Peach Muffins

These Peach Muffins are soft, tender, filled with juicy peaches, topped with a buttery streusel, and finished with a sweet peach glaze. They’re just as good with your morning coffee as they are for an afternoon snack.

Every summer, I end up buying more peaches than we can eat. A few disappear over the sink, a few make it into a peach cobbler, a few go into a pound cake, and a few into a crisp. This year, I wanted a flavorful breakfast treat, and these muffins turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

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Why You’ll Love This

Fresh peaches make delicious muffins, but they don’t always deliver the deep peach flavor I expect after baking. Too often, the peaches disappear into the background once they’re baked.

I wanted these muffins to taste like peaches, not vanilla muffins with peaches mixed in. I tried using a pureed peach reduction. It added moisture, but the peach flavor still faded once the muffins baked.

I decided to use a combination of fresh peaches and peach preserves. Voilà! The preserves add peach flavor throughout the muffins, and a little in the glaze ties everything together.

• Soft, fluffy bakery-style texture.
• Made with fresh, juicy peaches.
• Buttery cinnamon streusel topping.
• Peach glaze adds even more peach flavor.
• Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacking.

Looking for more easy breakfast recipes? Try our Cheddar Dill Biscuits, Ham and Cheese Strata, Fluffy Banana Pancakes (Easy Buttermilk Recipe from Scratch), Easy Sausage Gravy, and Easy Sausage & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole (Feeds 12!).

Choosing the Best Peaches

• Slightly firm peaches are best. Choose peaches that smell sweet and give just slightly when you press them.
• Avoid overripe peaches with soft brown spots.

Ingredients Needed

• All-purpose flour – Gives the muffins their structure while keeping them soft. We also toss the diced peaches in additional flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
• Baking powder – Gives the muffins their rise and creates a light, fluffy texture.
• Kosher salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with peaches.
• Unsalted butter – Contributes rich flavor and a moist, tender texture.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the muffins while helping create a soft crumb and lightly golden tops.
• Buttermilk – Adds moisture and a slight tang, helping create a soft texture.
• Eggs – Bind the ingredients together and add structure, moisture, and richness.
• Vanilla extract – Enhances both the peach flavor and the sweetness.
• Almond extract – Complements the natural flavor compounds found in peaches, making the peach taste seem richer and more pronounced.
• Peach preserves – Intensify the peach flavor throughout the batter without adding excess moisture.
• Fresh peaches – Add juicy bites of real fruit and fresh peach flavor. There is no need to peel the peaches. Just wash and dry with paper towels, then dice into small pieces.

Streusel Topping

• Dark brown sugar – Provides sweetness with a hint of caramel flavor.
• All-purpose flour – Forms the base of the crumb topping.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm spice that complements the peaches.
• Unsalted butter – Creates the buttery, crumbly streusel texture.

Peach Glaze

• Peach preserves – Gives the glaze a concentrated peach flavor and a glossy finish.
• Powdered sugar – Sweetens the glaze while creating a smooth consistency.
• Milk or heavy cream – Thins the glaze to the perfect drizzling consistency.

Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

How to Make Peach Muffins

Step 1: For the streusel: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles moist clumps. Refrigerate while preparing the muffin batter. This helps it hold its shape while baking.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk in the eggs and granulated sugar until they’re thick, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled butter until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, peach preserves, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth and combined.

Step 4: Toss the peaches with 2 teaspoons of flour. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until almost combined. Fold in the peaches. Do not overmix.

Step 5: Let the batter rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Step 6: Divide the batter equally into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 2 tablespoons of streusel. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean; do not overbake. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These are excellent as-is, or drizzle with the optional peach glaze for extra sweetness and peach flavor.

Tips

• Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk so the melted butter mixes smoothly and doesn’t seize up.
• Chill the streusel so it stays crumbly and doesn’t melt into the batter.
• Use ripe peaches that still have a little firmness.
• The sweeter and more fragrant the peaches are before baking, the better the finished muffins will taste. Just be sure they are not soft with brown spots.
• Don’t overmix the batter, or the muffins can become dense.
• Fill muffin cups generously for tall muffin tops.
• Don’t overbake; butter-based muffins can dry out faster than oil-based ones, so pull them as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the muffins cool before glazing.

Variations

• Add chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts to the streusel.
• Mix in white chocolate chips.
• Substitute nectarines for peaches.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for extra warmth.
• Skip the glaze for a less sweet breakfast muffin.

Storage and Freezing

• Store peach muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Freeze the muffins, without the glaze if possible, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Place the muffins on a baking sheet, and warm in a 300ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through and the streusel is crisp again.

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