Banana Pear Bread -

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Banana Pear Bread

Easy banana pear bread made with whole wheat or gluten-free oat flour, juicy pears, walnuts, and vanilla.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 348kcal

2 large ripe bananas mashed
2 large eggs
½ cup oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour or gluten-free oat flour , or gluten free 1:1 flour (240 grams)
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups pears , peeled and cored
½ cup chopped walnuts , optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, then line it with a strip of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 large eggs, 2 large ripe bananas, ½ cup oil, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, then stir in the 2 cups whole wheat flour or gluten-free oat flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and½ teaspoon fine sea salt, stirring until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the 1 ½ cups pears and ½ cup chopped walnuts if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then rest the batter until the oven is fully heated.
Bake the loaf for about 50-55 minutes, when a tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the bread in the pan for 20 minutes, then cool it on a rack. I like to cool the bread completely so that the crumb sets, but it's OK to cut into it after about 30 minutes (it's delicious warm!).

Rest the batter. Don't turn the oven on until you have assembled the batter. While the oven is preheating, the whole grain flour will have time to hydrate (soak up the moisture in the batter), making for a softer, better crumb after the loaf is baked. This applies to wheat flour and gluten-free flour. About 15-20 minutes is perfect.
Try other spices. Instead of cinnamon, use ground ginger or cardamom. Or, add fresh peeled and grated ginger for a spicy kick!
Make it refined sugar-free. Substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup for the brown sugar.
Make it richer. For a hint of buttery richness, substitute melted butter for the oil. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free butter.
Cool the loaf completely. This bread is slightly on the delicate, so try to cool it completely before slicing into it so that it doesn't fall apart.
It gets better with time. While I do love a slice of fresh banana pear bread, believe me when I say it tastes even better the next day (and the next, if it lasts that long).