These Deli-style Peach Pecan Muffins, with their tasty crumble topping, have a lightly spiced batter to complement the peaches and pecans. While they can be made with frozen peaches, these muffins are an extra-special treat to make when fresh peaches are on the market.
These muffins are not difficult to make. The dry ingredients are combined in one bowl and the sugars and wet ingredients blended in another. The wet ingredients are poured into a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mixed only until just barely incorporated. Do not overmix muffin batter as this will result in tough muffins. The cut-up peaches and chopped pecans are folded into the batter just before the batter is transferred to the muffin cups.
Unless you are using paper liners in the muffin cups, make sure each muffin cup is well greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Because the crumble topping may stick to the top of the muffin tray, ensure the entire top of the tray is greased as well. I suggest doing this even if standard paper liners the height of each muffin cup are used. If, however, you are using large tulip-shaped parchment paper liners, there is probably no need to grease the top of the muffin tray as the parchment liners are generally quite tall anyway and will catch stray crumble toppings that otherwise might stick to the top of the muffin tray.
As with any recipe that requires ingredients to be at room temperature, start by bringing the eggs, yogurt, and milk to room temperature. Ingredients blend together best when they are all at the same room temperature.
Note that the yogurt called for in this recipe is the thick Greek-style yogurt that differs from the more runny regular type yogurts. Either plain, vanilla, or coconut-flavored Greek-style yogurt will work well in this recipe. In a pinch, if you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can mix ¼ cup of regular-style plain or vanilla yogurt (i.e., the more runny style yogurt) with ¼ cup sour cream and use it as a substitute as this combination somewhat resembles the thickness and texture of Greek-style yogurts.
This recipe calls for both all-purpose and almond flour. Almond flour imparts wonderful flavor and texture to many baked goods and is a flour I regularly use in both wheat-based and gluten-free baking. Today, it is commonly available in supermarkets and online as well as at many bulk food stores which are a good option if only a small amount of the almond flour is needed and if it is not a flour you normally bake with. You can often find nut flours like almond as well as other specialty flours like coconut flour (another of my favorites) in the grocery aisle of stores like Winners and HomeSense.
This recipe can be made with either fresh or frozen peaches. I do not recommend using canned peaches in this recipe as they will be too wet from the juice in which they are packed and, as such, will impart too much moisture into the muffins, potentially making them soggy. If using frozen peaches, I would use them in their frozen (not thawed) state. I suggest cutting the peaches into pieces somewhere between ¼” and ½“ in size. Adding fresh (or sometimes even frozen) fruit to muffins and quick breads runs the risk of excess moisture in the muffins or breads. I use 1 1/3 cups of peaches in this recipe which I have found to be a suitable amount for the batter.
When making the crumble topping, drizzle in the melted and cooled butter just before applying the topping to the muffins. Don’t overmix the topping. Simply take a fork and toss the dry ingredients with the melted butter. The topping will appear dry and crumbly which is how it is supposed to be.
To get the desired dome-shaped muffin, I start the muffins off at a high oven temperature – i.e., a preheated 475°F oven in the case of this recipe. Using the high temperature to begin the baking process allows the outside of the muffin to quickly set while still allowing the inside to continue to rise into the desired gentle dome shape as shown in the photo below. As soon as I place the muffins in the oven, I immediately drop the temperature back to 375°F.
These muffins will bake for approximately 23-25 minutes and will be baked when they are just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Be sure to let the muffins rest and set in the muffin cups for 5-10 minutes after they come out of the oven and before removing them from the muffin cups and transferring them to wire rack to cool. These muffins freeze well.
Deli-Style Peach Pecan Muffins
Ingredients for Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup almond flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cardamom
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ginger
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
½ cup plain, vanilla, or coconut Greek yogurt, room temperature
2 tbsp milk, room temperature (mixed with ¼ tsp lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes before using)
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp pure almond extract
1 1/3 cups peaches, peeled, and cut into ¼” – ½” pieces (apx. 2-3 peaches, depending on their size)
½ cup chopped pecans
Ingredients for Crumble Topping (Optional):
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup brown sugar
2½ tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp melted and cooled butter
Method for Muffins:
Set out eggs, yogurt, and whole milk to bring them to room temperature.
Melt the butter needed for the crumble topping. Cool.
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 475°F.
Prepare muffin tray by spraying each muffin cup with non-stick cooking spray or greasing individually, ensuring the top of the muffin tin tray is also well-greased/sprayed. Alternatively, the muffin cups can be lined with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In medium-sized bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugars, eggs, yogurt, milk, and vanilla and almond extracts.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir only until barely incorporated. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the peaches and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the rim.
Method for Crumble Topping:
To make crumble topping, whisk all dry ingredients in bowl and drizzle with the 3 tbsp cool melted butter. Use a fork to toss the dry ingredients with the butter. Mixture will appear dry and crumbly. Sprinkle tops of muffins with crumble topping.
Transfer muffins to oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until muffins are just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let muffins rest in muffin cups for 5-10 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Muffins freeze well.
Yield: 12-14 standard-sized muffins
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Deli-Style Peach Pecan Muffins
Ingredients
Ingredients for Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
- ½ cup plain, vanilla, or coconut Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 tbsp milk, room temperature (mixed with ¼ tsp lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes before using)
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp pure almond extract
- 1 1/3 cups peaches, peeled, and cut into ¼” - ½” pieces (apx. 2-3 peaches, depending on their size)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Ingredients for Crumble Topping (Optional):
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp melted and cooled butter
Instructions
Method for Muffins:
-
Set out eggs, yogurt, and whole milk to bring them to room temperature.
-
Melt the butter needed for the crumble topping. Cool.
-
Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 475°F.
-
Prepare muffin tray by spraying each muffin cup with non-stick cooking spray or greasing individually, ensuring the top of the muffin tin tray is also well-greased/sprayed. Alternatively, the muffin cups can be lined with paper liners.
-
In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
-
In medium-sized bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugars, eggs, yogurt, milk, and vanilla and almond extracts.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir only until barely incorporated. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the peaches and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the rim.
Method for Crumble Topping:
-
To make crumble topping, whisk all dry ingredients in bowl and drizzle with the 3 tbsp cool melted butter. Use a fork to toss the dry ingredients with the butter. Mixture will appear dry and crumbly. Sprinkle tops of muffins with crumble topping.
-
Transfer muffins to oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until muffins are just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
-
Let muffins rest in muffin cups for 5-10 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Muffins freeze well.
Recipe Notes
Yield: 12-14 standard-sized muffins
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For other tasty muffin recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below.
Deli-style Strawberry Muffins
Zucchini Granola Muffins
Cranberry-Banana-Eggnog Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Rhubarb and Orange Muffins
Bran Muffins
Gourmet Deli-style Mincemeat Muffins
Pumpkin Eggnog Muffins
Bakery Style Raspberry Lemon Muffins