Oat Peach Muffins

Oat muffins studded with juicy peach chunks, sweetened with brown sugar and molasses, and spiced with cinnamon. These are lighter than most muffins thanks to egg whites instead of whole eggs and oil instead of butter, but you’d never guess it from the flavor.

Soaking the oats in buttermilk before mixing is the step that makes these tender. The oats absorb the liquid and soften, so they blend into the batter instead of staying gritty. Buttermilk’s acidity also reacts with the baking soda, giving the muffins a tall, domed rise.

Molasses adds a dark, caramel-like sweetness that brown sugar alone can’t deliver. It also keeps the crumb moist for days, so these don’t go stale as fast as most muffins.

Kitchen Tips

• Use fresh, frozen (thawed), or well-drained canned peaches. All three work, but drain canned peaches thoroughly or the extra juice makes the batter too wet.
• Stir until the flour is just moistened and stop. Lumpy batter is good batter. Overmixed muffins turn tough and dense with tunnels running through them.
• Fill the muffin cups to the top. These are meant to be generously sized, and the batter rises but doesn’t overflow.
• Remove from the pan immediately after baking. Steam trapped underneath makes the bottoms soggy if they sit.

Variations

• Add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch that pairs well with the peaches.
• Swap peaches for diced pears or apples with the same spice blend for a fall variation.
• Sprinkle the tops with a cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking for a crunchy, sparkly crust.