MuffinsamericanEasy

Brown Sugar Peach Muffins

Name: Brown Sugar Peach Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 cup (220 g) packed brown sugar; ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or canola oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground cinnamon; 15 oz (425 g) canned peaches in light syrup, drained and chopped, drained and chopped into ½-inch pieces; ⅓ cup (75 g) packed brown sugar; ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons (43 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, moist muffins with a caramel-sweet brown sugar crumb studded with canned peaches and finished with a brown sugar crumb topping. These are easy to make, perfectly portable, and stay fresh for several days. A great way to use pantry staples into a homemade breakfast or snack.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 45 min
Makes: 12 muffins

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease cups well
Drain the canned peaches thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid
Have all ingredients at room temperature

1
Mix wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup oil until well combined.
- Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously until the mixture is light and slightly foamy, about 1 minute.
- The mixture should be uniform in color.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Light and uniform in color
Tip: Don't skip the vigorous whisking—it incorporates air into the batter, making the muffins tender.
2
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Ensure there are no lumps of baking powder.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No visible lumps of baking powder
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients distributes the leavening evenly so your muffins rise uniformly.
3
Combine wet and dry
- Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula, stirring gently until just combined.
- Stop as soon as you don't see any streaks of flour—do not overmix.
- The batter should be slightly lumpy.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No visible flour streaks; batter is slightly lumpy
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough and dense. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
4
Fold in peaches
- Gently fold the drained and chopped canned peaches into the batter with a few strokes of the spatula.
- Distribute them evenly but don't crush them.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Peaches are evenly distributed
Tip: Patting the drained peaches dry prevents excess liquid from making the batter too wet.
5
Fill muffin cups
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full (roughly 3 tablespoons of batter per cup).
- Tap the tin gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cups are ¾ full and air bubbles are released
Tip: Tapping the tin on the counter releases large air bubbles that could create tunnels in the muffins.
6
Make crumb topping
- In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, and 3 tablespoons cold butter cubes.
- Using your fingertips, rub the mixture together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
- Sprinkle evenly over each muffin, about 1 tablespoon per muffin.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized butter pieces
Tip: Keep the butter cold—warm butter will create a dense topping instead of a crumbly one. Work quickly.
7
Bake muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven and bake for 18–22 minutes.
- The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding a peach chunk) comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, and the tops are golden brown.
- The crumb topping should be lightly browned.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; tops are golden brown
Tip: Don't overbake—muffins continue to cook as they cool and will dry out if left in too long. Start checking at 18 minutes.
8
Cool in tin and turn out
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
- This allows them to set enough to handle without breaking.
- Turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 20–30 minutes, before serving.
- The crumb topping will firm up as they cool.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Muffins are cool enough to handle and fully set
Tip: Cooling in the tin first prevents the delicate muffins from falling apart when you remove them.

Good to know

Tips

For the most tender crumb, use oil instead of butter in the batter—oil makes muffins stay moist longer than butter does.
If your canned peaches are very large, chop them into smaller pieces (½-inch) so they distribute evenly and bake through.
To prevent a soggy bottom, use paper liners or grease the muffin cups generously, including the bottom edges.
These muffins are best enjoyed warm or at room temperature within the first day, when the crumb topping is at its crispiest.

Make ahead

Prepare the muffin batter up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate covered. You can also freeze unbaked muffins in the tin, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 3–4 minutes to the bake time.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: 2 days in an airtight container. Refrigerator: 5 days in an airtight container. Freezer: 3 months wrapped individually in plastic wrap or in a freezer bag. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes until warm, or microwave for 20–30 seconds.

Substitutions

canned peaches in light syrup, drained and chopped → fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped (about 1¼ pounds). Drain fresh peaches well in a colander for 10 minutes to remove excess juice, or the batter may become too wet.
vegetable oil or canola oil → melted unsalted butter (½ cup / 115 g) or neutral-flavored coconut oil. Melted butter adds richness. Coconut oil works but will not add extra flavor.
ground cinnamon → ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. These spices pair beautifully with peaches. Adjust to taste.
all-purpose flour → whole wheat pastry flour (replace up to ½ of the flour). This adds a subtle nuttiness but will make muffins slightly denser. Use no more than 1 cup whole wheat flour.