The Ultimate Healthy Peach Muffins

These muffins are easy to make, really moist, and taste like my grandma’s famous peach pie. That’s the best kind of breakfast, if you ask me! They’re full of juicy fruit, cozy spices, and a splash of almond extract (my grandma’s secret ingredient!). The almond extract adds an extra layer of sweetness and makes these homemade muffins taste like fancy bakery-style ones! Leftover muffins will keep for at least 5 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze well. (See the Notes below for freezing tips!)

Ingredients:

½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp almond extract (see Notes!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ tsp liquid stevia
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp (45mL) distilled white vinegar
¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ cups (250g) diced peaches, drained of excess juice (see Notes!)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, and coat the liners with cooking spray.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and egg whites. Whisk in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Stir in the vinegar. Stir in the milk. Add the flour. Sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda on top of the flour (to avoid clumps and make sure the muffins bake evenly!). Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the peaches.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 22-26 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: Do NOT use a hand-held or stand mixer to make this batter! Those tend to overmix this batter, which yields muffins that are tough, gummy, or dense. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.

This batter is on the thicker side, which is intentional! The peaches contain a lot of juice, which they release while baking. If the batter is too thin, that adds too much moisture, and the muffins won’t bake all the way through and can collapse while cooling.

I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine!), and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found.

If you prefer not to use stevia, substitute ¾ cup (180mL) of agave, honey, or pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia. Omit the milk if using any of those liquid sweeteners. Alternatively, substitute 1 cup (192g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar in place of the liquid stevia, and reduce the milk to ¼ cup (60mL). (The batter should be fairly thick. With these substitution alternatives, your muffins won’t taste quite as sweet as the original recipe version above, but they’ll still be delicious!)

I absolutely love almond extract! It makes these homemade muffins taste like gourmet bakery-style muffins. If you don’t have almond extract (or you’re not a fan like I am!), then substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract.

The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help your muffins rise and give them a more tender texture. You can’t taste the vinegar in the fully baked muffins — I promise! (Just don’t taste the raw batter!)

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) should work as well, if measured like this.

Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour in the batter will make your muffins dry and crumbly, rather than moist and fluffy.

Both fresh peaches and peaches that have been canned in 100% juice will work. If using fresh, I typically recommend peeling them first. Frozen and thawed peaches should also work, if you thoroughly pat them dry of any excess moisture. You must drain the peaches (or pat them dry, if they’re frozen and thawed!) because too much extra juice will cause your muffins to collapse and turn out overly dense.

For the best results, dice your peaches so they’re the same size as chocolate chips. (Yes, it takes extra time to cut them this small, but I promise it’s worth it!)

TIPS FOR FREEZING: If you used paper or foil liners, remove those before freezing! They don’t peel away as easily after thawing. To freeze, place the muffins on a foil-lined baking sheet, and freeze for 2-3 hours or until they feel solid. Transfer to a zip-topped bag, and squeeze out as much air as possible. To thaw, place individual muffins in the microwave on 30% power until warmed all the way through. (I think they almost taste freshly baked when thawed like that!)

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}