Brown Butter Cinnamon Pear Loaf

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 10 slices
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (includes cooling)

Quick Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon (plus 1/2 tsp for topping)
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar + 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
• 2 medium ripe but firm pears, peeled and diced (about 2 cups/260 g)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp flour (for tossing pears)
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar (for topping)

Do This

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with a parchment sling.
• 2. Brown 1/2 cup butter over medium heat 5–7 minutes until nutty and amber; cool 10 minutes.
• 3. Toss diced pears with lemon juice and 1 tsp flour; set aside.
• 4. Whisk dry: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
• 5. Whisk cooled brown butter, oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk. Fold in dry just to combine.
• 6. Fold in pears; scrape into pan. Mix 2 tbsp turbinado sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon; sprinkle on top. Bake 60–70 minutes; cool 15 minutes in pan, then on a rack before slicing.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Deep, toasty flavor from brown butter meets warm cinnamon in every bite.
• Juicy pear chunks keep the loaf incredibly moist without being dense.
• Quick, no-mixer batter means easy weeknight baking.
• A crackly cinnamon-sugar top adds irresistible texture and aroma.

Grocery List

• Produce: 2 medium pears (Bartlett or Bosc), 1 lemon
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, sour cream, milk, 2 large eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, fine salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, vanilla extract, neutral oil, turbinado sugar

Full Ingredients

For the Loaf Batter

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional but lovely)
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to warm-room temp
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk, room temperature

For the Pear Mix-In

• 2 medium ripe but firm pears (Bartlett or Bosc), peeled, cored, and diced 1/2-inch (about 2 cups/260 g)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour (for tossing)

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Top

• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the pan and heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment as well.

Step 2: Brown the butter

Place the 1/2 cup (113 g) butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt, then cook, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty, 5–7 minutes. Immediately scrape the browned butter and all the toasty bits into a heatproof bowl. Cool 10 minutes until just warm, not hot.

Step 3: Prep the pears

Peel, core, and dice the pears into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with the lemon juice and 1 tsp flour to lightly coat. This helps keep the fruit from sinking and manages excess moisture. Set aside.

Step 4: Whisk the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger (if using) until evenly combined.

Step 5: Build the wet base

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until glossy and well combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Whisk in the sour cream and milk until smooth and cohesive.

Step 6: Combine and fold in pears

Switch to a spatula and add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold gently just until no dry patches remain; do not overmix. Fold in the prepared pear pieces until evenly distributed.

Step 7: Top, bake, and cool

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Mix the turbinado sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Bake 60–70 minutes, rotating the pan at 45 minutes. If the top is browning quickly, tent loosely with foil. The loaf is done when a skewer inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter and the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C). Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack, at least 45 minutes, before slicing.

Pro Tips

• Brown the butter thoroughly: look for deep amber color and a nutty aroma; the flavorful browned bits should make it into the batter.
• Cool the butter to warm-room temp so it doesn’t scramble the eggs or seize the sugars.
• Toss pears with a little flour to help keep them suspended in the batter and prevent sogginess around the fruit.
• Weigh your flour if possible. Too much flour leads to a dry crumb; 240 g is ideal.
• Check doneness in two spots: the center and 1 inch off-center, since fruit-rich loaves can bake unevenly.

Variations

• Chai-Spiced Loaf: Replace cinnamon/ginger with 2 1/2 tsp chai spice blend for cozy tea house vibes.
• Walnut Streusel: Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and 3 tbsp cold butter to crumb; scatter on top instead of turbinado sugar.
• Pear Muffins: Portion into 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store the cooled loaf airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 6 days. For longer storage, slice, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months; thaw at room temp or warm slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. The loaf also rests beautifully: bake the day before, cool, wrap tightly, and slice the next day for the cleanest cuts and best flavor.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 1 of 10 slices: 360 calories; 17 g fat; 47 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 26 g sugars; 250 mg sodium.