The third volume of Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbooks came out this year, and the recipe that intrigued me the most was Jo’s Pear Bread. She came up with the idea trying to use up a surplus of pears by swapping them out for the bananas in a typical banana bread recipe. I knew I wanted to try it as soon as pears came in season for fall.

This is a sweet, moist dessert bread with the background flavor of pears. Much like the banana in banana bread or the lemon in a lemon loaf, the pear flavor isn’t overwhelming. Instead, it’s supported by warm spices, like cinnamon. The result is delicious! I plan to add this recipe to my annual autumn baking rotation, for sure!

BONUS: Joanna recommends using Bosc pears, as they are sweeter than other pear varieties, and you don’t have to wait until they are super ripe before they are sweet enough.

NOTE: The original recipe is for an 8×8 tray bake, cutting the pieces into squares. Instead, I wanted this to be a loaf. To me, there’s something quintessential about loaf bakes during the fall! If you would prefer the original recipe, I recommend picking up a copy of Magnolia Table Vol 3. It’s a great cookbook!

Magnolia Table’s Pear and Walnut Bread
(Original recipe: Magnolia Table Vol. 3)

1-1/2 pounds (approx 4) ripe Bosc pears
1 C packed light brown sugar
12 TBSP butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C walnuts, roasted and chopped
2 TBSP turbinado sugar to top

Preheat the oven to 335F. Prepare a loaf pan with butter, nonstick spray, and/or parchment paper.

Peel, core, and roughly chop the pears. Place them into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, making 2 cups of pear puree.

In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and villa on medium speed until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the pear puree and mix until well combined, another 30 seconds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and fold together with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the walnuts and stir to combine. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread out the top evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the top.

Bake the loaf 60-70 minutes, or until a knife/tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Alternatively, use a cooking thermometer; the loaf is ready once it reaches 200F in the center.

Let the loaf cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Cut into slices and serve.

TIP: This is especially delicious served warm with additional butter spread on top!