Peach Muffins (with a Pecan Streusel Topping!)

Name: Peach Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans; 1/3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup (71 g) light brown sugar (firmly packed); 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter (melted); 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour; 1 cup (197 g) granulated white sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 large eggs (room temperature); 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter (melted); 1 1/2 cups (340 g) sour cream; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups peaches (about 3 peaches) (peeled, pitted, and diced); 1 cup (113 g) powdered (confectioners) sugar; 1 tablespoon milk (or heavy cream, or water); 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Moist and delicious peach muffins with a brown sugar pecan streusel. These muffins are easy to whip up in 30 minutes or less! You can bake them now or freeze for later.

In the summertime, to me there is nothing better than finding all sorts of ways to bake with the bountiful produce that seems to be just bursting at the seams everywhere.

Like peaches. Oh my word. Is there anything better than baking with fresh summer peaches?! I see you shaking your head over there.

So throw some fresh peaches into a muffin, add some brown sugar, and pecans and you got one happy girl.

What do you need to make peach muffins?

Pecans – I used pecans for the topping but as I said the original recipe I adapted this from used walnuts. I think almonds would work great too. If you have a nut allergy then by all means just omit them!
All purpose flour – When making muffins, I like to keep it simple and use all purpose flour. It has that mid range protein content perfect for muffins. You can read all about the different types of flour here if you really want to nerd out. Nothing wrong with that.
Light brown sugar – Brown sugar in the topping gives the topping such great flavor. You can always make your own if you need to in a pinch.
Cinnamon – I kept the spice simple here. All I think these muffins needed was a bit of cinnamon to complement the beauty of the peaches.
Unsalted butter – I’ve said this before but I really suggest you use unsalted butter when baking. Not all brands use the same amount of salt in their butter, so brands can vary. I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt. We are going to use butter in the topping and the batter. If you are having to use salted butter, then you might want to reduce or eliminate the salt in the batter.
White granulated sugar – I use this in the muffin batter. This will get treated as a dry ingredient and add to the flour mixture.
Baking powder and baking soda– these are the leavening agents which help to make sure your muffins rise properly. They are NOT interchangeable. You want to make sure they are fresh- to test baking powder test a teaspoon in a little bit of hot water, to test baking soda test a teaspoon of it some acid (vinegar or lemon juice). If they bubble, they are good to go!
Eggs – I always use large eggs when baking. And I also make sure they are at room temperature so they blend well and do not seize up my melted butter. To get your eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using.
Sour cream – this is the key ingredient to keep theese muffins super moist. You could also try subbing out the sourcream and using greek yogurt instead. I recommend that you use full fat sour cream. Fat adds flavor and moisture and improves the texture.
Vanilla extract – Nothing is better than some vanilla extract for flavor. I recommend always using pure vanilla extract!
Peaches – Aww yes the peaches. Wouldn’t be a peach muffin without! This recipe takes about 3 whole peaches. Make sure they are ripe so it’s easier to peel and chop. Plus they will have the best flavor of course.

How to make these peach muffins – step by step photos

Step 1- Make the pecan streusel topping

To make the topping you want combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then stir in the melted butter and combine so it’s a crumbly streusel topping.

Make ahead tip: You can make this a few days in advance! Just place in a zip-loc bag and pop in the fridge. You can also freeze this streusel topping for 2-3 months.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients

You want to sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Sifting is a pain (I know, I get it) but it does help to aerate the ingredients, properly mix the leavening agents evenly, and create a light and fluffy muffin.

dry ingredients in bowl for peach muffins

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

In another bowl, you want to combine the wet ingredients – sour cream, vanilla, melted butter, eggs. And then fold in your diced peaches.

Step 4: Combining the wet and dry ingredients

Now that you have your wet and dry ingredients it’s time to combine them. But when making muffins, this is where things can go wrong. When making muffins you want to add the wet to the dry so the dry is on the bottom. And the next is mixing. And then do NOT overmix!

You can see below. That batter is by no means smooth. And it shouldn’t be! I want lumpy batter that doesn’t look so great right now.

BAKING 101: Too much mixing = gluten forming = a tough textured muffin. Gluten is the protein in wheat that forms when the flour becomes hydrated and helps build structure. We need some structure, but the more we mix the more gluten that forms. And too much mixing will create a tough, chewy muffin. You want to stir just until the dry ingredients have disappeared. You should still see lumps. Lumps are our friend!

For more on how to make muffins properly, read my post ultimate guide on how to make muffins.

Step 5: Scoop and bake

Now that our batter is ready, you want to scoop the batter into your prepared pans. I always use liners – I think this make them easy to transport and give out to friends (aka not keep them all in the house to myself!) I use a large scoop for my muffins and I fill them to the top.

We are not making cupcakes which can sink if you fill them too much. These muffins will bake up beautifully if you scoop to the top. Then sprinkle on the streusel (about 1-2 tablespoons per muffin). And then bake these muffins.

HEATHER’S BAKING TIP: To test for doneness: I insert a toothpick and look for moist crumbs clinging to it.

Step 6: Glaze Away!

Now the glaze is optional. But I think it’s what put these muffins over the edge for me. The glaze is simple – powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. And then you can adjust to the consistency you want from the base recipe I’ve given you.

peach muffins with glaze in a muffin tin

More Recipe Tips

Measure your flour correctly – Measuring your flour wrong is one reason why homemade muffins don’t come out fluffy and moist like they do as a bakery. The best way is to use a scale and measure by weight. I still love to measure by volume, as I am sure most American home bakers do. So if you do use your measuring cups, then be sure to first fluff up the flour. Then scoop with a spoon into the cup and then level off with a flat edge. For more on how and why to measure your flour you can read this post.
Prepare your pans first. You want to make sure to get those ready before you start measuring. I like to use liners for my muffins and then also spray the top of the pans with non-stick cooking spray. You don’t have to use liners, but then make sure the wells and the top of the tin are sprayed well. But you don’t want your batter sitting around while you get your pans ready, so do this first.
Cool on a cooling rack. Once you have taken your muffins out of the oven you want to move them from a tin to a cooling rack. If you leave the muffins in the tin, then the heat from the tin will cause them to continue to bake possibly causing them to overbake.

Recipe FAQ’s

Why did my muffins fall flat?

This is a common problem in baking. And this is usually due to the fact that you took them out too early so the insides were set up yet causing them to collapse upon cooling. I recommend using a toothpick to test the doneness. And invest in an oven thermometer so you can accurately gauge if your oven temperature is accurate.

Do I need to peel my peaches?

I did. And I do recommend it. I just simply used a vegetable peeler. If I was making something that required a lot of peaches, then I would boil them for a minute so that skins peel off easily. But since this is only 3 peaches, I just took the time to peel them myself.

Can I freeze these peach muffins?

Yes. And you should! Freezing your baked good is a major time saver.
To freeze unbaked: Scoop as the recipe directed into your liners, then freeze the muffin in the tin. Once frozen you can either take them out of the tin (therefore getting your tin back) and place in a zip-loc bag. Or just wrap the whole tin in plastic wrap a few times. Then when ready to bake, just bake frozen (no need to thaw) and add on a few minutes of bake time.
To freeze baked: If you find you have some leftover, then allow them to cool completely and place them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze. When ready to enjoy, I just let mine thaw at room temperature (this happens within a few minutes!) and enjoy.

How do I store these muffins?

I store mine, once cooled, in an airtight container or wrapped up, at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you don’t plan on eating them within a few days I recommend freezing them.

Peach Muffins (with a Pecan Streusel Topping!)

What do you need to make peach muffins?