Sun-Kissed Peach Bread

There’s truly nothing quite like the taste of summer captured in a tender, flavorful loaf of bread. This freshly baked Peach Bread is exceptionally soft, moist, and generously packed with succulent, juicy peaches, all crowned with an irresistible streusel topping and a delicate sweet vanilla glaze. This easy-to-follow recipe is a perfect companion for a sunny breakfast, a delightful mid-day snack, or a comforting dessert after any meal, making it a versatile treat for all occasions.

Our Peach Bread recipe is a celebration of the vibrant essence of fresh, ripe peaches, transforming them into a quick bread that is remarkably moist and tender with every single bite. The experience is further elevated by a golden, crumbly streusel topping, which adds a beautiful textural contrast and a hint of warm spice. To finish, a sweet vanilla glaze drizzles gracefully over the cooled loaf, providing an extra layer of indulgence and a picture-perfect sheen. It’s the ultimate way to savor the peak flavors of the season.

Whether you’re planning a lavish brunch, seeking a comforting treat to enjoy with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, or simply looking for a light yet satisfying dessert, this homemade peach bread effortlessly fits every moment. It’s a simple, straightforward baking project that yields impressive, bakery-quality results, making it a beloved recipe for both novice and experienced bakers alike. If your love for peaches extends beyond this delightful bread, don’t miss our extensive collection of 51 Easy Peach Desserts for more mouth-watering inspiration.

For those who appreciate the convenience and deliciousness of quick bread recipes, we also highly recommend trying our comforting Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Recipe and the uniquely flavorful Hummingbird Bread. Both promise to deliver equally delightful baking experiences that are perfect for sharing or enjoying solo.

Why You’ll Adore This Homemade Peach Bread

Our Peach Bread isn’t just another quick bread; it’s a culinary experience designed to bring joy and summer flavors to your table. Here are the compelling reasons why this particular recipe is destined to become a cherished favorite in your kitchen:

• Bursting with Authentic Fresh Peach Flavor: This recipe makes the most of summer’s bounty by featuring fresh, ripe peaches as its star ingredient. Each bite delivers a vibrant explosion of sweet, slightly tart, and wonderfully juicy peach essence. This natural fruit flavor provides an unmatched sweetness and moisture that simply cannot be replicated by artificial flavorings, making the bread truly irresistible and a true taste of the season.
• Unbelievably Moist and Tender Texture: Say goodbye to dry, crumbly loaves. Our carefully crafted peach bread boasts an incredibly soft, tender, and moist crumb that will literally melt in your mouth. Thanks to a harmonious blend of ingredients like rich sour cream and creamy butter, the bread maintains its delicious texture and freshness for several days, promising a consistently delightful experience with every slice.
• Irresistible Golden Streusel Topping: The crowning glory of this peach bread is its buttery, spiced streusel topping. This golden layer adds a delicate crunch and a warm, sweet contrast to the soft, fruity bread beneath. Crafted with brown sugar, fragrant cinnamon, and flour, it creates a gorgeous visual appeal and introduces an exciting textural element that enhances the overall enjoyment.
• Luscious Sweet Vanilla Glaze Finish: A simple yet elegant vanilla glaze is drizzled generously over the cooled loaf, providing the perfect finishing touch. This smooth, sweet glaze not only adds an extra layer of sugary goodness but also gives the bread a beautiful, glossy sheen. It’s the subtle sweetness that expertly ties all the delightful flavors together, elevating the bread from a simple quick loaf to a truly special gourmet treat.
• Perfectly Versatile for Any Occasion: This peach bread is a true chameleon, effortlessly adapting to any meal or moment. Enjoy it warm with a pat of butter for a comforting breakfast, pair it with your favorite hot beverage for an exquisite afternoon snack, or serve it as a light and fruity dessert after dinner. Its universally appealing and comforting nature makes it ideal for family gatherings, festive potlucks, or simply a quiet moment of pure self-indulgence.
• Effortlessly Easy and Quick to Prepare: Despite its sophisticated appearance and gourmet taste, this peach bread recipe is surprisingly simple and quick to assemble. With clear, concise, step-by-step instructions and readily available ingredients, even aspiring bakers can achieve perfect, delicious results with minimal fuss. It’s the ideal recipe for those times when you crave something homemade and impressive without committing hours to the kitchen.

Key Ingredients for Perfect Peach Bread: What You’ll Need

Creating an exceptionally moist and flavorful peach bread begins with selecting and understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s a breakdown of what makes our recipe so special:

For the Rich & Moist Peach Bread Base

• All-Purpose Flour: This is the structural backbone of your bread, providing the necessary body and a perfectly tender crumb when mixed correctly.
• Baking Powder: A crucial leavening agent that activates with liquid to create air pockets, ensuring your bread rises beautifully for a light and fluffy texture.
• Baking Soda: This powerful leavener reacts with acidic ingredients like sour cream, providing additional lift and contributing significantly to the bread’s incredible tenderness and moistness.
• Ground Cinnamon: Infuses the bread with a warm, comforting aroma and a subtle spicy note that wonderfully complements the sweet peaches, creating a harmonious flavor profile.
• Salt: More than just seasoning, salt is a fundamental flavor enhancer. It balances the sweetness of the sugars and peaches, bringing out the depth of all the ingredients and preventing the bread from tasting bland.
• Unsalted Butter (Softened): Adds luxurious richness and essential moisture to the bread. Softened butter creams effortlessly with sugar, trapping air that contributes to a lighter, more delicate crumb.
• Light Brown Sugar: Contributes a deep, caramel-like sweetness with hints of molasses. It also plays a key role in the bread’s moist texture and its attractive golden-brown hue.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides a clean, straightforward sweetness that perfectly balances the brown sugar, ensuring the bread is sweet without being cloyingly so.
• Large Egg: Acts as an emulsifier and binder, holding all the ingredients together. It also adds richness and structure to the bread, contributing to its overall tender texture.
• Vanilla Extract: A timeless flavor enhancer, vanilla extract infuses the bread with a warm, sweet depth that pairs exquisitely with the peaches and cinnamon.
• Sour Cream: This is the secret ingredient for an exceptionally moist and tender peach bread. Its acidity aids in activating the baking soda for lift, while its fat content guarantees a soft, luxurious crumb.
• Fresh Peaches (Peeled and Diced): The undisputed star of this quick bread! Ripe, juicy, and sweet fresh peaches burst with natural flavor and release incredible moisture as they bake, making every bite a delight. Choosing perfectly ripe peaches is vital for the best results.

For the Crispy, Spiced Streusel Topping

• Light Brown Sugar: Delivers a nuanced, caramel-like sweetness and helps create the desirable moist, crumbly texture that sets streusel apart.
• Granulated Sugar: Enhances the overall sweetness and contributes to the topping’s delightful slight crispness once baked to perfection.
• Ground Cinnamon: Infuses the streusel with a cozy, aromatic spiced flavor that perfectly harmonizes with the peaches and the bread’s base.
• Unsalted Butter (Melted): Acts as the binding agent for the streusel ingredients, forming those distinct buttery crumbs that crisp up wonderfully in the oven.
• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the necessary structure and body for the crumbly texture of the streusel, ensuring it maintains its form while baking but remains delightfully crumbly when enjoyed.

For the Smooth, Sweet Vanilla Glaze

• Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): Forms the smooth, fine, and sweet base of the glaze. It dissolves easily, creating a velvety, lump-free consistency.
• Heavy Cream: Adds a beautiful richness to the glaze and helps achieve that perfect, pourable consistency for an elegant finish. While milk can be used, heavy cream offers superior flavor and texture.
• Vanilla Extract: Imparts a classic, warm, and inviting vanilla flavor to the glaze, making it an utterly irresistible final touch to your peach bread.

Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Perfect Peach Bread

Follow these detailed, easy-to-understand instructions to create a flawless and incredibly delicious peach bread that will surely impress your family and friends:

• Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Setup. Begin by preheating your oven to a precise 350°F (175°C). Then, prepare a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan by lightly greasing it. For even easier removal and cleanup, consider lining the pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the longer sides to create a convenient ‘sling’. Set this prepared pan aside.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients Thoroughly. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, meticulously whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. This crucial step ensures that all the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the dry mixture, which guarantees a consistent rise and a balanced flavor in every slice of your bread. Once thoroughly mixed, set this bowl aside.

Step 3: Cream the Wet Ingredients for Lightness. In a separate, larger mixing bowl, use either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer to beat the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together. Continue beating until the mixture transforms into a light, fluffy, and noticeably pale consistency, typically taking about 2-3 minutes. This creaming process effectively incorporates air, which is fundamental for achieving a tender and airy quick bread. Subsequently, mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream until they are just combined, being careful not to overmix at this point.

Step 4: Gently Combine Mixtures and Fold in Peaches. Gradually introduce the whisked dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir them together on a low speed or by hand using a spatula until they are *just* combined. It is absolutely crucial to avoid overmixing the batter, as excessive stirring will develop the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in a dense, tough, and chewy bread instead of the desired soft and tender texture. Once the batter is barely combined, gently fold in the diced fresh peaches by hand using your spatula, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the batter without mashing the delicate fruit.

Step 5: Fill the Loaf Pan Evenly. Carefully pour the prepared peach bread batter into your greased or parchment-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan. Use a spatula to gently spread the batter evenly across the pan, ensuring uniform thickness for consistent baking. The pan should be filled approximately halfway to two-thirds full to allow for proper rising.

Step 6: Prepare the Crumbly Streusel Topping. In a separate, small bowl, combine all the ingredients designated for the streusel topping: light brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, melted unsalted butter, and all-purpose flour. Use your fingertips or a fork to thoroughly mix these ingredients until the mixture comes together and forms coarse, moist crumbs. This process should only take a minute or two to achieve the perfect streusel consistency.

Step 7: Top with Streusel and Bake to Perfection. Evenly sprinkle the freshly prepared streusel topping over the peach bread batter in the loaf pan, ensuring the surface is covered completely. Carefully place the loaf pan into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 50-55 minutes. The bread is perfectly done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the very center of the loaf comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter). Remember that baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven, so rely on the visual and toothpick tests for accuracy.

Step 8: Allow for Complete Cooling Before Glazing. Once your peach bread is baked, remove it from the oven and place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool completely. This step is absolutely critical for the glaze application. If you attempt to glaze warm bread, the heat will cause the glaze to melt, run off the sides, and result in a sticky, messy, and uneven topping. Patience here will be rewarded with a beautiful, set glaze.

Step 9: Prepare and Drizzle the Sweet Glaze. While the bread is cooling, you can prepare your irresistible sweet vanilla glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the mixture is perfectly smooth and completely free of any lumps. Once the bread has cooled to room temperature, gently remove it from the loaf pan. Drizzle the delightful glaze generously over the top of the cooled peach bread. Allow the glaze a few minutes to set, then slice, serve, and savor your perfectly baked, moist, and wonderfully flavorful treat!

How to Store Your Delicious Peach Bread to Maintain Freshness

Proper storage is essential to keeping your homemade peach bread tasting fresh, moist, and delicious for as long as possible. Here’s a comprehensive guide to storing your loaf, whether you plan to enjoy it within a few days or save it for a future craving:

• Room Temperature (Short-Term Freshness): For optimal enjoyment within a couple of days, store your peach bread in an airtight container at room temperature. The most crucial step here is to ensure the bread is completely cooled before you store it. If it’s even slightly warm, condensation will form inside the container, which can lead to a soggy texture and encourage mold growth. A bread box is also an excellent option, or simply wrapping the loaf tightly in plastic wrap will suffice. Enjoy within 2 days.
• Refrigerator (Extended Freshness): To extend the shelf life of your peach bread, you can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. As with room temperature storage, make absolutely certain the bread is fully cooled. Wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap, and then add another layer of aluminum foil. This double protection is vital to prevent it from drying out in the cold, dry environment of the refrigerator.
• Freezer (Long-Term Preservation): Our peach bread freezes beautifully, allowing you to enjoy the taste of summer long after peach season has passed. Once the loaf is entirely cooled, wrap it very tightly in at least two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a sturdy layer of aluminum foil. This meticulous wrapping prevents freezer burn and helps maintain its moistness. Place the well-wrapped loaf in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can be confidently frozen for up to 3 months.
• Freezing Individual Slices for Convenience: For the ultimate in convenience, especially for quick, single servings, consider slicing the cooled loaf before freezing. Wrap each individual slice tightly in plastic wrap, then place all the wrapped slices into a larger freezer-safe bag or container. This method makes it incredibly easy to grab just one slice whenever a craving for peach bread strikes.
• Thawing and Reheating for Serving: To enjoy your frozen peach bread, simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or allow it to come to room temperature on your countertop for a few hours. If you prefer a warm slice, which can truly revive that fresh-baked aroma and tenderness, you can briefly reheat individual slices in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for approximately 5-10 minutes, until just warmed through.

Delicious Variations to Elevate Your Peach Bread Experience

While our classic peach bread recipe is undeniably wonderful on its own, it also provides an excellent foundation for culinary creativity. Don’t hesitate to experiment with these exciting variations to customize your loaf and discover new favorite flavor combinations:

• Add Nuts for Enhanced Crunch: For a delightful textural contrast and a rich, nutty flavor, consider folding in approximately ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the batter alongside the diced peaches. Lightly toasting the nuts beforehand can significantly amplify their flavor profile.
• Amplify the Spice Profile: If you enjoy a warmer, more pronounced spice blend, feel free to increase the amount of ground cinnamon in both the bread batter and the streusel topping. You could also introduce a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, ground ginger, or even a tiny dash of fragrant cardamom for a more complex and aromatic flavor experience.
• Explore a Gluten-Free Alternative: For individuals with gluten sensitivities, this recipe can be easily adapted. Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. It’s important to select a blend that contains xanthan gum for optimal texture. The natural moisture and flavor from the peaches will help ensure a delicious result.
• Craft a Dairy-Free Version: To create a delicious dairy-free peach bread, replace the unsalted butter with an equal amount of softened coconut oil or a suitable plant-based butter alternative. For the sour cream, opt for a dairy-free sour cream or a plain dairy-free yogurt (such as coconut or almond yogurt). For the glaze, substitute heavy cream with a dairy-free cream or plant-based milk.
• Try a Heartier Oat Crumble Topping: If you prefer a different kind of topping, swap the classic streusel for a wholesome oat crumble. Prepare this by combining rolled oats, brown sugar, a touch more cinnamon, and melted butter until crumbly. This variation introduces a rustic texture and a delightful oat flavor that pairs wonderfully with the sweet peaches.
• Brighten the Flavor with Citrus Zest: A little citrus zest can work wonders in making the peach flavor truly shine. Mix in 1-2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest or orange zest into the bread batter. The bright, tangy notes of the citrus will beautifully complement the sweet peaches and warm spices, adding an invigorating lift.
• Introduce Dried Fruit Additions: For an extra layer of sweetness, chewiness, and complex flavor, consider gently folding in ¼ to ½ cup of dried cranberries, golden raisins, or finely chopped dried apricots along with the fresh peaches. This offers a lovely contrast in texture and taste.
• Decadent Chocolate Chip Surprise: For a truly indulgent twist, stir in about ½ cup of mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips into the batter. The melting chocolate creates delightful pockets of sweetness that are surprisingly delicious and harmonious with the juicy peaches.

Expert Baking Tips for a Flawless Peach Bread Every Time

Achieving bakery-quality peach bread at home is incredibly rewarding and simple when armed with these expert tips and tricks. Follow these guidelines to ensure your loaf is perfectly moist, tender, and bursting with flavor:

• Always Prioritize Ripe, Fresh Peaches: The quality of your peaches is paramount and directly dictates the flavor and moisture content of your bread. Always select ripe, fresh peaches that emit a sweet, fragrant aroma and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Avoid peaches that are too hard (underripe) or excessively mushy (overripe). Ripe peaches deliver the best natural sweetness and juiciness, which are crucial for the bread’s moistness and vibrant taste.
• Ensure Peaches Are Diced Evenly: Uniformly diced peach pieces, ideally about ½-inch to ¾-inch in size, are important for two primary reasons. Firstly, even sizing ensures that the fruit distributes consistently throughout the batter, guaranteeing a generous amount of peach in every slice. Secondly, uniform pieces bake more consistently, preventing some chunks from remaining raw while others become overcooked and mushy.
• Crucial: Avoid Overmixing the Batter: This is perhaps the single most critical rule for achieving a tender quick bread. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix them only until they are *just* combined. Overmixing vigorously develops the gluten in the flour, which will inevitably lead to a tough, dense, and chewy bread instead of the desired light and soft crumb. It’s perfectly fine, and even preferable, to have a few small lumps remaining in the batter.
• Allow Complete Cooling Before Glazing: Patience is an absolute virtue when it comes to applying the glaze. The bread must be completely cooled to room temperature before any glaze is drizzled. If the bread is even slightly warm, the heat will cause the delicate glaze to melt, run off the sides, and create a sticky, uneven, and aesthetically unappealing mess, rather than a beautifully set and glossy topping.
• Line Your Loaf Pan with Parchment Paper: For effortless removal and to ensure a perfectly shaped loaf, we highly recommend lining your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave a generous overhang on the longer sides; this acts as a convenient ‘sling’ that allows you to easily lift the cooled bread out of the pan without any risk of sticking or breakage.
• Master the Toothpick Test for Doneness: The most reliable method to ascertain if your peach bread is fully baked through is the classic toothpick test. Insert a long wooden skewer or toothpick into the very center of the loaf. If it emerges clean or with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it (importantly, no wet batter), your bread is perfectly ready. If it comes out wet with raw batter, continue baking in 5-minute increments until the test indicates doneness.
• Adjust for Frozen or Canned Peaches: If you opt to use frozen peaches, ensure they are thawed completely first, and then pat them very dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Too much residual water can make your bread dense and soggy. For canned peaches, drain them thoroughly and pat them dry as well. Be aware that you might need to slightly adjust the baking time, as fresh peaches tend to release more moisture during the baking process.
• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best and most consistent results, always ensure that your perishable ingredients such as butter, egg, and sour cream are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together more smoothly, creating a better emulsified batter that effectively traps air. The result is a lighter texture, a more uniform crumb, and a superior overall bread.

More Irresistible Peach Recipes You’ll Love

If you find yourself utterly captivated by the sweet, juicy flavor of peaches, then you’ll definitely want to explore these other fantastic recipes that celebrate this glorious summer fruit:

• Classic Peach Pie Recipe: A truly timeless dessert featuring a perfectly flaky, golden crust encasing a warm, bubbling, and aromatic peach filling.
• Homemade No-Churn Peach Ice Cream: Incredibly refreshing and surprisingly easy to prepare without the need for an ice cream maker, this recipe captures the pure, creamy essence of fresh peaches.
• Simple Peach Crumble Recipe: A rustic yet comforting dessert that combines tender, perfectly baked peaches with a generous, buttery, and irresistibly crispy oat crumble topping.
• Decadent Deep Fried Peach Cobbler: A unique and indulgent take on a Southern classic, offering delightful crispy fried dough pockets generously filled with luscious, sweet peach goodness.

We are absolutely confident that you’re going to fall head over heels for this sweet, incredibly moist, and utterly delicious homemade Peach Bread! We genuinely encourage you to give this wonderful recipe a try today and immerse yourself in the pure joy of summer baking. After you’ve had the pleasure of tasting this delightful treat, please remember to come back and share your invaluable feedback and star rating in the comments section below. Your comments and ratings are incredibly helpful to us and inspire other home bakers to create their own magic in the kitchen. We’d truly love to hear how it turns out for you and become a part of your baking journey!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Peach Bread

• Can I use frozen or canned peaches in this recipe? Yes, absolutely! If using frozen peaches, ensure they are completely thawed and then patted very dry with paper towels to eliminate any excess moisture, which can otherwise make your bread soggy. For canned peaches, drain them thoroughly and pat dry as well. While the flavor might be slightly less intense than fresh, the bread will still be wonderfully delicious.
• Do I need to peel the peaches? It is highly recommended to peel the peaches for a smoother, more pleasant texture in your finished bread. Peach skins can sometimes become tough or chewy after baking, which many people find undesirable. To easily peel peaches, you can blanch them briefly in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath. The skins should then slip off with ease.
• How can I tell if my peaches are perfectly ripe for baking? Perfectly ripe peaches will have a distinctively sweet, fragrant aroma and will yield slightly to gentle pressure when gently squeezed. Avoid peaches that feel too hard (indicating they are underripe) or those that are overly soft and mushy (which means they are overripe).
• Why might my peach bread turn out dense? A dense peach bread is typically a clear sign of overmixing the batter. When you mix flour extensively, you overdevelop the gluten, which leads to a tough, heavy, and less tender bread. To prevent this, mix the wet and dry ingredients only until they are *just* combined. A few small lumps in the batter are perfectly acceptable and often indicate you haven’t overmixed.
• Can I adapt this recipe to make muffins instead? Absolutely! This versatile peach bread batter is perfectly suited for muffins. Simply fill a greased muffin tin about two-thirds full with the batter, sprinkle with the streusel topping, and bake at a slightly higher temperature of 375°F (190°C) for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Adjust the glaze consistency if needed for easy drizzling over the muffins.
• Can I incorporate other fruits into this bread? Yes, feel free to get creative! Blueberries, raspberries, or finely chopped apples would all make wonderful additions or even substitutions for the peaches. If adding other fruits, ensure they are also diced evenly and patted dry if they have a high moisture content.
• What can I use if I don’t have sour cream on hand? If you find yourself without sour cream, you can substitute it with an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk. Both of these alternatives will provide similar acidity and moisture content, contributing effectively to a tender and moist crumb in your bread.