This will become your favorite peach muffins recipe because each bite is loaded with juicy peaches, cinnamon spice, and delicious brown sugar. Top these buttery and cake-like muffins with brown sugar cinnamon streusel and don’t forget to finish them off with a drizzle of vanilla icing. Of course, both are completely optional if you prefer plain peach muffins.
Initially published back in 2014, this peach muffin recipe has stood the test of time. I make a point to bake multiple batches each summer, freezing extras to enjoy throughout the cooler fall months. Just a quick glance at the reviews tells me readers have the same idea:
“Sooooo good.”
“Super moist & flavorful.”
“Just absolute perfection.”
“Great recipe, wonderful flavor.”
You’ll Love These Peach Muffins Too:
Each bite is flavorful and textured with juicy peaches and crisp-crunchy brown sugar crumble topping. You know when you bite into a muffin and there’s about 2 pieces of fruit? Not the case here—these are packed with peaches. Cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar add rich, comforting flavors. You can use fresh or frozen peaches, and the baked + cooled muffins freeze beautifully. For some wholesome flavor, you can even substitute 1 cup (125g) of the flour for whole wheat flour. Lots to love here!
Use This Top-Rated Muffin Batter Recipe
If you’re a regular reader, you might recognize this muffin batter. It’s my base muffin recipe for several muffin variations on my website, including blueberry muffins and apple cinnamon muffins. The carefully selected ingredients and ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients promises a moist, buttery, and cake-like muffin that’s still a bit denser than, say, vanilla cupcakes.
I heavily depend on this versatile recipe because it uses basic baking ingredients and holds up well to nearly any add-in. I like to change up the spices and ratio of brown and white granulated sugars depending on the flavor I’m baking. (For example, today’s peach muffins uses a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar compared to these strawberry cheesecake muffins.)
Key Ingredients in These Peach Muffins
The muffin batter recipe calls for 14 ingredients, which sounds like a lot, but they’re pretty much all basics like flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, etc. Some notes:
- Cinnamon & Allspice: Both add exceptional flavor to your muffins. If you don’t have allspice, you can substitute in ground nutmeg, ginger, or even pumpkin pie spice.
- Softened Butter: A base of creamed butter and sugar (instead of using melted butter or oil) often helps achieve a soft, buttery texture. Make sure it’s proper room temperature butter.
- White & Brown Sugars: Both sweeten, and brown sugar also adds a little moisture & flavor. Feel free to use all brown sugar.
- Eggs: 2 eggs provide structure.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: The muffins are moist because we add yogurt or sour cream to the batter. just like we do when making sour cream coffee cake. You can use either; full fat or low fat.
- Milk: Use whatever you have—whole milk, 1%, almond milk, buttermilk, oat milk, etc. You only need 2 Tablespoons, which is less than other recipes using this muffin batter. Peaches are very wet and using less milk keeps the batter thick and sturdy.
- Peaches: Peel and cut your peaches into small bite-size chunks. You need about 3.
Do I need to coat the peaches in flour before adding to the batter? No, that’s not necessary here because the muffin batter is so thick. The peaches easily stay scattered throughout the muffin and do not really sink.
Success tip for peeling and cutting peaches: Peaches are very wet, so wash and dry your hands, vegetable peeler, and knife often if everything begins to get a little slippery. I recommend doing the same when preparing peaches for peach pie and peach cobbler, too.
Streusel Crumb Topping
Crumb topping and muffins go hand-in-hand, so if you want to spruce the peach muffins up, add a spoonful to each before baking. The crumb topping uses some of the SAME ingredients you need in the muffin batter— very convenient! Some crumb toppings require cold butter and a pastry cutter to mix, but we’re using melted butter here, so just use a fork. It’s nearly the same crumb topping you use when making peach crumble pie.
My crumb topping advice: do not over-mix the crumb ingredients or else you will end up with paste. Keep it crumbly and press the crumbs slightly down into the muffin batter so it can stick.
Success Tip: How to Create the Perfect Tall Muffin Tops
For tall muffin tops, there are 3 directions to follow closely:
- Make sure your muffin batter is THICK. (This one is!)
- Fill your muffin tins/liners all the way to the top with batter.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at an initial high temperature, and then lower the temperature while keeping the oven door closed. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I recommend this in nearly all of these muffin recipes.
Don’t get nervous if some of the crumb topping melts down into the muffin batter—totally normal here.
Icing Is Optional
Vanilla icing is a lovely finishing touch and definitely gives the muffins a dessert-like vibe. You need just 3 ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), and vanilla extract. Whisk all 3 together and drizzle over your warm muffins. Feel free to skip the icing, and again, you can skip the crumb topping as well.
In fact, one reader, Pamela, said: “I made these without the streusel and glaze. They are wonderful! I did add a bit of coarse sugar to the tops. The muffin is simply heavenly on its own…”
More Muffin Recipes
I have dozens of muffin recipes on my site and in my cookbook! Here are a few favorites:
- Applesauce Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Banana Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Peach Streusel Muffins
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery, tender, and moist, these peach muffins are topped with a brown sugar streusel crumb and sweet vanilla glaze. Both toppings are completely optional if you prefer plain peach muffins.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
Muffins
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (about 320g) peeled, chopped peaches (about 3 peaches)*
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or milk for a thinner consistency)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour and use a fork to gently mix until crumbs form. Don’t over-mix into a paste. Just mix until it is crumbly. Set aside.
- Make the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy. (It’s ok if it appears somewhat curdled.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chopped peaches.
- Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each all the way to the top. Spoon crumb topping on each, gently pressing it down so it sticks.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F; then, without opening the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–24 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. When warm, the muffins are quite fragile because of the wet peaches. Let them cool for at least 15 minutes before unwrapping and eating.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
- Iced or plain muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze the muffins without the icing and add the icing after thawing and before serving. (Freezing them with the icing on is completely fine, but the muffins taste better with fresh icing.) Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or at room temperature before icing/serving.
- Yogurt or Sour Cream: You can use either regular or Greek plain yogurt in this recipe (any fat content) or sour cream. The same amount of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used if needed.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Frozen Peaches: You can use chopped frozen peaches—do not thaw. Extend total bake time by 1–2 minutes.
- Jumbo Muffin Pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30. Makes about 6.
- Mini Muffin Pan: 350°F for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
- Quick Bread: This butter-based recipe isn’t ideal to turn into a quick bread because of the heavy, wet peaches. However, a slightly different oil-based batter yields wonderful results, so use my Peach Quick Bread recipe instead.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about room temperature ingredients in baking.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
Keywords: peach muffins, peach streusel muffins
Hi Sally! I love all your recipes and many have become staples for me! I am wondering–could I make a rhubarb muffin using this recipe (instead of the peaches)? I am looking for one that has a streusel topping.
Absolutely!
Hi Sally, I’d like to make these but with strawberries instead of peaches. Do you think that would work? Would you recommend making any substitutions or alterations? Thank you!
Hi L, that swap should be just fine! Or you may love these Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins as well.
Thanks again for a great recipe. Since peaches are not in season right now, I found a jar of peaches in vanilla syrup in my pantry (from Aldi, made in Greece). I cut them in pieces and patted the excess liquid off. They were a highlight to this recipe. And the technique of baking at at a high temp for 5 minutes is the best baking tip for muffin lovers. LOVE THIS RECIPE.
★★★★★
Hi Sally! My question is about the apricot. In these receipt, it’s possible use the apricot can if don’t have the apricot fruit?
Hi Eva, Canned peaches/apricots shouldn’t be a problem! Blot a bit dry before using.
These muffins are so moist and delicious! I had some leftover whipping cream, so instead of using yogurt or sour cream I used the cream, they came out great! This is a keeper.
★★★★★
4 stars because i havent seen the finished product yet (theyre in the oven) but the batter was so thick i used my bare hands instead of a scoop because it was almost a dough. just shy of being a dough. truly the thickest batter around.
also, i only ended up really needing 2 peaches, so unless you use abnormally small peaches, i would go with 2.
★★★★
Hi Maren! Did your batter look like the photos above? If it was much too thick, there may have been too much flour in the batter. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I would like to make these muffins, but it’s January, and there are no fresh peaches available. Can I used canned or frozen peaches instead?
Hi Annette, Canned peaches shouldn’t be a problem! Blot a bit dry before using. If you use chopped frozen peaches – do not thaw.
Absolutely delicious, so fluffy and moist. I used some nectarines as I had a big bag of them from our tree. Worked perfectly! Just the right amount of batter and topping. Toddler insister on adding sprinkles to the top, and this also went well.
★★★★★
Just made these into mini muffins for lunches and because i wanted to free up some space in the pantry using a can of peaches. Could not resist eating a couple while they were still warm. This is a keeper recipe, thank you!
These fell completely apart and went straight in the trash. What a waste.
★
Could I use frozen peaches or should they be defrosted first?
Hi Colleen, you can use chopped frozen peaches – do not thaw.
Holy sweet Mother Mary in Heaven. I didn’t have any peaches, so I subbed for Honeycrisp Apples and these muffins will invoke every major Deity down to your kitchen to pat you on the back and take one to go. Seriously… THE FLAVOR. Make these, eat them and swoon.
★★★★★
Omg I swear I say this about all your recipes but this is seriously the best muffin recipe! These just came out of the oven and I have already shared two with my husband. (I was just going to split one, but after we tasted it we immediately split a second one.). So so so good. This tastes just like the peach Kuchen that my grandmother used to make. I had to sub nutmeg for the allspice as I didn’t have any, but really love fresh nutmeg with peaches.
★★★★★
Sweet, fluffy, and delicious! I made this on a whim after a neighbor dropped off a bunch a very ripe peaches to enjoy. The recipe is super easy to follow and I appreciate the links to helpful tips as I am not the most confident baker. Can’t wait to bake them again!
★★★★★
Followed recipe to the letter using almond flour. Muffins didn’t rise at all and spread over the top of the pan. They were brown on top, but totally mushy and impossible to remove from the pan without falling apart. The streusel sank into the muffins and was also soggy. I’ve made muffins many times, but never had this bad a result. Maybe it was the almond flour?
★
Hi Karen, we don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not a 1:1 swap for all purpose flour. It’s best to search for recipes developed for almond flour.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I had some frozen peaches that were disappointingly tart and firm (instead of sweet and juicy), so not great for any fresh recipe. They were perfect for this recipe as cooking in that amazing thick muffin batter softened them and the tartness enhanced the muffins as the flavor burst in every bite!
I made a double batch so we’d have some to ourselves and some to share at our labor day community pool party. They were so popular and loved! Exuberant, fresh and delish! And we’re loving the ones we saved for ourselves as well!
★★★★★
Peaches are usually firm for a few days from my grocery store. Should the peaches be soft or will firm fresh peaches work well too?
Hi Candace, starting with very ripe, sweet peaches is the best way to guarantee that sweet peach flavor shines through.
These may possibly be the best muffins I’ve ever made! They came out so fluffy and delicious! I made the recipe as written except that I didn’t peel my peaches. I ended up with 16 muffins and a lot of extra streusel! This one is a keeper for sure and I’ll be making them again!!
★★★★★
This is the easiest recipe I’ve ever done, and it was as good as advertised!
★★★★★
Mine are in the oven now. They smell fantastic! I read the review from another reader who said it worked well in high altitude so I made no adjustments. I’m hoping I have as much success as everyone else. The recipe is easy to follow and clean up was easy. The struesel topping is currently browning nicely. Fingers crossed!
Love this recipe, just what I was looking for a nice fluffy moist muffin not to dented, made with pears from our tree, apple ones next thank you!
These were great. Made as written but I ended up with 19 medium sized muffins. This recipe made LOTS of streusel topping, even for the extra muffins. Worked well, even at the high elevation where I live. Stayed tender for a few days. Sadly the topic loses it’s crispiness after the first day. Will still make again and freeze for lunches.
Excellent recipe; well-written with thorough directions and notes as always. I am never disappointed when I bake from this site. I didn’t make the glaze and didn’t miss it (muffins were sweet enough for us). I think this would be an excellent base recipe for other fruits like diced strawberries or blueberries. Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
Just tried this recipe with Contender peaches. I can easily say it was the best peach muffins I have ever eaten. My daughter sent me the recipe. Will make them again and again. It is a keeper.
★★★★★
Hi can I use canned peaches with this??
Canned peaches shouldn’t be a problem! Blot a bit dry before using.
Love this recipe! Can I double it? If so, any alterations? I’ve made two batches but only doubled the streusel topping.
Hi Karen, so glad you enjoy the recipe! You can double it, as long as your mixing bowl is large enough to hold the batter. Otherwise you’ll just need to make it in batches.
Can these muffins be frozen? If so, would you recommend freezing without the topping?
Hi Olivia, these muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze the muffins without the icing and add the icing after thawing and before serving. (Freezing them with the icing on is completely fine, but the muffins taste better with fresh icing.) Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or at room temperature before icing/serving.
I was looking for a recipe to use peaches because they have been so tasty this summer. I made mine into jumbo muffins and used peach Greek yogurt (because it’s what I had.) They came out fabulous. Another winning and tasty muffin recipe. Thank you Sally!
★★★★★