When peaches are in season, I jump at the chance to make these easy peach muffins (although you can use frozen or canned peaches). I love the spiced vanilla batter and the sugar candy-like top! My recipe makes peach muffins with large, domed tops like those sold at the best bakeries. For more easy muffin recipes, see our blueberry muffins, strawberry muffins, or these banana muffins!
Key Ingredients
Peaches: You can use fresh or frozen peaches in this recipe. If you’re using frozen, thaw them first and add them to the batter. Canned will also work. They will just be a bit softer. I recommend draining them before using them in the recipe. Flour: I use all-purpose flour in the video, but this recipe works with whole wheat flour, spelt flour, and even an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill). I often use whole wheat flour when I make these. Sugar: I use granulated sugar to keep these light and airy. But I also love adding spiced sugar (sugar with cinnamon and ginger) to the muffin tops just before baking, which turns into a crackly top. Spices: I mix cinnamon, ginger, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract into this batter, which makes the muffins taste amazing. Oil: It keeps our muffins light and moist in the middle. I have tested this recipe with butter, and while it tastes great, the oil still makes more tender muffins. Milk or Non-Dairy Milk: Both work for this recipe, so use what you have. I have made these muffins with homemade oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, and coconut milk (carton, not canned) with excellent results. Egg: This adds structure and flavor to our muffins. If you do not eat eggs, use one flax egg. Baking powder: This keeps our muffins light and airy. Use recently purchased double-acting baking powder (it lasts about 3 months). If you are sensitive to the flavor of baking powder, make sure that yours is aluminum-free.
How to Make Peach Muffins
Our blueberry muffin recipe inspired this recipe. It’s such a fantastic muffin batter that we knew it would be perfect for peaches! The batter is as simple to make as pancakes. Whisk your dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Then, stir the two together and fold in your peaches. My favorite part about these muffins is the crackly sugar top. I mix sugar with cinnamon and ginger and sprinkle it over the muffins before baking them. The sugar melts into a candy-like topping, which is so delicious! Cinnamon and ginger are also in the batter, complementing the peaches well! I bake my peach muffins at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The higher oven temperature helps them rise quickly, activating the baking powder in the batter. This recipe makes eight large, big-topped muffins, ten standard muffins, or 20 to 22 mini muffins. 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/8 teaspoon for muffin tops 1 teaspoon ground ginger, plus 1/8 teaspoon for muffin tops 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/3 cup (80ml) neutral-flavored oil, like safflower, avocado, or vegetable oil 1 large egg 1/3 cup (80ml) milk or non-dairy milk, use more as needed 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional 1 ¼ cups chopped peaches, 1 large peach 2Lightly grease or spray the tops of the muffin tin with oil to prevent the oversized tops from sticking. High-quality nonstick pans may not require this. 2Choose a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup. Add the oil to the jug, and then crack in the egg. Pour in enough milk to reach the 1-cup line on the jug (this should be about 1/3 cup of milk). Add vanilla and almond extract, then whisk until everything is combined. 3Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the batter comes together. Be careful not to overmix! The batter will be thick, see tips below. 4Gently fold in the peaches. 2Make spiced sugar by stirring 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ginger. Sprinkle a little spiced sugar on top of each muffin. 3Bake muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack. 4To store, place them in a plastic bag, seal, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
