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.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and more helpful success tips.
Over many years and many (many) batches, 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:
One reader, Crista, commented: “These were amazing! Easy to make and gone by the next day. My picky 7-year-old who doesn’t even like peaches loved these! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Emma, commented: “Super excellent recipe!! Muffins are a challenge for me, and this recipe and baking strategy worked a charm! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Paula, commented: “Bravo!! This recipe is easy to follow and the muffins are a heavenly summer treat! My brunch guests LOVED them and I’m buying more peaches to make again! ★★★★★“
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. If you love these flavors here, you’ll love them together in my apple pie recipe, too.
- 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. For an egg-free peach recipe, try my peach crisp.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: The muffins are moist because we add yogurt or sour cream to the batter. just like we do when making fresh peach cake and 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, commented: “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
- Lemon Poppy Seed 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 (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Muffins
- 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
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) 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
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (300–320g) 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 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Everything about these muffins is perfection. I made 3 batches to freeze for easy breakfast grabs while I’m pregnant and they are so so delicious
All of your recipes are outstanding. I’m a baker, and yours are my go-to for all baking items. The only thing I would mention here is like another reviewer, I would leave out the allspice. I think it was a little overpowering for my already delicious, sweet Georgia, peaches. I hesitated when I saw that listed, because usually I just use a little cinnamon, and sometimes a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg with peaches, but I wanted to follow the recipe exactly the first time, because usually you have tested your recipes and are constantly updating them. The only other thing was that I did not peel my peaches, and it did not matter, except a few had a sort of bluish line where the peel was. I just told people (my family) that it was a peach peel, and that it was good for you!!
These were good but I feel like besides the peaches there wasn’t a lot of flavor, it could have used some lemon zest or cinnamon in the dough as well I think!
I think you missed the cinnamon in the recipe.
i am using a muffin top pan. any thoughts on the baking in this pan?
Hi Steffani, that should work just fine, although we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
These muffins are a winner! I browned my butter beforehand which added an amazing nuttiness and extra warmth to the batter and didn’t bother with the frosting since the fruit and streusel are so sweet. (If you brown your butter make sure to weigh it afterwards and add in some water/milk to make up for the moisture lost during evaporation.) Even without the brown butter these are delightful and I will be baking them again especially now that peach season is about to be in full swing!
I made these yesterday. Don’t laugh…I only had 3 nectarines that I needed to use before I forgot about them and they went bad. And no Greek Yogurt … but I had a last cup of Activia – luckily Peach flavored! But the muffins turned out awesome anyway. I loved the tip on room temperature butter (and other ingredients!). My husband had one and loved it! Was wondering about freezing them…if it would turn the peaches/nectarines mealy…
There’s no mention in the recipe as to when to add the peaches!
Hi Linda, it’s at the end of step 4: fold in the peaches.
Hi Sally, i just made these and they are moist, tender and absolutely delicious. I live in South Carolina and the peaches are just wonderful. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
At last count I had 79 cookbooks! I have gotten them as gifts and have picked them up at thrift stores, yard sales and book stores. I honestly don’t know why I keep looking at/for them because the only recipes I have made consistently in the last 3 years since I have been on your mailing list are yours!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, insights, instructions and generosity, Sally. I am most thankful for your emails and what’s inside!
God bless,
Denise
I used this recipe and added peach curd as filling for a muffin competition and we won!! This recipe tastes amazing thanks a lot!
Can I mix this up the night before and leave batter in the fridge overnight to bake first thing in the morning?
Hi Lee, we don’t recommend making the batter the night before. The leaveners are activated when the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, and it’s best to bake the batter soon thereafter. Hope this helps!
if the batter is mixed the day before and put in the fridge do you think i’ll have flat muffins? didn’t see this comment about not leaving overnight ):
Hi Frida, correct, we do not recommend leaving the batter overnight.
Hi Sally! I have excess peaches from making peach syrup, and was thinking if I can use those peaches for the filling? 🙂
Hi Daniela, if they are fresh or frozen plain peaches, they will work here. Enjoy!
Made these last night without the crumble and the icing and they were fantastic! Shared recipe with friends and sharing muffins tonight! 🙂
I saw your note about not baking this as a quick bread. Would the same be true in a Bundt pan to make this into a coffee cake?
Hi Cally, for that we’d recommend our peach Bundt cake instead. Enjoy!
So light and fluffy I couldn’t believe I made it and hadn’t bought it from a bakery.
These were amazing! Easy to make and gone by the next day. My picky 7 year old who doesn’t even like peaches loved these!
Do you have to peel the peaches?
Hi Chris, yes, we recommend peeling the peaches.
These muffins taste just like homemade peach cobbler!
I did not peel my peaches (fresh picked 2 days before used) and they were still great, you could see the skins as they were darker within the muffins but they were not tough. Delicious!
Hmmmm delicious
Love this recipe. I was worried that the peaches might make the muffins soggy but they were incredible. My friends though they cam e from a bakery.
Super excellent recipe!! Muffins are a challenge for me, and this recipe & baking strategy worked a charm! I baked them for 5 mins in a well-heated 425 (electric) oven, and then 18 minutes after lowering to 350. I baked the recipe exactly except I forgot the 2 tbsp of milk in the batter. Still awesome! Thank you so much for this great recipe … it was the first I tried off your site, and I will be trying more 🙂
I am wondering why there is an asterisk after the “peaches” entry in the list of ingredients for the muffins. Is it meant to refer to something? Thanks. These look fantastic, by the way. Looking forward to baking them.
Hi CNYCook, an asterisk next to an ingredient indicates that there is a corresponding note in the Recipe Notes section. In this case, the note gives more information about the option to use chopped frozen peaches instead of fresh.
The peach muffins were amazing with fresh peaches and a crumb topping.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
These were SO good! Loved this! I did get some dark purple spots after baking – do you know why or how to prevent that?
Can you substitute canned peaches ? I much rather use fresh but I do not have any and wanted to try this recipe. Thank you
Hi Shawnee, canned peaches shouldn’t be a problem! Blot a bit dry before using.
Making today so excited for recipe. I am going to try using my home canned peaches . This is the recipe I have been looking for years. Thank you
The muffin texture & flavor is awesome. Light, not too sweet and not at all gooey due to the peaches. .The streusel topping is great too. My one complaint is that the cinnamon & allspice slightly overwhelmed the flavor of the peaches. I think I’d like this better with apples.
I will make again, but maybe with much less spice, more of a plain cake batter. Maybe add some peach simple syrup in place of the milk to up the peach flavor. Also, could use peach simple syrup or extract to flavor the icing.
Interesting, I actually found them to not be spicy enough. I was thinking of using my apple spice mix next time.
Could you make this in loaf pan instead of muffins? Cook time?
Hi Candi, 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 our Peach Quick Bread recipe instead.
If using the peaches a day after cutting would you drain the juices? My peaches are a bit juicy
Hi Karen, yes, we would drain off any excess juices.
I love this recipe. The muffins are so delish. Do you have the nutrition values for these muffins?
Hi Brenda, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
i loved this recipe thanks for sharing