We haven’t had a winter that we can legitimately complain about, but even so, by the time spring makes its gentle, halting return, I’m looking forward to the flavors of summer. Luckily, the August sunshine of peaches can be had in April, with this recipe using peach slices directly from the freezer.
And if you can’t eat them fresh, the next best way is maybe in warm, aromatic muffins. Muffins spruced up with a special trick.
Browning the butter in this recipe makes these muffins that you’ll more than love (and not just because the magic trick requires very little extra effort). Browned butter is rightly known as beurre noisette in French, literally “nut butter”: gently heating the butter coaxes a rich, nutty aroma out of the resulting liquid amber. These muffins are moist, and indulgent, studded with chunks of golden peaches and candied ginger and crowned with a ginger-scented crumb topping. In fact, they are so rich that they hover precariously on the boundary between muffins and cupcakes, thanks in large part to that extra few minutes creating brown butter. Debate what they actually are between bites.
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Amazing Ginger Peach Muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
Description
These rich and indulgent muffins are studded with chunks of golden peaches and candied ginger, crowned with a ginger-scented crumb topping, and made with aromatic browned butter.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp (3/4 stick or 85 g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (112 g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (170 g) frozen peach slices, chopped
- 1/4 cup (45 g) candied ginger, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour (for crumb topping)
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar (for crumb topping)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (for crumb topping)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, melted (for crumb topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line or butter 12 muffin tins.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, continue to cook, watching carefully, until it turns a rich amber color and emits a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine the browned butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the chopped peach slices and candied ginger.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins.
- For the crumb topping, mix together the flour, sugar, and ground ginger in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the muffin batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use frozen peach slices for convenience and to enjoy summer flavors year-round.
- Brown the butter to enhance the nutty aroma and richness of the muffins.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- These muffins can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 35
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- Spring Dessert: Mini Strawberry Mint Pavlovas
- Apfel Kuchen: Traditional German Apple Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
What is browned butter and why does this recipe use it?
Browned butter — called beurre noisette in French — is made by cooking the butter past melting until the milk solids turn a rich amber and release a nutty aroma. I call for 6 tbsp (85 g) of unsalted butter cooked this way because it adds a deep, nutty richness that pushes these muffins to the cupcake side of the line.
Can I use fresh peaches instead of frozen?
I specifically designed this recipe to use 1 cup (170 g) of frozen peach slices so you can enjoy summer peach flavor year-round. Fresh peaches work when they’re in season — just chop them to roughly the same size as the frozen slices before folding into the batter.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Yes. These muffins can be frozen for up to 2 months. At room temperature in an airtight container they keep for up to 3 days.
What does candied ginger add, and can I leave it out?
I use 1/4 cup (45 g) of finely chopped candied ginger in the batter alongside the ginger-scented crumb topping to layer sweet heat through every bite — they’re studded with chunks of golden peaches and candied ginger, so leaving it out will noticeably reduce that spiced warmth.
