If you're looking for a comforting and quick bread recipe, this apple pear bread is a keeper. With warming flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg, it's a cozy and filling treat. Best of all is that you donât need an electric mixer to whip up a loaf! Enjoy as is or with a bit of cinnamon sugar on top for added texture (a little reminiscent of apple donuts!).

This apple bread recipe can double as a brunch option or an after-dinner treat. It's adaptable and simple to make for special occasions or as an everyday sort of dessert. Plus, it's a fun way to eat some more fruit!
This loaf is also a great way to use up any apples or pears that are slightly past their prime but still flavorful. The natural sweetness and moisture from the fruits shine in baked goods, minimizing waste while creating a yummy treat. It's a win-win for your pantry and your dessert menu.
If you're looking for other options like this one, peruse my fall recipes, with some favorites highlighted here:
- Pear and blueberry crumble
- Cranberry sour cream Bundt cake
- Oatmeal banana bread with chocolate chips
- Mini apple Bundt cakes
Jump to:
- đ Reasons to Love this Recipe
- đ Ingredients in this Apple Pear Bread
- đ Top Tip: Properly Prepping your Loaf Pan
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- đ Step-by-Step Apple Pear Bread Instructions
- Best Results: Baking in Grams
- đ¤ Recipe FAQ and Troubleshooting
- Storage Instructions for this Apple Pear Loaf Cake
- Serving Suggestions
- More Cozy Desserts
- Apple Pear Bread Cinnamon Spice
đ Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Simplicity - Your mixer can sit this one out. You'll whip all of these ingredients together using just a whisk and few bowls!
- Moist texture - The oil and Greek yogurt make the loaf nice and tender with a moist crumb.
- A dessert that's not too sweet - While I have a sweet tooth, I prefer desserts that rely more on the natural sweetness of their ingredients than on tons of added sugar. Although this recipe uses granulated and brown sugars, there are minimal amounts of both to let the spice and fruit flavors shine.
- Versatile - Enjoy this easy loaf cake for breakfast or as a dessert with a cup of coffee or tea. đĢ
đ Ingredients in this Apple Pear Bread
Below are some of the key items you need to make this apple bread with pears. Find the full details in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Apples - Really, the choice is up to you. But my usual go-to apples are Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith Apples (what I used here). You'll use 1-2 small to medium-sized apples.
- Pears - As with the apples, select your personal favorite. In this recipe, I used green Anjou pear. It's got a smooth texture that's still relatively firm, making it great for baking in cakes, muffins, or breads. They also pair well with the spices I used (ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Bartlett and Bosc are other pear varities I enjoy using when I bake. Like the apples, you'll use 1-2 small to medium-sized pears.
- Canola oil â Canola oil also helps create a moist cake in this recipe. Canola oil also makes these cakes super easy to whip up in a large bowl without ever turning on your stand mixer. You could opt for vegetable oil or coconut oil instead, though note that coconut will change the aroma and taste. It'll be more coconut-y, but try it if you enjoy that flavor.
- Cinnamon - Apples and cinnamon are a duo that just belong together. But if you prefer, feel free to explore other warm spices. I also used nutmeg and even a pinch of ginger in this recipe! But the spices are adaptable to your preference and what's available in your pantry. Cardamom is another nice one to consider.
- Brown and Granulated Sugars - Brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like sweetness, while white sugar helps create a light, tender crumb. Together, they give a subtle sweetness to the loaf that works well alongside the fruits and spices here.
đ Top Tip: Properly Prepping your Loaf Pan
Your pans need to be properly coated so that it releases your baked goods once they've baked.
I recommend either of the below options:
- Baker's Joy or homemade equivalent (my preference) - Coat your pan with a non-stick spray for baking. Bakerâs Joy or a homemade equivalent of bakerâs release spray works well.
- Parchment paper - Line a straight-sided loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
If youâre properly preparing your baking pan but still having issues, it could be that you need a new one. As pans age, they can lose their ability to conduct heat as well as they once did.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Greek yogurt swap - Instead of Greek yogurt, try sour cream for similar moisture.
- Nuts for added texture - For more texture and a different flavor, you could about Âŧ cup of chopped nuts into the loaf batter. Be mindful not to overdue it, as you don't want the batter to be dried.
- Add glaze on top - Like I do in my mini apple Bundt cakes, you could add a spiced cream cheese glaze on top.
đ Step-by-Step Apple Pear Bread Instructions
An hour before beginning your recipe, set out your refrigerated ingredients.
Prepare the Pan and Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350ÂēF. Grease and flour your loaf tin. Dice or grate the peeled apples and pears into very small pieces.
Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional pinch of ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown and granulated sugars, sour cream or Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Fold in fruit: With a wooden or rubber spatula, gently fold the chopped fruit mixture into the batter until evenly incorporated.
Fill pan and bake loaf: Pour batter into the prepared pan, and bake the loaf for 42-47 minutes. You'll know it's ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the loaf begins pulling away from the pan edges. The top will be a nice golden brown.
Cool: Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack.
Optional serving idea: In a small bowl, mix 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite spices in this loaf. Dust it on top of the loaf before cutting and serving slices.
Best Results: Baking in Grams
If youâre not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.
While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
đ¤ Recipe FAQ and Troubleshooting
I used Anjou pears here. They softened while baking but still maintained some shape. I liked that they weren't mushy and still contributed to the texture in this delicious recipe.
According to this article from Spruce Eats, Bosc and Anjou pears are some of the best for baking. Concorde and French butter pears also work well, but they're less common in my grocery stores. Use the best choice you can find.
If your oven runs hot or you start to notice the top of the loaf browning too much, cover the tin with aluminum foil in the last 5-10 minutes. This steps minimizes the risk of burning your loaf.
Storage Instructions for this Apple Pear Loaf Cake
Room temperature - If you plan to consume this loaf within the next 2-3 days, it'll be safe to eat stored in a container at room temperature.
Refrigerating - If you want to enjoy this cake over a longer period of time, keep the loaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator between serving slices.
Freezing - So long as you keep it in a tightly sealed container, you may also freeze this apple pear bread for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
For refrigerated slices - Let the slices or loaf come to room temperature before serving it. Place it on the countertop for at least half an hour prior to serving.
For frozen loaf cake - Let it thaw for a few hours at room temperature before serving.
For frozen or refrigerated slices, you can also gently warm them in the microwave on a low setting for about 15 seconds.
Whatever you decide, feel free to serve this loaf alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream to take the flavors up a notch. Or keep it simple as is! I also like a dusting of cinnamon sugar on top.
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More Cozy Desserts
Apple Pear Bread Cinnamon Spice
This quick, easy apple pear bread has brown sugar, fresh fruit, and simple ingredients. No mixer needed; it comes together in a large bowl!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: American
Ingredients
- 1 â cup (160 grams) all-purpose unbleached flour, spooned and leveledÂ
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Optional: Pinch of ground ginger if thatâs your thing
- 1 and ÂŊ teaspoon baking powder
- ÂŊ teaspoon baking soda
- Âŧ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temp
- Âŧ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- â cup (75 grams) granulated sugar
- â cup (80 grams) of whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
- â cup (70 grams) flavorless oil, like canola or grapeseedÂ
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ÂŊ cups (200 grams) peeled and chopped apples and pears, packed (about one small-medium sized apple and one small-medium sized pear)
- Optional cinnamon sugar topping: 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon (or your favorite spices)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Generously butter and flour your pan or coat it with a spray like Bakerâs Joy or homemade equivalent. Alternatively, you may line a straight-sided loaf pan with parchment paper for another easy removal method.Â
- Dice or grate apples and pears into very small pieces.Â
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a second bowl, large enough to eventually hold all of your ingredients, whisk together the eggs, brown and granulated sugars, sour cream or Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined.
- Fold your chopped fruits gently into your batter until incorporated.Â
- Bake for 42-47 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and loaf is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a cooling rack.
- Preheat the oven to 350ÂēF. Grease and flour your loaf tin. Dice or grate the peeled apples and pears into very small pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional pinch of ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown and granulated sugars, sour cream or Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- With a wooden or rubber spatula, gently fold the chopped fruit mixture into the batter until evenly incorporated.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, and bake the loaf for 42-47 minutes. You'll know it's ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the loaf begins pulling away from the pan edges. The top will be a nice golden brown.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack.
- Optional serving idea: In a small bowl, mix 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite spices in this loaf. Dust it on top of the loaf before cutting and serving slices.
Notes
- If you feel you loaf is becoming too dark, in the last 10 or so minutes of baking, cover it with foil so that the sides are less prone to browning and the baking is more even.
- The nutritional values are approximate and can vary based on specific ingredient brands and measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 15.6 grams
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 7.8 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.7 grams
- Trans Fat: Negligible
- Carbohydrates: 30.2 grams
- Fiber: 1.2 grams
- Protein: 3.1 grams
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
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