There are a lot of reasons why pears are one of my favorite fruits of all time; even as a little kid, I’d let them sit on the counter for far too long ensuring it would end up a drippy, fleshy mess by the end of first bite.

Their velvet consistency and sickly-sweetness have made pears a wonderful baking ingredient which is often overlooked. Maybe it’s because they share a season with the apple? Or maybe it’s because they are typically eaten canned by your grandmother… who knows. ALLS I KNOW: They’re freaking delicious and should be used more often.

1 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. grated pears (about 2 medium, skin on)

6 tbs. olive oil

1 large egg

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbs. lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1 tbs. lemon juice

1/2 c. slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (or whatever size you have). Sift first 7 ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, pears, olive oil, egg, ginger, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Slowly add to dry mixture, and whisk until combined. Pour into your loaf pan, then sprinkle almonds on top. Cook for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean!

Notes for perfect pear bread: WELL my experiment worked… olive oil not only makes things delicious, it dramatically lowers saturated and trans fat! Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend switching it out for, say, cake frosting. But if you’re making cake, quick breads or anything with flour I would highly recommend it! This loaf was super flavorful and quite light!