Peach Muffins with Streusel Topping

Friends, it’s that magical time of year again.
It’s Palisade Peach Season, baby!

You know the signs: roadside stands popping up along the highway like little fruit-filled oases, handmade banners declaring, “We have Palisade Peaches” flapping in the breeze. It’s basically Colorado’s version of the Bat-Signal, and let me tell you, I come running.

If left to my own devices, I would stop at every. single. stand. Like, “Oh, these peaches came from the orchard across the street from the orchard I just bought peaches at? Clearly, I need to taste test for quality control.” But alas, no one in my house eats peaches but me. (Yes, I’m looking at you, ARFID. You should know that these sweet little bombs of juicy goodness are a green light food, but apparently the system is broken.)

So, because I live with picky people who would happily survive on bread, chicken nuggets, and Goldfish Crackers, I have to restrain myself. I can’t roll home with an entire carload of peaches just for myself like some kind of stone fruit hoarder. Which means, when I do get my hands on a precious basket, I need to make it count.

Enter: Peach Muffins with Streusel Topping.

These are not your average muffins. They’re super moist, lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and studded with juicy peach chunks that basically scream “Summer is still here, don’t give up yet!” Every bite has that buttery crumb topping that makes you feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast (because you are, and that’s why we love muffins).

Look, I don’t know about you, but the whole “back to school/work grind” hits me like a brick wall every August. One second I’m pretending to be a carefree summer person, stopping to smell the roses and sighing with pleasure as I wander through Botanic Gardens,  then I’m staring at a to do list a mile and a half long at my desk, wondering how it’s possible that I already have two kids in college and I missed the best parts of summer...again. So yes, I cling to summer wherever I can get it. These muffins are like a pep talk from the universe: “It’s okay. You’ve still got this. Summer isn’t over yet.”

And honestly? When you’re sitting at your desk, secretly wishing you were poolside with a peach daiquiri in hand, a warm peach muffin with streusel topping is the next best thing.

So let’s bake, shall we?

Peach Muffins with Streusel Topping

Ingredients

For the muffins:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt if you’re that person)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh peaches (peeled if you want, but I’m lazy and leave the skins on)

For the streusel topping:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 -3 tbsp heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (or don’t, if you enjoy chiseling baked goods out of pans).

2. Make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. Try not to eat it all with said fork before the muffins are ready.

3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.

5. Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing gently until just combined. Don’t overmix unless you enjoy sad, tough muffins. Fold in the chopped peaches.

6. Fill muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Generously sprinkle streusel topping over each one, piling it high because this is the whole point.

7. Bake: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or at least not gooey with raw batter—peach juice is allowed).

8. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Peaches add a lot of moisture so you want these to set up a little bit.

9. Let cool completely then add optional glaze.  For real, I know you want to start jamming these in the old pie hole as soon as they come out of the pan.  They'll fall apart though, so give them about 20 minutes to cool off.  Drizzle with glaze and then they're good to go!

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Notes & Tips

• If your peaches are extra juicy, toss them with a tablespoon of flour before folding into the batter. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom.

• These muffins freeze beautifully. Which is code for: I pretend I’m freezing them for later, but then I just eat them straight from the freezer like some kind of pastry-loving raccoon.

• Want to go wild? Add a handful of chopped pecans to the streusel. It’s like a peach cobbler-muffin mashup.

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Final Thoughts

Peach season is short, my friends. Blink, and suddenly it’s pumpkin spice season and Target is selling fake Christmas trees again. So while the sun is still shining and the peaches are still dripping down your arm when you bite into them, grab a basket (or three) and make these muffins.

Will my family eat them? Probably not. But that just means more for me, and honestly, I’m not mad about it.

So, next time you see one of those roadside signs waving at you, don’t resist. Stop the car. Buy the peaches. Make the muffins. Summer isn’t over until you say it is.

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🍑 Peach season is short…make muffins. 🍑