Pear Bread Almond Streusel Topping

Updated October 06, 2020

Pear Bread

What do you do when your nice neighbors bring you over a huge bag of pears from their tree? First, you say thank you and then you make Easy Pear Sauce and the best Pear Salad. I thought those two recipes would use up all of the pears, but luckily I still had a few left so I made, Pear Bread with almond streusel topping. This easy quick bread is a new fall favorite. You are going to LOVE it! Pears are usually the back up singers during the fall. The apples and pumpkins usually take the lead and steal the show. Well, move over apples and pumpkins because it is time for the pears to shine. This Pear Almond Streusel Bread is a real show stopper!

The Best Pears to Use

I highly recommend using fresh pears for this recipe and not canned pears. This is a great recipe for pear season! Bosc, Anjou, and Bartlett pears are great for baking because they hold their shape and texture. I don’t recommend comice pears because they are juicier and tend to fall apart and get mushy when baked. Look for pears that are firm-ripe. When you press the fruit near the stem, the pear should give a little. If the pears are mushy, don’t use them for baking. If the pears are rock hard when you buy them, you will have to wait a few days for them to ripen on the counter. Peel the pears and chop them into small chunks right before using so they don’t turn brown. If you are going to chop the pears in advance, drizzle a little lemon juice over the pears to prevent them from browning.

How to Make Pear Bread

I love making quick breads because they are easy to whip up and the end results are SO delicious.

This cinnamon spiced bread is super moist thanks to the buttermilk, egg, and oil. Make sure your buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature. The loaf also has brown sugar that adds moisture and a caramel sweetness. I like to use vanilla extract AND almond extract. The flavor combo is incredible. You can toss the pear chunks in a little bit of flour before adding them to the loaf. This will prevent them from sinking. Gently fold in the pears, being careful to not over mix the batter. Pour the loaf into a greased 9×5-inch pan and top with the almond streusel. After 30 minutes of baking, loosely cover the bread with foil and continue baking for 30 more minutes (60 minutes total). Covering the bread half-way through will prevent the streusel topping from getting too dark. If this is your first time baking the bread, you can check at 50 minutes to be safe. Every oven is different. It might take your bread a little less time or a little longer. When the loaf is completely cool, drizzle the simple almond glaze over the top! The perfect finishing touch to our pear bread! If you don’t want to add a glaze, the bread will still be good without one, but I say go for it:) Use a serrated bread knife to slice into the loaf! Enjoy!

How to Store

Let the glaze on the bread completely set up before storing. Once the glaze is set, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the bread. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap AND aluminum foil. Place the loaf in the freezer and freeze for up to three months. Defrost before slicing.