Healthy One-Bowl Peach Muffins

 
Last month, an email appeared in my inbox. Although I receive hundreds of emails every day, at least half of them impersonal newsletters from random PR companies completely unrelated to baking or food, this email’s title, “NBC 10 Lifestyle Show,” intrigued me enough to click it open.  

As I skimmed the short note, my eyes widened. It was written by a TV news anchor that knew her viewers were searching for healthier recipes to try, and she wanted to know whether I would be available for an interview.

Wow!
 

 
I quickly responded, shared how flattered and honored I was that she’d even reach out to ask, and inquired about what she had in mind. With her on the East Coast and me in Southern California, I wondered how an interview like that would even work!

Through a series of emails, we scheduled a date and time for a Zoom call, which her TV station would record to air at a later date. Knowing how time-crunched and stretched thin many adults in her TV station’s audience felt from juggling working from home, their children’s distance learning, and all of the other commitments of everyday life, we picked one of my favorite easy breakfast recipes to feature: my one-bowl blueberry muffins!
 

 
Just a few days after filming, another email from the incredibly sweet news anchor popped up in my inbox. Her TV station had already scheduled our segment for the following week, and with how well it went, she mentioned they’d want to do another one in the near future!

On the day of the broadcast, my family and I watched the segment on the TV station’s website, and I smiled even wider than I had while reading the news anchor’s original email or while filming. The editors and producers pieced everything together from our Zoom call SO well, and I was incredibly flattered by how much air time they gave to my recipes!

(If you’re interested, you can watch my interview here!)
 

 
With how much I enjoyed chatting with the news anchor about my one-bowl blueberry muffins, our Zoom interview inspired me to make another yummy one-bowl muffin recipe, this time with a fun summer flavor twist… These Healthy One-Bowl Peach Muffins!

These muffins are just as easy as the blueberry ones to make, and they have the same texture as cupcakes — even with no refined flour or sugar! They also taste my grandma’s famous peach pie, thanks to her two secret ingredients, yet they’re 102 calories!

I’d call that a muffin miracle… Wouldn’t you? 😉
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY PEACH MUFFINS

Let’s go over how to make the best ever healthy peach muffins! As you’ve probably guessed, you’ll need one large mixing bowl. I’ve been sharing a lot more one-bowl recipes lately, and it seems like you’re really enjoying this new recipe series. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that there are usually fewer dishes to wash?… 😉

But before we get started, I want to mention one very important thing… Do NOT use a hand-held or stand mixer to make these muffins! It’s really easy to overmix the batter with either of those. Overmixing creates a tough, dense, or gummy texture… Rather than the perfectly moist and tender texture that you get when mixing by hand.

So for the best results, use a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else. That yields the best healthy peach muffins with the perfect taste and texture!

Now, moving on…
 

 
As the first ingredient, you’ll need a teensy bit of melted butter, coconut oil, or any other oil. Just ½ tablespoon! Traditional muffin recipes typically call for anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of oil (if not more!) to keep them moist, but I have a different trick for you to use instead. By using just ½ tablespoon of butter or oil, that really helps keep these healthy peach muffins low calorie and low fat!

Next, you’ll whisk in egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract. The egg whites provide protein, which helps with these muffins’ structure. That protein helps prevent your muffins from collapsing while cooling, so they stay nice and tall and moist.

The almond extract was one of my grandma’s secret ingredients in her peach pie, so I add it to nearly every peach recipe that I create. It gives your peach baked treats such a lovely sweet and sophisticated flavor — so they taste like they came from a fancy gourmet bakery!
 

 
Whereas traditional recipes call for refined granulated sugar, you’ll skip that and sweeten your healthy peach muffins with one of my favorite ingredients instead: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also really concentrated. You just need 2 ½ teaspoons to sweeten your entire batch of muffins, which is the equivalent of at least 1 cup of sugar!

Since many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, I recommend using the same one that I do for the best results. I love this particular one because I don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products, and I actually buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found!

Tip: Liquid stevia isn’t a one-time-use ingredient! I hate buying ingredients that I’ll only use for one recipe, and I’m guessing you’re the same way too. You’ll use this same liquid stevia in all of these recipes of mine as well! (There are 240+ of them!)
 

 
Time to add the spices and salt! You’ll use both cinnamon and nutmeg. Nutmeg was another one of my grandma’s secret ingredients in her peach pie. It gives these muffins a much deeper and richer flavor! As for the cinnamon, I definitely recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon, which makes your healthy peach muffins taste absolutely incredible. (I buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable, and it’s the only kind of cinnamon I use in my baking now!)

Hint: You’re adding the spices now, rather than later with the flour, so they’re evenly dispersed throughout the batter. If you waited, there’s a stronger likelihood of clumps… And nobody wants a big ol’ clump of cinnamon, nutmeg, or salt in the middle of their muffin, right??
 

 
Remember how I said you just needed ½ tablespoon of butter or oil? That’s because you’re adding lots of Greek yogurt to your muffin batter too! Greek yogurt is another one of my favorite ingredients in healthy baking. Here, it adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your healthy peach muffins a protein boost!

Although my grandma didn’t use this next ingredient in her peach pie recipe, it’s the third secret ingredient in these healthy peach muffins. Promise me you won’t roll your eyes when I tell you what it is, okay??

Ready?
 

 
It’s distilled white vinegar! I know it sounds weird, but here’s why it works. Vinegar (an acid) reacts with baking soda (a base — you’ll add that soon!). When these two react, they create air bubbles (carbon dioxide, to be exact!). Those air bubbles help your muffins rise, and they also give your healthy peach muffins a more tender texture.

By the time your muffins finish baking, all of the vinegar will have reacted with all of the baking soda, so you won’t taste any vinegar whatsoever in your finished healthy peach muffins! Just… Don’t taste the raw batter, okay? 😉
 

 
After stirring in the milk, it’s time to add the last of the dry ingredients! Those are white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Yes, I know… White whole wheat flour sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But I promise such a thing exists — and it’s not just a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!

Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits, like extra fiber, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the super moist texture of your healthy peach muffins really shine!
 

 
When you add the baking powder and baking soda, do NOT dump them in the center of the bowl! Instead, sprinkle them over the top of the flour, and stir all three in together. Sprinkling prevents clumps, which means your healthy peach muffins will rise evenly and end up with the best possible texture!

Hint: You need to wait to add the baking powder and the baking soda until now, rather than adding them with the cinnamon and nutmeg, because they start to react as soon as they come into contact with the wet ingredients. If they start reacting too soon, those lovely air bubbles all disappear before you can put your muffin pan in the oven… So your muffins wouldn’t rise, and they’d end up really flat and dense. By waiting, you get the best rise and texture in your healthy peach muffins!
 

 
And speaking of… It’s finally time to fold in the peaches! Both fresh peaches and canned peaches in 100% juice will work. (That means you can make these healthy peach muffins all year round, not just during the summer. Hooray!) If using the latter, just make sure you thoroughly drain the juice first! Too much juice can cause your muffins to collapse. I dice my peaches to be about the same size as chocolate chips to ensure every bite contains at least one juicy piece of fruit!

One last tip for you! If you’re using muffin or cupcake liners like I did in these photos, you must thoroughly coat them with cooking spray first. (If you skip them and just use a muffin pan, you still need to coat that with cooking spray too!) Low-fat batters, like with these healthy peach muffins, stick to liners and muffin pans like superglue. Coating the liners or pan with cooking spray helps them slip out of those much more easily!
 

 
Healthy muffins that taste like a combination of cupcakes and peach pie… That definitely sounds like the perfect breakfast to me! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy peach muffins!

Healthy One-Bowl Peach Muffins

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 12 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!)

5 from 6 votes

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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!)

Instructions

• 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}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Peach Oatmeal Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  Healthy One-Bowl Blueberry Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Scones
♡  Healthy Peach Mini Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Pie Pancakes
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy muffin recipes!