Healthy Peach Mini Muffins

Yields: 36 mini muffins

I may be biased… But these are the best peach muffins I’ve ever had! They’re really moist and tender with a hint of cinnamon, and the almond extract gives them a sophisticated flavor. It makes them taste like they came from a fancy bakery! Leftover muffins will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp liquid stevia, or adjusted to taste
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp (30mL) distilled plain white vinegar (see Notes!)
¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
1 cup (200g) diced peaches (see Notes!)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners, and lightly coat them with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, almond extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Fold in the diced peaches.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 14-16 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: Do not use a stand mixer or electric mixer! Use a whisk where instructed and a fork for everything else. Mixers will overwork the batter, and the muffins will turn out tough, gummy, and/or dense.

For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

If you’re not a fan of almond extract, substitute vanilla extract.

I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia, then substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL) of pure maple syrup, honey or agave AND reduce the milk to 2 tablespoons (30mL). Alternatively, substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar AND reduce the milk to ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (105mL).

Do not omit the vinegar! You can’t taste it in the finished muffins—I promise! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to do two things: (a) make the muffins rise and (b) give them a more tender texture.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

When dicing the peaches, cut them to be no larger than the size of chocolate chips. Larger pieces prevent the muffins from baking evenly, and the muffins will collapse and turn dense while cooling.

Both fresh peaches and peaches canned in 100% juice (and thoroughly drained!) will work.

This recipe will also make 12 standard-sized muffins, if you prefer. Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/07/08/healthy-peach-mini-muffins/