Grin and Pear It
I’m not a fan of kids on sugar. Set aside for a moment the whole it’s bad for you thing. I just want to focus on what my child becomes after eating a cupcake:
a.) whirling-dirvish,
b.) Taz-manian Devil,
c.) Tigger, or
d.) all of the above.
Yep … d.
I have no intention of keeping all sweets from my kid but I do have to make sure that I, as her caregiver and mama, can handle the sugar-high. So, when Maggie’s preschool asked that we not bring sweets to class on the day of her birthday celebration, I totally got it. One kid on a sugar-high = intense. Twenty kids on a sugar-high = unbearable.
But seriously, no icing-laden, sprinkly birthday cupcakes?! How could I make sure Maggie remained cool in the eyes of her birthday-sugar-fan friends? The school suggested muffins. A no-sugar muffin? Hmmm …
Pear-Oatmeal Muffins
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup pear juice
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tblsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ripe pears, finely chopped (use soft skinned pears like Bartletts)
1 cup quick oats
- line muffin pan with baking cups
- in a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
- combine pear juice, applesauce, and olive oil in a separate bowl
- add vanilla and pears to wet mixture
- pour wet mixture into dry and mix until just combined
- stir in quick oats
- use ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups with batter
- bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
If you’re making mini muffins, bake for 20 minutes.
These little beauties are guaranteed to not make your kid bounce off the wall.

© Kellie Martin, 2010