Healthy Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

My neighbor brought these honey peach cream cheese cupcakes to a backyard barbecue last August, and I couldn't stop eating them. She'd made them with peaches from her tree that were getting too ripe to sit on the counter anymore. The honey-sweetened cake with chunks of fresh peach and tangy cream cheese frosting tasted better than anything I'd bought at a bakery. I asked her to show me how to make them, and we spent the next Saturday in her kitchen with her walking me through every step.

I've made these probably twenty times since then, changing little things here and there until they came out exactly how I wanted. liam helped taste-test every batch, which he was very happy to do. His friend Marcus, who usually only eats chocolate cupcakes, ate two of these and asked if we had more. That's when I knew the recipe was done.

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Why You'll Love These Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

I've made these through two summers now, and here's what I've learned. They use fresh peaches when they're cheap and everywhere - farmers market, grocery store, your neighbor's tree. The peaches don't need to look good either. Bruised ones, too-soft ones, the discount bin ones for a dollar a pound - they all work because you're cutting them up anyway. I've stopped buying perfect peaches for baking. Total waste of money. The honey keeps them from drying out like regular Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes do. Normal sugar cupcakes get hard after two days. These stay soft for almost a week in a container. Something about how honey holds onto water - my neighbor explained it but I just know it works.

The cream cheese frosting is less work than buttercream and doesn't need tons of sugar. The cream cheese is already sour, so it balances the sweet without you having to dump in more powdered sugar. liam's friends who pick frosting off Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes actually eat this kind. Doesn't hurt your teeth like most frosting. You can make it the day before and stick it in the fridge, then just stir it before using. Saves time when you're baking for something. These honey peach cream cheese cupcakes work better for summer than pie because nobody wants to turn their oven on for an hour when it's hot out.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love These Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes
• Ingredients For Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes
• Step by Step Method
• Equipment For Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes
• Substitutions
• Tasty Twists on Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes
• Storing Your Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes
• Why This Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes Works
• Top Tip
• My Sister's Secret Worth Sharing
• FAQ
• Time to Bake These Summer Cupcakes!
• Related
• Pairing
• Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients For Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• Honey
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Milk
• Fresh peaches
• Cinnamon

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For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream

Optional Extras:

• Extra peach slices for topping
• More honey for drizzling
• Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

See recipe card for quantities.

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Step by Step Method

Prep Your Stuff First

• Heat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners
• Dice your peaches into small pieces, about half-inch chunks
• Toss the peach pieces with a tablespoon of flour (keeps them from sinking to the bottom)
• Set everything out so it's ready - butter should be soft, eggs at room temperature

Make the Cupcake Batter

• Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl - flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
• In another bigger bowl, beat the soft butter for about a minute until it's smooth
• Add the honey and beat it together for 2-3 minutes until it looks lighter and fluffy
• Crack in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one
• Add vanilla extract and mix it in
• Now alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk - dry, milk, dry, milk, dry (start and end with dry stuff)
• Mix just until you don't see dry flour anymore - don't overmix or they get tough
• Fold in your floured peach pieces gently with a spatula

Bake Them Right

• Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full
• Use an ice cream scoop if you have one - makes them all the same size
• Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs
• Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack
• They need to be completely cool before you frost them or the frosting melts

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and no lumps
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low so you don't make a sugar cloud
• Add vanilla and beat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy
• If it's too thick to spread, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and mix again
• If it's too soft, stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up

Frost and Finish

• Spread frosting on each cooled cupcake with a knife or offset spatula
• Or use a piping bag if you want them to look fancy
• Top with a small slice of fresh peach
• Drizzle a tiny bit of honey over the top if you want
• Sprinkle with cinnamon if you're into that

Equipment For Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

• Standard muffin tin
• Paper cupcake liners
• Two mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Electric hand mixer or whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Cooling rack

Substitutions

I've had to substitute things plenty of times when I didn't have everything or when people asked for different versions. Here's what actually works:

Peach Alternatives:

• Fresh peaches → Frozen peaches (thaw and drain them really well or the batter gets watery)
• Ripe peaches → Canned peaches (drain completely and pat dry with paper towels)
• Peaches → Nectarines work the same way
• Fresh fruit → Peach preserves mixed into the batter (use about half a cup, reduce honey by a quarter)

Honey Swaps:

• Liquid honey → Maple syrup (tastes different but still good)
• Honey → Regular sugar (use same amount, but Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes dry out faster)
• Standard honey → Agave nectar (makes them slightly less sweet)
• Real honey → Don't use artificial honey or corn syrup, it's not the same

Flour Options:

• All-purpose → Whole wheat pastry flour (makes them denser and browner)
• Regular flour → Gluten-free all-purpose blend (add half teaspoon xanthan gum if your blend doesn't have it)
• Standard → Cake flour makes them lighter but more delicate

Dairy Substitutes:

• Whole milk → Almond milk or oat milk (I've used both, they work fine)
• Butter → Coconut oil (melted and cooled, not hot)
• Cream cheese → Dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting (Kite Hill is the only one I've tried that doesn't taste weird)
• Heavy cream → More milk in the frosting if you need to thin it

Sugar Changes:

• Powdered sugar → Blend regular sugar in a blender with a tablespoon of cornstarch
• White sugar → Coconut sugar (frosting will be tan colored instead of white)
• Regular sweetener → Artificial sweeteners don't work well in this recipe, the texture gets weird

Tasty Twists on Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Peaches and Cream Version:

• Add a tablespoon of peach preserves to the frosting
• Swirl it in instead of mixing it completely
• Makes pink and white frosting
• Tastes more peachy

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• Skip the cream cheese frosting
• Brush tops with melted butter while still warm
• Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture
• Easier and less sweet

Blueberry Peach:

• Add half cup of blueberries with the peaches
• Toss them in flour first so they don't bleed purple everywhere
• Pretty colors when you cut into them
• Tastes like summer

Honey Glaze Instead:

• Mix powdered sugar with honey and a little milk
• Drizzle over cupcakes instead of frosting
• Less work, less mess
• Good if you don't like cream cheese

Peach Filling:

• Cut out a small piece from the top of each cupcake
• Fill the hole with peach preserves
• Put the top back on and frost over it
• Surprise peach in the middle

Storing Your Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes

From making these a lot, here's what I've figured out about keeping them fresh without the frosting getting gross or the Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes drying out:

Counter Storage (2 days):

• Keep them in a container with a lid, not covered tight
• The cream cheese frosting is fine at room temperature for a couple days
• Don't stack them or the frosting smooshes
• Keep them away from the window or anywhere hot

Fridge Storage (5 days):

• Put them in a container and stick it in the fridge
• The frosting gets hard when it's cold but softens up after 20 minutes on the counter
• Take out however many you want to eat and let them sit before serving
• Cold cupcakes don't taste as good - you need them room temperature

Freezer Storage (2 months):

• Freeze them without frosting if you can
• Wrap each one in plastic wrap, then put them all in a freezer bag
• Thaw on the counter for an hour before frosting
• If they're already frosted, freeze on a tray first so the frosting hardens, then wrap
• Frosting gets a little weepy after freezing but still tastes fine

Make-Ahead Tips:

• Bake the Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes the night before, leave them on the counter covered with a towel
• Make frosting up to 3 days early, keep it in the fridge, stir it before using
• Don't put the peach slices on top until right before serving - they get brown and soggy
• If you're bringing these somewhere, frost them there instead of transporting frosted cupcakes

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Why This Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes Works

I've made these enough times to figure out what's actually happening. Honey holds onto water and won't let it evaporate - that's why these stay soft for days while regular sugar Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes get hard after two. Honey also tastes different than sugar. It's got a floral thing going on that goes with peaches instead of just being sweet with more sweet piled on top. Fresh peaches leak juice while they bake, and that juice gets into the whole cupcake keeping it from drying out. They've also got pectin in them that holds the crumb together so the Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes don't fall apart in your hand.

The cream cheese frosting isn't just there to look pretty - it balances everything out. These Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes are sweet from honey and peaches. Cream cheese is tangy and sour. You need that or your mouth gets tired of all the sweetness and everything tastes the same. Same reason people put lemon in sweet tea or salt on watermelon. The sour makes the sweet taste stronger instead of just being too much sugar. That's why these honey peach cream cheese cupcakes don't make your teeth ache like most frosted cupcakes. The cream cheese cuts through all that honey and peach so you can taste the different parts instead of just "sweet."

My Sister's Secret Worth Sharing

My sister sells these Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes at her farmers market booth every weekend during peach season. Took me months of asking before she told me why hers stayed good for three days while mine got dry after one. She adds a tablespoon of sour cream to the batter that's not in the recipe she gives customers. Doesn't make them taste sour at all - just keeps them moist without getting heavy. I tested it and she was right. Mine stayed soft for almost four days instead of two. The acid in sour cream also makes them puff up higher and lighter. got this from our aunt who made wedding cakes.

Her other thing is browning half the butter first. She puts half the butter in a pan and cooks it until it smells like nuts and turns brown, lets it cool, then mixes that with regular soft butter. The browned butter gives them a deeper taste that people notice but can't place. I asked why she doesn't tell her customers and she said "if everyone knew, it wouldn't be special." She's probably right, but these changes help too much to not share. Now you know what makes these Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes different from everyone else's.

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FAQ

Time to Bake These Summer Cupcakes!

You've got everything now to make these honey peach cream cheese cupcakes from scratch. All the steps I walked you through - picking ripe peaches instead of hard ones, not overbaking them, adding mashed peach to the frosting like liam stumbled onto - these are what turned my neighbor's recipe into something we've made probably thirty times over two summers. Less work than pie, costs less than bakery cupcakes, and people get happy when you show up with them.

Want more desserts that actually use seasonal fruit instead of just flavoring? Try our Easy Lemon Cream Puffs Recipe - they look fancy but come together fast, and the lemon filling is lighter than regular cream so you don't feel gross after eating two or three. Our Easy Coconut Cloud Cake is that same light fluffy texture but with coconut instead of fruit, good for when you want something tropical but peaches aren't in season. And our Best Mango Key Lime Pie Recipe is what we make when mangos go on sale for cheap - the mango cuts the sour lime taste and makes it more tropical and less face-puckering.

Share your Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes when you make them! I look at what people post because sometimes someone changes something and it works better than mine. That's where half my improvements come from.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rate this Honey Peach Cream Cheese Cupcakes and comment if you found a shortcut or tried something different that worked.

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Pairing

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