Peach bread is layered with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and then studded with ripe peaches. The bread gets rolled up like a traditional cinnamon swirl bread before being topped with delicious cream cheese glaze. It is the perfect way ode to summer! This is a yeast bread that you can make in the traditional way or using a bread machine to make the dough in minutes!
I grew up next door to a peach orchard / fruit stand. Every year we were allowed all the wind fall peaches we wanted and it was glorious! When a peach falls from the tree it has hit a perfection of ripeness that won’t last even a few days. When you are lucky enough to have perfect peaches you need this bread recipe!
Is it Peach Bread or a Cinnamon Roll?
This peach bread is the peach version”of a cinnamon roll in loaf form. It is rich with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. Best of all? It is chock full of yummy, ripe peaches and slathered with cream cheese glaze.
The basic recipe here is for a sweet cinnamon swirl bread. If you want to sub out the peaches you can use other stone fruits, apples, or even raisins instead. Any fruit that tastes good with cinnamon will taste amazing in a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread.
Using a bread machine to make specialty bread dough
I like to make special breads frequently so I use a bread machine to simplify my prep. Bread machines are not that nice for baking bread but they are amazing at making wonderful dough! It takes about five minutes to put everything into the machine. 90 minutes later the dough is all prepped and ready to go.
Take the dough out of the machine and shape it as you like. I make my amazing cinnamon rolls this way and my cast iron skillet bread.
My favorite moderately priced bread machine is by Oster.
Choosing the Ripest, Juiciest peaches for peach bread
Amazing peach bread hinges on amazing peaches. I find the best peaches are picked fully ripe off a tree and used right away. However, if you can’t get farm peaches try buying any peaches you can find that smell like peaches! Leave them on the counter until they are as sweet and ripe and soft as you can get them. Leaving them in a sunny place on the counter can help if the fruit is too green.
A fully ripe peach is so soft it bruises at the touch, smells strongly like PEACH, and is soft to the touch. Heads up it is bad manners to squeeze fruit you are not going to buy to test for softness – this is extra bad manners at a farm!
Cream cheese glaze – peach bread’s perfect topping
No wonderful sweet bread is complete without an excellent glaze! I’m using a sweet, cream cheese glaze here to compliment the rich flavors of butter, cinnamon and ripe peaches.
Cream cheese glaze should be thick and creamy with plenty of cream cheese flavor. Traditionally it is made with powdered sugar and cream cheese. I use a touch of salt and some vanilla to bring all the flavors together.
If your cream cheese is cold out of the refrigerator warm it for about 30 seconds in the microwave and it will be ready to make delicious dough!
More Easy Peach Recipes
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Fresh Peach Bread (A Quick Bread Recipe)
- Home Canned Spiced Peaches (My Grandma’s Recipe)
- How to Can Peaches For Beginners
Cinnamon Swirl Peach Bread
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 10 oz water
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 2 peaches chopped small to about 2 cups of fruit (or other stone fruit / apples)
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt under 1/8 tsp
Instructions
To Make The Dough In A Bread Machine
- Add the dough ingredients to a bread machine in the order given. Set the machine for the dough setting and let it run.
To Make the Dough Traditionally (Use these instructions if you don't have a bread machine)
- Warm the water and butter until the mixture feels comfortably warm to the touch - 45-60 seconds in the microwave.
- Whisk in the egg, salt, brown sugar and yeast.
- Measure half of the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and stir until combined. Stir in the rest of the flour until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out unto a floured surface and kneed for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a ball and put in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover the dough with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size - about 30 minutes. (I suggest turning the oven on to 350 F for one minute and then TURNING if off before putting the bread dough in it to rise.)
- Proceed to the next stage of making the filling.
To Make The Filling
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Melt the butter and set aside.
- Peel the peaches (or other fruit). Slice the fruit off the pit and mince the slices into small bits the size of large raisins. You should have about two cups of fruit once it is chopped small.
- Flour a surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about 17" by 20". Pour butter in the middle and use a spoon to spread all over. Leave about 1" all the way around the edge clear.
- Using your hands, scatter the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter. Then scatter the chopped fruit over the sugar.
To Assemble The Bread
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil (baked on sugar is a bummer to clean!) - set aside.
- Starting at the wider end of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log. Transfer it gently to the lined jelly roll pan, placing it diagonally on the pan. Tuck the ends under by about an inch to prevent leaking and to even the roll out some. Gently press the roll down so it is flat and wide down the entire length. It should be about 2.5" tall when you are done.
- Turn the oven on to 350 F for one minute and then turn it off. Put the bread loaf in the oven to rise for 25 minutes. Remove and preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until bread is a nice golden brown on top. You will see lots of cinnamon "juice" oozing out while the bread is baking. Don't worry, this is normal. (Once it cools, eat it like peach candy!)
To Make The Glaze
- While the bread cools enough to handle, make the glaze. Unwrap the cream cheese and soften it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high until it is soft. Add powdered sugar and mix again until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and salt, whipping to combine.
- Spread the glaze mixture over the top and serve warm. Leftovers taste best within 24 hours.
Notes
Bread Dough: 90 minutes
Assembly: 15 minutes
Rising Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Nutrition
I read each and every comment and I try to respond to questions asap, so ask away! If you’ve made a recipe, I would love to hear about it! Please come back and share your experience and give the recipe a 5-star rating so other people will know how much you loved it!
This recipe was originally published in August of 2015. It has been updated with new photos and content.
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer
Holy, moly! I am always looking for new bread recipes and this sounds fantastic! And the best part is any fruit will do! Thank you!!!
Mirlandra
Thanks! I love recipes where you can make it different every time.
Susan | LunaCafe
What an interesting approach for a sweet roll. Sounds delicious. 🙂
Mirlandra
Thanks! Gotta shake things up sometimes.
Stanley Williamson
Can I use frozen peaches that have been thawed?
Mirlandra
You can! Or canned ones that are very well drained. My favorite is fresh but… This just isn’t that season so we get by with what we can get! Happy baking 🙂
Sabrina
This sounds really interesting! I’m curious to see how the taste of a cinnamon roll changes when you add peach!
Mirlandra
It is a different animal. I think of it sort of like a cross between peach cobbler and a cinnamon roll.
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist
Wonderful and creative recipe. Looks great, perfect with a cup of joe.
Mirlandra
Thank you!
Carlee @cookingwithcarlee
Yum! We have been having a major peach obsession here these last few weeks. This would be a delicious way to extend that a bit further!
Jennifer Stewart
I could eat this all day long! This is so much better sounding, and LOOKING, than that crappy coffee cake/bread they have in the store! I would have brunch guests every weekend with this beauty!
Mirlandra
Fresh beats the store pretty much every time. I think you would be beating the company off with a stick if this was on the menu!
[email protected]
Oh my heck, this sounds perfect!
Mirlandra
I don’t know that I have achieved perfection yet but maybe about as close as I can? 🙂
The Better Baker
Absolutely mouth-watering!!!!!!!!!! Love this so much. I’ll be right over. =) Thanks for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.
Mirlandra
Thanks! I just cannot resist any sort of peach dish or anything with a homemade bread. I guess I am a lost cause!
The Better Baker
And I’m lost right there with you! 😀
Mirlandra
I think this is why we are friends 🙂
The Better Baker
SMILES! and HUGS! =D
Stanley Williamson
Once the dripping cool I will use it to garnish the top of the peach bread. It’s on its finale proof as I type.
Thanks for the quick response
Mirlandra
You are most welcome! Glad to help 🙂