Gluten Free Pear Bread Recipe
Updated Feb 15, 2021, Published Apr 26, 2011
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In my mind, there is nothing more comforting than having a yummy gluten-free “something” baking in the oven. Unless that yummy gluten-free “something” is in the form of bread, then it goes from comforting to bliss. I am not much of a traditional bread maker but I am one heck of a quick bread maker.
I love quick breads; there is no kneading and rising, they take just a few moments to whip up and the house smells like heaven while they are baking. Plus you just gotta love anything that uses the words “quick” and “bread” together! My favorites up until now have been banana and zucchini. But they just demoted because my new favorite is Gluten Free Pear Bread.
OMG! Talk about delicious – delicate pear flavor, just sweet enough, moist with a golden brown crust and that gorgeous split down the middle. Why didn’t I think of using pears in a quick bread before? They add such an elegant sweetness and delightful moistness – this bread certainly deserves to be at the top of my list for favorite gluten free quick breads!
Not only is this bread gluten and dairy free, I even snuck in some whole grains by making it with brown rice flour. For those of you who think xanthan or guar gum is an essential for gluten-free baking, let me just say au contraire. No gum in this bread at all; just a mixture of brown rice flour with tapioca starch. You can even change up the starch to suit your own tastes and what is in your pantry, corn and potato starch work just as well.
I am already considering this recipe as a jumping off point for further creations, a touch of cardamom perhaps? A simple glaze made of buttermilk and powdered sugar? Maybe even a sugar free version is in my future.
Whip up this bread, enjoy the homey comforting scents wafting through the air while it bakes, then grab a cup of coffee or tea, and prepare to be happy – very, very, happy!
Gluten Free Pear Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups superfine brown rice flour, plus more for dusting the pan
- ½ cup tapioca or corn or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- ½ cup grapeseed or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and grated
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray, add some brown rice flour and shift it back and forth in order to spread the flour evenly around the pan, tap out the excess flour.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the 1½ cups brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Add the pears and walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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this looks so good. pears vary so much in size, has anyone measured the amount of grated pears that works best? thanks so much, Linda
That would be a good thing, right? All I can say now is that I use medium sized pears – I know that os not too precise but I hope it helps.
I just started making some gluten free things so am not seasoned at it. I made this loaf with all the same ingredients. I used potato starch and the only oil I had was canola. It baked up great, but seems very crumbly, even when cold. I can’t really make a good slice. It tastes great, but is there something to make it more moist and hold together like the picture? Thanks!
It should not have been crumbly unless it was overcooked or you didn’t use a really finely milled flour – what brand did you use?
I used Bob’s Red Mill stone ground brown rice flour and also the Bob’s potato starch. Would canola oil make the difference? I baked it at 350 for right about an hour, that’s when the toothpick came out clean. It’s very crumbly, the loaf broke in half and I can’t make a slice. But my husband (who is needing the gluten free) loved it anyway and just ate it with a fork, but I would love to make it again and have it slice. Thanks for any help.
I just thought of an additional idea. Crumbly, dry breads make a super bread pudding using coconut milk. A great way to use up stale breads.
Good point! I love bread pudding.
Vicky, You might try using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to replace the canola oil for a moist, tender product. The tapioca starch sticks together better, I think. I also find that measuring each ingredient exactly makes a difference in the final product. If you are using a convection oven, you also have to adjust the temperature down 25 degrees to prevent drying out the bread or burning the crust. I hope something here works for you. GF baking is trial and error at first until you get the hang of it; but well worth it.
Thanks for all you tips Patricia! And measuring properly really does matter with baking.
Have made this twice now – LOVE it – this time I made it with homemade “Apple Pie Spice” instead of just cinnamon based on one of your comments on here about maybe adding cardamon – it.was.even.more.delish! Very good recipe – planning on using the leftovers of the loaf for french toast this weekend. Thanks for your blog!
Thank you so much Sabrina!
Could you make this just using an all purpose gluten free baking mix like Pamela’s? I’ve just started the GF and haven’t built up a supply of baking flours yet as I don’t do a whole lot of baking anyway but did just buy this mix so I was curious. Thanks!
I see no reason why not – if you like the results with a particular gluten free baking flour blned, then use it!
Me & My special needs daughter are gluten intolerance. And I am so confused with so many different information out there and in the mean time my daughter is still in pain everyday and I who don’t have any symptoms but know I’m GI. I’m 62 so it’s really hard to start training for new changes, but I’m trying. it’s just that my daughter was doing well for a while now it’s seem like it’s worse and I’m trying everything I can think of, tho I know it’s hard for me to buy everything orgainic. My main question is
they said we should not eat rice or corn and wanted to know your what you though about that. Tho I see you use also Asian rice which I have never heard of. Please help I could use it.
Thanks,
Molly
Hi Molly. I feel for you – figuring out how to change and what’s happening with the body can be very frustrating at times. I am not sure who “they” is but I am going to assume that it is your doctor or nutrionist. If that is the case and it is true then I would stick with what “they” say. Many people who are gluten intolerant also have a hard time with other grains, especially in the beginning. When I first really committed to a gluten free diet I went off all grains and starches as well as dairy and sugar, this was on the advice of my doctor and it was so my gut could have a chance to heal. Until the gut heals, nothing else will fully work. Let me refer you to my doctor’s website, she is a gluten specialist and there is much usefull info on there – http://www.healthnowmedical.com
Asian flours come from Asia – they type I use comes from Thailand where wheat is very uncommon and rice is plentiful – it is just rice flour from Asia. You can find Asian flours in Asian grocery stores or in the ethnic section of some markets if you live in a big city and oon the internet.
Have you tried cooking with Almond flour? SOme can tolerate that better, others not – it depends on your body.
Remember, I am not a doctor and I can’t give you any medical advice but I can give you this advice – healing your body is important and sometimes frustrating but the pay off is when you figure it out and start to improve. It is very important that you find a doctor who understands the GI issues and you really listens to what is going on with you and your daughter.
Please check back in and let me know how you are doing.
What a great recipe! My 4 year old & I made this today & it’s just so delicious! The only sounds coming from both my 2 & 4 year olds right now is “Mmmm” :) My 4 year old told me this morning, as he was eating his breakfast, that he thinks our’s is the yummiest place in Melbourne …sweet, huh? It’s nice to know thay they appreciate both healthy food & my effots in making it :)
Aww, what a sweet comment, thank you and your children! Very noce that they appreciate all your loving efforts!
What a beautiful looking bread! I had most of the ingredients on hand so I made it (with some changes based on personal preferences), and blogged it with a link back to you! It was yummy! Thanks!
What a terrific website. So many great recipes so wonderfully displayed. Thank you for expanding the gluten-free category in such a delicious way.
Thank you for saying that. I hope your transition to gluten free is going well!
I’d like to make this for my sister who is GF. I couldn’t find super fine brown rice flour, only Arrowhead Mills brown rice flour. Any suggestions on making it work? Could I sift it or put it in the food processor first?
You could try grinding in the food processor – that should help. It will still taste fine, the texture will just be a little less light. But would be fine in this recipe.
I just tried your pumpkin bread recipe. I am wondering if I missed something, my bread batter seemed awfully thick and after it was baked when I tried to slice it it crumbled. I did notice that the recipe didn’t call for any guar or zanthum gum, should there be some in It? It actually tasted really good, I just had to eat it with a fork and spreading butter on it was a little difficult. Would love any advice you can give. Thanks, Cathy
Hi Cathy. I am assuming you mean the pear bread recipe, right? I did not use any gum in mine but I did use superfine rice flour. That makes a huge difference – the other stuff results is crumbly baked goods. Tell me more about your ingredinets and maybe I can help.
Yes, the pear bread, sorry. I don’t know if my brown rice flour is superfine, I don’t have the wrapper anymore. I will check next time I purchase it. I will say, I haven’t ever had this problem before. And, funny thing is, the bread is moist, just crumbly too. I can’t hardly keep my non-gluten free husband out of it. So it is definitely getting eaten. I will check out the flour and try it again. Thank you.
My only thought would be if yor flour isn’t superine then maybe you could add a little bit of xanthan gum – I would try 1/2 a teaspoon. Let me know it that helps.