Cinnamon Pear Streusel Bread Recipe

Sweet fruit-based quick breads are nothing new, with bananas reigning supreme as the go-to fruit of choice and apples or peaches making the occasional appearance. One fruit that often finds itself in tart-like pastries but not so much in bread is the pear — though if this cinnamon pear streusel bread is any proof, the mild and juicy fruit certainly deserves a spot in the lineup. Recipe developer Jessica Morone says, "People make other kinds of fruit bread all the time, like banana or apple bread, pears just give this a different flavor." She goes on to say, "Pears are delicious and juicy and one of my favorite fruits in general. If you like pears you will like this bread."

As for the flavor and texture, Morone says, "This bread is moist, flavorful, and the crumble topping on top is buttery and delicious," and she explains that it "is kind of like a muffin." Instead of having to individually line an entire muffin tin and top off each muffin with streusel, you can cut out extra work by making one large loaf. She also notes that "The bread has a delicate sweet, cinnamon flavor." So even if pears aren't typically on the top of your fruit hierarchy, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this subtly spiced bread.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a separate large bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until fully combined.

Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk and mix well.

Add the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

In a medium bowl mix together the chopped pears and lemon juice.

Gently fold the pear mixture into the bread batter.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Set aside.

Add in the melted ¼ cup butter and mix together with a fork until crumbs form.

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter in the loaf pan.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing the bread and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Slice and serve.

Like most bread recipes, this cinnamon pear version yields one large loaf — ideal for those who have families who will pick away at it throughout the week. If you happen to have some leftovers you have a few options for storing them. The first is ideal for those who anticipate the bread to be gone within a few days to a week. "Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days," Morone advises. She suggests, "Heating up the bread in the toaster oven when it starts to get stale is a really good option to give it some extra life."

If you want to save leftovers for much later down the road, then you'll want to turn to the freezer to take it from there. As Morone says, "You can also freeze it for up to 3 months." Before you just throw the loaf into the freezer, however, you'll want to take some steps to ensure it stays nice and fresh. "To freeze the bread you will want to wrap it fully in plastic wrap, and then put it in a freezer bag for additional protection," Morone says.