This cake-like and moist peach quick bread comes together with a simple batter, juicy peaches, and a brown sugar crumb topping. Mix the peaches with cinnamon and sugar before layering and swirling into the batter just like you do when making peach Bundt cake. While there’s a few bowls to dirty, you just need a handful of basic ingredients and there’s no mixer required.
Is it bread? Crumb cake? Dessert cake? This recipe dances a few lines because it tastes satisfying alongside coffee, as an afternoon treat, or warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish off a meal. I always appreciate a versatile baked good and know you do too!
Peach Bread Details
There are 3 components to this peach bread recipe: Quick Bread Batter, Cinnamon Sugar Peaches, & Crumb Topping.
- Flavor: If you need a recipe where your freshly-picked peaches will shine, bake this bread. Sweet peaches and cinnamon ripple the center, but even the bites without peaches stand out. I wanted the entire slice to be equally delicious and exciting, so I flavored the bread with vanilla and a touch of almond extract and topped it all with brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. (It gives peach crumble pie and peach crisp vibes!)
- Texture: In terms of texture, this peach quick bread is nestled somewhere between banana bread and white cake. I’d say it’s closer to apple cinnamon bread and zucchini bread. It’s not particularly dense, nor is it too light. You’ll enjoy its wonderfully soft crumb that holds up to the heavy peaches inside. The crumb surrounding the peaches is certainly moist and could become wet overtime, so I recommend storing the bread in the refrigerator after day 1.
- Ease: If you’ve ever made peach pie, you know that peeling and chopping slippery peaches can be tricky. But besides that, this is an easy summer baking recipe that bakers of any skill level can complete. A pastry cutter is helpful for the crumb topping, but you can use a fork or even your hands. Take your time putting the different components together and you’ll be rewarded with a loaf of success.
Recipe Testing This Peach Bread
Before you begin this peach quick bread recipe, let me explain how I put it together. I started testing this recipe with my peach muffins batter as the base, a recipe similar to this blueberry muffin bread. The bread portion was fine, but anywhere there was a peach, it was heavy and wet—not moist, wet. I assure you it was baked through, too. It’s a thinner batter, which did no favors for the heavy peaches.
I switched directions and took a closer look at this peach Bundt cake, which is oil-based and a scaled up version of cinnamon swirl quick bread. The crumb is light, but still strong enough to hold up the fruit. I played around with the leaveners and 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda produced a lovely springy crumb. Sour cream adds moisture without thinning out the batter. The peaches stay elevated and while the crumb around the peach chunks is moist, it’s not wet. (As long as you bake the bread long enough.)
In Pictures: How to Make Peach Bread
In the printable recipe below, I recommend making the crumb topping first and placing it in the refrigerator until you need it. The colder it is, the more likely it will hold its crumbly texture. If the crumb topping is warm going into the oven, it will melt and virtually disappear into the bread’s top crust. After that, prepare your quick bread batter and peaches, and then assemble the bread before baking.
The most important step of this peach bread recipe is layering and swirling in the peaches. As noted in the printable recipe below, mix the peach chunks with some sugar and cinnamon. Spread half of your quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, all of the peaches (with any liquid they produced), and then the remaining batter. Swirl everything together so you have this delicious ribbon of cinnamon, sugar, and peaches throughout. This is exactly how we assemble apple cinnamon bread, too.
Feel free to skip the crumb topping (or leave it!) and top the baked and cooled bread with vanilla icing. We use the same icing for peach bars, too. If you love the idea of fresh peaches, streusel topping, and sweet vanilla icing, you must give peach bars a try next!
Extra fresh summer strawberries on your hands? Strawberry bread is another excellent way to enjoy seasonal fruits in quick bread form.
Peach Quick Bread Success Tips
- Best ripeness: The best fresh peaches to use are the same I recommend for other peach recipes including fresh peach cake, peach cobbler, and peach crisp. You can use any variety of peaches, yellow or white, but you want slightly firm (not hard) peaches with no bruises or soft spots Your best bet is to purchase or pick about 4 firm peaches, then let them sit in a paper bag for 1-2 days to ripen. Some may have soft spots after this time, so that’s why I suggest having a couple more than you need. Eat the others!
- Cut peaches into bite-size pieces and do not mix them with flour. There’s only about 2 peaches in this bread but if you chop them up small enough, you’ll enjoy dozens of chunks throughout. I recommend peeling and chopping the peaches into bite-size 3/4 inch pieces. Do not mix the peach chunks with flour in an effort to keep them drier or elevated inside the bread—the bread will be gooey.
- The bread will fall apart if you slice it warm. Peaches make these bread delicate, so the bread slices will fall apart if you cut it warm. Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving. If you want to enjoy it warm, heat up the slices in the microwave.
Peach Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cake-like and moist peach quick bread comes together with a simple batter, juicy peaches, and a brown sugar crumb topping. Feel free to turn this recipe into muffins or mini loaves. See recipe notes below.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream (or plain yogurt/Greek yogurt), at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Peach Layer
- 1 and 1/2 cups (about 230g) peeled and chopped peaches (about 2 medium-large peaches)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Crumb Topping: Make the crumb topping first. Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. You can also use your hands to mix it together. Refrigerate (or freeze) until ready to use in step 5. (The colder it is, the less likely it will sink down into the bread and lose its crumbly texture.)
- Bread: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing. You will have about 3 cups of batter.
- Peaches: Mix the peach layer ingredients together.
- Pour/spread half of the batter into prepared loaf pan. Spoon/spread the peaches (and any juices) evenly on top. Carefully pour/spread remaining batter evenly on top. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan. Evenly sprinkle crumb topping on top.
- Bake the bread for 60-65 minutes, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to prevent the top from over-browning. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Oven times will vary between ovens. My bread usually takes 1 hour. Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, slice and serve. The portions of bread around the peaches can taste gummy since peaches are so wet, but warming a slice up in the microwave for 10 seconds helps. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled bread freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Peaches: Cut peeled peaches into (about) 3/4 inch chunks. Here is the vegetable peeler I use and love. Fresh peaches are best, but you can use frozen chopped peaches if desired. For best results, thaw peaches first. Blot dry as much as you can before mixing with sugar and cinnamon in step 4. Feel free to substitute nectarines or apricots. Do not use canned peaches because they are too wet.
- Sour Cream & Milk: It’s best to use a mix of sour cream (or yogurt) and whole milk here. I do not recommend using 1 cup buttermilk to replace both because the batter will be thin and the bread will taste wet. Lower fat or nondairy milks work as a substitute for the 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk in a pinch.
- Muffins: Feel free to try my peach streusel muffins, which are exceptionally cake-like and buttery. You could also use today’s bread batter to make peach muffins. Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. You will need a 2nd pan for 2-3 additional muffins because this recipe yields around 14-15. (Or bake in batches.) Instead of mixing the peaches with cinnamon and sugar and swirling into the batter as noted in the recipe above, mix the chopped peaches with only the cinnamon and fold directly into the batter after you mix the wet and dry ingredients together in step 3. Fill muffin liners to the top with peach batter. Press crumb topping lightly into the tops of each. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-22 minutes, give or take. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 14-15 muffins.
- Mini Loaves: You can use this batter to make mini peach breads. Follow the recipe above as written, dividing the batter/peaches/topping between your mini loaf pans. Swirl batter and peaches together as instructed above. Bake time and yield depends on the size of your mini loaf pan. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi Sally, several friends loved this quick bread loaf, and I was wondering what other ingredients I could use instead of fresh or frozen peaches. The texture of the bread itself is really good, and I would like to continue baking this recipe throughout the year.
Hi Linda, you can certainly try with other fruits, or here are all of our other quick bread recipes, if you’re interested in browsing. So glad this is a favorite for you!
I made this in a 9 inch round pan. It was done after approximately 45 minutes. It’s cooling on the rack now and smells AMAZING!
To peal peaches (I make jam) bring water to a boil and then immerse peaches in …it takes a few minutes ..then put peaches in cold water and it will peal by itself.
Can I use MCT oil instead of vegetable oil. MCT oil is liquid at room temperature. I have used it before in baking with great success.
Hi Susan, we haven’t tried baking with MCT oil before, but let us know if you do give it a try here!
I was searching for a recipe that hit all my stone-fruit season needs and Oh.. My.. Goodness!! This peach quick bread was amazing. I whipped up a simple vanilla glaze over top of it and my coworkers devoured it immediately. One even said its the best thing I’ve ever baked – high praise! I’ve got some peaches frozen for the winter months and may have to break out this recipe again then.
Any chance you can double this recipe and use a 13×9 cake pan?
Hi Cherylynn, we haven’t tested it, so are unsure of what the bake time would be. If you try it, please report back! Or you might enjoy this larger peach Bundt cake recipe instead.
This Peach Quick Bread tastes amazing, and it’s easy to make! I’ve made it several times, and it turns out perfect every time. Thanks for sharing, Sally!
Made this first time with peaches and it was DELICIOUS. Two days later, made it with half peaches and half fresh blueberries, sliced. And it was DIVINE! Thank you Sally!
This turned out very delicious. Next time I will make sure the peaches are yellow and freestone. I bought three white peaches, intending to eat them. Then I saw this recipe and decided to bake instead. The peaches would not come apart so I had to cut them around the stone. The almond flavor lent a nice subtle touch and so did the strudel. Thanks, Sally for another terrific recipe. Kathy
This recipe is amazing!!! Tried it and had to make it again because the first loaf went so quickly!
Unfortunately fresh peaches don’t last forever, but it’s a fantastic base for other fruit loaves! My family has thoroughly enjoyed the version I’ve made with coffee, dried dates and walnuts
Could I make this with dried peaches?
Hi Kathyd, we don’t recommend it—fresh or frozen peaches are best here.
What about Canned peaches?
Hi Jess, we don’t recommend it. Canned peaches are a bit too wet for this already moist bread.
This wasnt quite sweet enough for me but i added a drizzle on top so im hoping that helped. Maybe next time i will add a full cup? Good texture and it was pretty and white. I did leave out the little cinnamon since im not a fan of peaches and cinnamon together.
Hi-Can you use a different size pan? For instance 8 x 8?
Hi Mary, here’s everything to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
This peach quick bread recipe was so delicious and moist. The yummy crumb topping just added more to this recipe. I was wondering if blackberries would be good to use in this recipe. Let me know if you ever used them.
Hi Dina! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. We can’t see why blackberries wouldn’t work here, or you could adapt our blueberry muffin bread as well.
Hi Sally! What’s the reason the peach bread uses oil while the blueberry muffin bread uses butter? Could I substitute in oil for butter in the blueberry muffin bread and vice versa?
We actually tested this recipe with the blueberry muffin bread as a start, but that recipe yields a thinner batter that wasn’t great for the heavy peaches. That batter needs a fat that is solid at room temperature, like butter or solid coconut oil, so that it can creamed with the sugars. An oil-based fat is better here to support the heavy, wet peaches. Hope this helps!