado Smoothie recipes.

Whole wheat flour is also called for here and while I prefer the more traditional whole grain flour, you can substitute white whole wheat flour instead.

What are the best pears to use?

The variety of pears you choose doesn’t matter too much in this recipe although I prefer a Green Anjou or Bartlett pear. They are two of the most common to find in the grocery store although I do also see Bosc pears during peak pear season, too. They are a browner and to me, a big grainier pear.

The main thing is to choose a pear that is ripe and juicy but hasn’t gotten too mushy so that they hold their shape when diced.

How To Make This Recipe

To make this pear muffin recipe, combine the ingredients as directed in the recipe card below. So that the diced pears keep their shape though, fold them in to the batter using a rubber spatula (affiliate link) (2).

One tip I have for filling your muffin tin cups so that they bake evenly is to use a large scoop (affiliate link) (3). I use different sized scoops (affiliate link) in the kitchen all the time!

I fill the large scoop nearly full and that fills my muffin cup about three-quarters full which lets them have a nice crown on top.

Make Ahead Preparation Tips

One of my favorite things to do to prep a baked good recipe like this is to make a dry goods “kit”. It’s kind of like the pre-made cake or muffin mixes you buy at the grocery store but instead, you are making them yourself! Just store in an airtight container (affiliate link), plastic bag or reusable silicone bag (affiliate link) and don’t forget to date and label (affiliate link) the container you choose.

You can also chop up the walnuts ahead of time and store in an airtight container also until you’re ready to prepare these muffins.

I don’t recommend dicing the pears until you are making this recipe as they can turn brown and become a little mushy, even when they are stored in the refrigerator.

How To Freeze Muffins

These pear muffins freeze really well! Just make sure they are cooled to room temperature on a cooling rack for optimum quality.

I will often make a double batch to keep some in the freezer. They heat up beautifully in the microwave from frozen—perfect for when on the go! Just wrap a frozen muffin in a paper towel and reheat in the microwave at 70% power for about 45 seconds to one minute.

You can also pull out frozen muffins and let them come to room temperature out on your kitchen counter. To preserver their moisture, let them thaw in the airtight container you have frozen them in.

More Muffin and Biscuit Recipes

If you like this Walnut Pear Muffin recipe, be sure to check out some of my other muffin and biscuit recipes:
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
Easy Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Meyer Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

This post was originally published in March 2012 but updated in September 2020.

Be sure to check out my Amazon Shop to discover the many items I use in my own kitchen. Meal Planning Magic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ordering products mentioned here are at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.