Delicious, breakfast muffins made with Summer-y nectarines, and buttery oat crisp topping! Vegan, soy-free

Peaches get a lot of love during the summer season, but nectarines are just so dang good! I’ve been working on this recipe since last year, and I’ve finally perfected it (in my opinion). I first made it while visiting my parents in Michigan; I had bought a bunch of produce at the beginning of my trip and by the end of it there were a few stragglers that I knew would go bad if I didn’t use it up. I thought to make muffins for my parents so that they would last a bit longer! (plus, you can freeze any extras)

I just watched a reel on the differences between nectarines and peaches by Nik Sharma and it turns out there aren’t many! Obviously, they’re fuzz-free, but chemically they are nearly identical. I honestly had no idea, did you? According to his comments, it’s more the growing environment and several other factors that impact the flavor profile. Fascinating!

Substitutions + Tips:

• Chia seeds – this is to make a gel or “egg” for binding. You can also use the same amount of ground flaxseed in its place.
• Nectarines – I use both mashed and diced nectarines to impart more flavor without having to cook down a syrup. I prefer to peel the fruit because it makes it easier to mash, and bakes more evenly.
• Light brown sugar – originally, I had used cane sugar in my first version of these and felt that a lil’ more oomph was needed but not crossing the line into fall-type richness with dark brown sugar. If you don’t have light brown sugar, use half cane sugar and half dark brown sugar. Coconut sugar will also work, but it won’t be as sweet.
• Vegan butter – I like the texture and flavor this provides in contrast to the sweet and slightly tart nectarines. Neutral flavored oil will also work here. The vegan butter I use is not unsalted so I don’t add much extra salt to this recipe.
• Whole wheat flour – muffins typically have a denser crumb than cupcakes so that’s why I use whole wheat flour and not whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose. I’ve not tried these gluten-free, so cannot say how successful that may or may not be.
• Pecans/Walnuts – if you have a nut-allergy you can omit these or use pumpkin seeds instead.
• Rolled oats – I love this for the crisp-style topping instead of a coffee cake-style crumb. It provides a bit of added texture to the muffin top. I would not suggest using quick-cooking oats for this because they may not be as crispy.

Other recipes you may love!

• One-Bowl Sourdough Banana Muffins
• Pumpkin Banana Nut Muffins with Chocolate Chips
• Nectarine Oatmeal Topped with Caramelized Cinnamon Nectarines
• Summery Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette
• Peach Cherry Cobbler