My easy, homemade Peach Bread is an old-fashioned, quick bread recipe with chunks of fresh, juicy peaches and buttery roasted pecans. This simple-to-make, Southern-style bread stays moist for days and is packed with sweet peachy goodness!
A surprise ingredient, sour cream, keeps this easy peach bread moist, and it’s delicious right out of the oven or toasted for breakfast, brunch, or even a snack.
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Why I love this recipe, and you will too!
- Like my Sour Cream Apple Bread and Sweet Potato Bread, this peach quick bread recipe doesn’t require any yeast.
- Although made from scratch, it is quick and easy to make and only takes one bowl.
- You don’t even have to pull out your electric mixer because everything can be mixed by hand.
Ingredients notes
- Fresh peaches – are the star of peach bread recipe. Elberta freestone peaches from South Georgia are my favorite, but you can use whatever type you can find in your area.
- Granulated sugar – although this is called bread, sugar gives it a sweet taste, and I think it is closer to a coffee cake consistency.
- All-purpose flour – is the base of most bread recipes and provides structure.
- Vegetable oil – helps to keep this bread moist. I always use peanut oil, but any neutral-flavored vegetable oil will work.
- Eggs – combine with the flour to provide structure and hold everything together.
- Sour cream – provides a slight tang and helps keep the bread moist.
- Vanilla extract – enhances all of the other flavors and is an essential ingredient.
- Baking soda – with its leavening properties, provides lift and helps this bread rise.
- Kosher salt – enhances the flavor of the bread and balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Pecans – add crunch and their familiar buttery flavor.
You will also need a non-stick baking spray with flour, a 9×5-inch loaf pan, and a wire cooling rack. The recipe card below provides complete measurements.
How to make this peach bread recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Peel and finely chop the peaches. I like to use a potato masher to mash them up a bit too. However, don’t mash too much because you still want the mixture to be chunky.
- Use a non-stick baking spray with flour to grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- Add the sugar and oil to a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, chopped peaches, and vanilla, and mix well. Next, add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix well. Finally, add the pecans and mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan. Start checking when you begin to smell your bread. Try 5 minutes before you think it will be done. If not, check again in 5-10 minutes, depending on how underdone it is.
- A wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean with no streaks of batter when done.
- Let the peach bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire baking rack. Then turn the bread out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve your delicious peach bread!
Serving suggestions
We love this delicious peach bread sliced for breakfast, it’s perfect for a brunch, or it’s a great afternoon snack. I’ve even served it with dinner on several occasions.
You can also toast the slices and spread a bit of butter for a simple breakfast, or you can serve the slices with a bit of cream cheese and a dollop of peach jam.
How to store leftovers
Let the peach bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the wrapped bread in a large freezer-friendly, airtight plastic storage bag and leave it at room temperature for up to three days, five days in the fridge, or freeze it for up to three months.
If frozen, thaw before serving on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
How to peel peaches
If your peaches are firm, it’s easy to peel them with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler or a small paring knife. However, if they are soft, the easiest way to peel them is to blanch them in boiling water first. Here are the steps, and I have also covered this in my video.
1. To blanch them, place a large pot with enough water to cover the peaches on the stove over high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each peach.
3. When the water is boiling, gently drop the peaches in and let them boil for 20-30 seconds or until their skin starts to split.
4. Immediately remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of water and ice. You should then be able to easily slip the skin off with your fingers.
How to choose ripe peaches
There are three ways to tell if a peach is ripe:
1. Smell – as peaches ripen, their aroma becomes more potent, and a ripe peach will have a heavenly scent. No smell means they are not ripe and will be tasteless.
2. Feel – ripe peaches should feel heavy for their size. You should be able to feel them give just a little when you gently squeeze them, but not so much that they feel mushy. If the fruit is firm, it probably needs a day to ripen. Avoid fruit that is rock hard.
3. Color – a ripe peach is a beautiful thing with a lovely vibrant reddish blush and soft velvety skin. Avoid peaches that are green around the stem; they were probably picked too soon and will never ripen properly.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe calls for ripe or slightly overripe peaches. If they ripen before you are ready to use them, you can store the fruit in the fridge for a few days.
Remember, peaches are highly perishable, so handle them carefully and plan to use them within a day or so of purchasing. If they are bruised, you can still salvage part of them and cut away the damaged part.
If your peaches aren’t quite ripe enough, let them sit at room temperature, on their side, not touching, in a single layer, on your counter for a day or so.
You can also hurry the ripening process by placing them in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple for a day or so.
As the names suggest, the difference between freestone peaches and clingstone is how easy it is to separate the flesh from the pit. When you slice a freestone peach, the flesh easily pulls away from the pit. On the other hand, you have to cut the flesh away from the pit with a clingstone.
Sharon’s tips
- Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil if your bread is browning too quickly before it is cooked in the middle. Then allow it to cook the rest of the way.
- Non-stick baking spray is different from a non-stick cooking spray like Pam. Baking spray is made to grease pans used in baking bread and cakes and includes flour.
- If you don’t have a non-stick baking spray with flour, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter, then sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour on top of the butter. Tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute the flour and cover the butter in a thin layer. Pour out any excess flour.
- This peach bread recipe works best with fresh peaches. But, if you are in a pinch, you can substitute thawed frozen peaches or canned peaches that have been drained.
More quick bread recipes
Easy Southern Fresh Peach Bread is just one example of a quick bread made without yeast. If you love peaches as we do, you might also like these recipes: Southern Peaches and Cream Pie, Grilled Chicken with Peach Glaze, Peach Salsa, Southern Peach Cobbler, Fresh Peach Pie Recipe, and Fruit Salad Cocktail.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon.
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Peach Bread Recipe with Fresh Peaches
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely diced peaches, peeled and mashed, approximately 2 large or 3 medium
- ½ cup of vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup roasted pecans chopped, you can add a few more if you love pecans
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the peaches. I also like to use a potato masher to mash them up a bit too. Don't mash too much because you still want the mixture to be chunky.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use a non-stick baking spray with flour to grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Add the sugar and oil to a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, chopped peaches, and vanilla, mix well. Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix well. Add the pecans and mix until just combined. Don't over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan. Start checking when you begin to smell your bread. Try 5 minutes before you think it will be done. If it's not, check again in 5-10 minutes, depending on how underdone it is.
- A wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean with no streaks of batter.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire baking rack. Then turn the bread out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Melanie
Substituted brown sugar for the granulated and walnuts for the Pecan (because I was out of pecans). I also, forgot to mash the peaches. However, they were very soft as they had been prepared several days earlier.
Margaret
Could you make this with Blueberries also??
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Margaret,
I’ve never used this recipe for blueberries before, and peaches have much more moisture, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it goes.
All the best,
Sharon
Barbara
also forgot to mention, I am diabetic and use Splenda instead of sugar. I have used this in all the banana bread I make. I can’t tell the difference between the two.
Janis
Love the bread. Easy to make and tasty. Great instructions!! I kinda of liked that spices weren’t used. I add a lot of cinnamon to most breads but found that the natural flavor of the peaches really stood out. I am sure it is delicious either way.
Linda Frank
Delicious and easy. I used walnuts since that’s what I had. Thank you.
Coleen Balch
New to Texas from New York and trying to develop a “Southern” kitchen and recipe list. It’s peach season so I was glad to find this and made it today. Loved it!! Will be trying more southern recipes from Grits and Pinecones. Thank you!
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Coleen, thank you so much for your sweet note. Welcome to the South! We are so glad you are here, and I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes!
All the best,
Sharon
Carolyn Haley
Saw this for the first time and it sounds delicious. Will make it as soon as our fresh peaches come in. We’re hoping to make a trip to Fairhope soon, hoping we can get some of those wonderful Chilton County peaches if we time our trip correctly.
Carolyn
Beka
Had some leftover fresh peaches and was looking for a way to use them up. I came across this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it! The peach bread turned out delicious! Thanks for a great recipe, I love it!!
Amanda
Can I leave out the nuts or do I have to add something in to replace them?
Sharon Rigsby
You can leave them out. I hope you enjoy it!
Michelle
This bread is amazing!! I read the comments and used half brown sugar and half white. I used coconut oil. I did not mash my peaches (just choked them small). Going to make another loaf today. It is that good!!! Thanks for this recipe.
Michelle
Wow was this a great recipe. Tweaked it slightly- omitted the nuts and did half brown sugar half white sugar. The bread tasted and smelled like cake, it’s that good. We devoured it before I took a picture but I’m making it again tomorrow!
Kelly K.
Move over banana bread! This bread turned out DELICIOUS and so easy. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable and I used butter to grease my pan. I also used a few more peaches than the recipe called for. This bread stayed moist until it was gone. Thank for you this wonderful recipe.
Chris Parker
Made this, but tweaked it a little. Omitted the nuts but added dried cranberries, cinnamon and a couple more tablespoons of sugar. Everyone loved it and wants more!!!
Barbara
I haven’t made this yet but it sounds really good. I Love nuts and for myself, 1/2 cup of nuts is never enough. I always use a full cup of chopped nuts.
Bonnie Macias
I made it today it is amazing Thank you
C an I use Zucchini Thank you
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Bonnie,
Yes, on zucchini, just make sure to pat it dry after shredding it. I have also made it with mashed cooked sweet potatoes and that is good too!
I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon
P. Kline
Can I use mangos?
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Paula, I have never tried this recipe with mangos, so I can’t say for sure, but it does sound like it would be really good if it works! Let me know if you try it!
All the best,
Sharon
Bonnie Macias
Can I use Zucchini
Nicole S.
I have made this numerous times. It is fabulous!! I now use this as my banana bread recipe as well, and just switch out the peaches for pureed bananas! I also butter/sugar my pan instead of flour and it is to die for. This recipe is the best bread recipe I have ever tried. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Nicole, thank you so much for your sweet comment and thank you too for taking the time to write it. It made my day. I am so glad you like this recipe.
All the best,
Sharon
ally
i made this yesterday and it was pretty good, i used walnuts instead of pecans and yogurt instead of sour cream. I added 2 cups instead of 1 cup of peavhes and the bread turned out really wet, will be sticking to 1 cup next time!
Judy Mahan
Absolutely wonderful with fresh peaches. I bet it would be delicious with Mangoes too. Have to avoid nuts due to allergies. Next time maybe I’ll add raisins.
Lorraine
Just made it baking now , I can’t wait to try this ! Will let you know !