It’s tree fruit season, and in my opinion, one of the best things about September. That’s right, it’s time to enjoy fresh ripe apples, plums, peaches, and pears. With an abundance of trees bearing fruit this time of year it’s can be hard to keep up with how fast they can ripen, but I won’t complain when a friend drops by with a huge bag of pears!

In an effort to make sure none of these delicious pears go to waste I’ve been experimenting with pear recipes all week, but my favourite so far has been a scrumptious whole foods muffin recipe inspired by Women in Real Life blog. My husband and I have been enjoying these muffins all week for breakfast or for a great mid-day snack alongside a cup of ginger tea.

Not only are these muffins dairy-free, but thanks to the use of coconut oil and a chia egg, they’re also vegan! They could easily be made gluten-free by swapping out the spelt flour for a gluten-free flour blend and by making sure your organic rolled oats are GF.

One of my favourite parts of this muffin recipe is that it has just the right amount of ginger (great for inflammation) to complement the sweetness of the pears, without being too sweet, and let’s not forget the health benefits of pears themselves.

Pears Are a Nutritional Powerhouse!

Pears are one of the top fruit sources of dietary fibre. All this fibre helps promote a healthy gut, lowers cholesterol levels, stabilize blood sugar levels, and aids our detoxifications systems.

Pears are also a high source of vitamin C — a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In fact, pears are so high in antioxidants that they are known as an anticarcinogen, thanks to a combination of nutrients and a “super antioxidant” called glutathione. Glutathione is known to help prevent cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke. They also contain several important minerals like boron, folate, magnesium, and potassium. Many of these amazing nutrients are found in the peel of the pear, so be sure to keep those peels on to take full advantage of their superpowers!

Wow, who knew pears where such a health food powerhouse!

Ginger Pear Muffins

(Modified from Women in Real Life blog)
Dairy-Free | Vegan

Ingredients
2 Cups Spelt Flour
½ Cup Rolled Oats
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil (melted)
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
2 ½ tablespoons water
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut)
½ Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ Cups Pears, chopped into small cubes

The Topping
Rolled oats
Thinly sliced pear for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make your chia egg by combining 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes, you know your chia egg is ready when the seeds get all gelatinous and gooey.

In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan heat the non-dairy milk on medium-low heat and whisk in the coconut oil until just melted — you don’t want to boil the milk mixture, you just want it warm enough to melt the coconut oil. Let the mixture cool slightly and then add the vinegar, coconut sugar and chia egg. Whisk to combine.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients and stir well. Fold in the pears until evenly mixed. Spoon the batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin tin.

The Topping
Sprinkle each muffin with rolled oats and top with a slice of pear.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Enjoy!