Layered Peach Coffee Muffins

Okay, okay, I promise these will be the last muffins of the season, and I promise these Layered Peach Coffee Muffins are worth it. I have been going a bit muffin-crazy lately (can you blame me?), but that’s because there are so many flavors to try! Techniques to use! Methods to master!

This particular muffin uses a peach slice layering technique that I am so excited to share. Most people might be skeptical about shoving a bunch of peach slices into a muffin, but it works like magic. The peaches melt their flavor directly into the batter, while still giving it enough breathing room to bake. The trick is to make sure your peach slices are evenly layered apart so that when you slice into the muffin, you’ll see all the beautiful layers reveal themselves. Now let’s get this (muffin) show on the road! There’s a lot to cover!

The ingredients you’ll need for these peach muffins

These muffins are the perfect way to end the summer season and kick off fall. With the sweetness from ripe peaches and the balance of nutty coffee, they capture that cozy end-of-summer feeling. And the best part is, all of the ingredients are readily available! Here’s what you’ll need:

For the batter

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (110g) granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup (110g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup (105g) skyr or greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coffee grounds
• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/3 cup (80g) milk of choice, I use almond milk typically

For the peach layers

• 1 large peach, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (25g) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the coffee crumble topping

• 1/3 cup (52g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (30 grams) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coffee grounds
• 3 tablespoons (45g) salted butter, chilled

Can I use another fruit besides peaches?

The quick answer to this is yes, but it depends on what fruit! I like to use plums, pears, and apricots as substitutes. Of course, nectarines will also work! These are the easiest for slicing and layering. I’ve found that firmer fruit such as apples don’t always cook through properly, but if you’re in a pinch, they can also be a nice addition.

The fruits I don’t recommend are fruits you can’t easily layer – think berries, etc. If you’re in the mood for a berry-filled muffin, I have a great recipe here.

How to make the coffee muffin batter

This is the easiest part! This recipe uses a straightforward batter with the perfect amount of coffee grounds so the peaches can really shine. To get started, you’ll want to first position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, sugars, yogurt, vanilla and coffee grounds until smooth.
2. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix this together, adding splashes of milk in a few tablespoons at a time to help ease it into a smooth batter. Set this aside for later.

Why does this recipe include peach layers?

The peach layers in these coffee muffins are the best part, and for good reason! First, peaches are at their peak this time of year, lending themselves to having lots of natural sugar that is begging to be baked with. These sugars help the peaches melt into the muffin batter and produce a perfectly sweet and addicting flavor. Plus, the texture of the peaches changes in the oven, making them similar to what you would find in an upside-down cake (you know I love them!) or a peach crumble. But with the addition of the coffee grounds, the sweet peaches are balanced with rich, nutty flavors and make for the best breakfast or dessert.

How to layer the peaches in the muffins

I promise it sounds harder than it actually is. This process is quite simple but will impress anyone you make these muffins for! Before you start layering the peaches, there’s a bit of prep to do. To get started, add the sliced peaches to a separate small bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat and set aside.

After you’ve made the crumble topping, it’s time to assemble the muffins.

• Line or grease a jumbo muffin tin and spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each.
• Layer with a peach slice, then spoon another heaping tablespoon of batter on top. Repeat this layering of peach slices and batter until each muffin has 4-5 layers.

Keep the layers thin so that the peaches don’t prevent the batter from baking. This will make six jumbo muffins or twelve standard-sized muffins (see notes at the bottom of the recipe box).

The key to the perfect crumble topping

The coffee crumble topping is what marries the textures in these muffins together. It’s slightly crisp when it comes out of the oven, balancing the moist, soft muffins and peaches. To make the perfect crumble topping, add flour, brown sugar, and coffee to a bowl. Then, add in the chilled cubed butter. Toss to coat the butter in flour, then work the butter into pieces with your hands, consistently tossing to coat in the flour and sugar. You’re looking to make a crumb-like texture, with pieces no bigger than the tip of a pencil eraser. Set this in the fridge while you assemble the muffins.

The key to any crumble topping is making sure that the butter is cold. It should be refrigerated until you need to use it. This helps the “crumble” texture. If the butter is slightly soft, it will melt into the flour and sugar and create a batter texture. Another tip is to work quickly with the butter so that your hands don’t warm up the butter too much as you separate it into pieces.

Storing these muffins for later

I like to bake these muffins at the beginning of the week and snack on them throughout – but the issue with doing that is you need to know how to keep them fresh! Here are a few of my best tips to lock in the moisture:

• Store in a cool, dry place, like a pantry or a cool part of your kitchen. This is not the best recipe to store near the stove! Temperature variance won’t affect the moisture, but it will affect your muffin’s ability to keep for the full week.
• Store in an airtight container. This is imperative to keeping a cake’s moisture. Let the muffins cool completely before moving them to a tupperware container with a snap-lock lid.
• For extra moisture, throw in a damp paper towel 12 hours before eating your next muffin – it’s wild, but it works!
• Forgot to do that step? Microwave your muffin for 20 seconds with a wet paper towel draped over it. I learned this from Emily Mariko and I’m never going back.

Why is everything in grams?

Grams is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

FAQ

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.

Looking for more muffin recipes?

Don’t worry, I have plenty! Here are some of the favorites on the blog:

And that’s everything for these Layered Peach Coffee Muffins!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3