Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare and mix
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F / 190°C on the conventional setting. Line six standard muffin wells with paper liners. Keep the pan ready so the mixed batter can go straight into it.
- Combine the milk and rolled oats in the larger mixing bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes while you prepare the pear and dry ingredients. The oats should become damp and slightly softened.
- Rinse the pear under running water and dry it before peeling. Cut away bruised areas; discard rotten fruit. Peel, quarter and core it, then cut into even ¼-inch dice. Weigh 140 g of prepared fruit, approximately a scant cup, and set it in the small bowl. If the cut fruit is very juicy, lightly blot its surface before weighing; do not add loose juice.
- In the second mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until evenly combined. Break up visible lumps of baking powder.
- After the oat soak, add the egg, oil and vanilla to the oats and milk. Whisk just until combined, bringing up any oats that have settled at the bottom.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until only a few flour streaks remain, then add the diced pear and fold just until no loose flour remains. The batter should be thick and scoopable, with visible oats and pear. Do not beat it smooth or taste the raw batter.
Bake and cool
- Divide the batter evenly among the six lined wells, filling each about three-quarters full and distributing the pear pieces evenly. Bake for approximately 22–26 minutes; begin checking at 22 minutes. The tops should spring back lightly, and a skewer inserted into the crumb, avoiding a pear piece, should have moist crumbs but no wet batter. Check more than one muffin if your oven heats unevenly.
- Leave the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for another 5 minutes before serving. Let them cool further before covering for storage, while following the prompt refrigeration limits in the notes.
Notes
Timing: The 20-minute preparation estimate includes the 10-minute oat soak, with the pear and dry ingredients prepared during that soak. The card uses a 24-minute baking estimate; the expected range is 22–26 minutes. With 10 minutes of cooling before serving, the estimated total is 54 minutes. Oven, pan and fruit differences can change the timing, so follow the doneness checks.
Pear and oats: Measure 140 g of pear after peeling and coring, approximately a scant cup. Keep the pieces small and avoid adding extra fruit or juice. Use old-fashioned rolled oats; steel-cut oats will not soften sufficiently with this method.
Raw ingredients and allergens: Do not taste raw batter because it contains uncooked flour and egg. As written, the muffins contain wheat, egg and milk. A recipe without yogurt is not necessarily dairy-free.
Storage: As a conservative approach for these moist fruit muffins, refrigerate in a covered container at 40°F / 4°C or below after cooling. Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 90°F / 32°C; do not leave them out longer just to finish cooling. Use within 3–4 days.
Freezing: Individually wrap the cooled muffins and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Warm gently if desired and check that the fruit is not too hot before eating.
Substitutions: This card preserves the recipe's stated ingredient balance. Ingredient substitutions can alter texture and timing and have not been kitchen-validated here.
