Peach Crisp
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Sweet, juicy peaches bubble beneath a buttery oat-pecan topping in this easy peach crisp recipe—the perfect summer dessert.
When peaches are at their peak, this peach crisp is one of my favorite desserts to make. It has all the appeal of peach pie, but it’s so much easier—no rolling or chilling pie dough required. Sweet, juicy peaches bubble beneath a buttery oat-pecan topping that’s crisp, crunchy, and the perfect contrast to the tender peaches underneath. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It doesn’t get much better than that.
“My search for the perfect peach crisp is over – this is it.”
Looking for more ways to use fresh peaches? Try my peach galette for an easy rustic tart, peach cobbler for a classic biscuit-topped dessert, or peach blackberry buckle for a delicious twist on peach cake.
What You’ll Need To Make Peach Crisp
- Peaches: Fresh, ripe (but not overly soft) yellow peaches are best for baking—they’ll become sweet and juicy while still holding their shape. Peel them first for the best texture. Frozen peaches work well, too. Thaw them completely, drain off any excess liquid, and pat them dry before using.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the peaches and helps draw out their natural juices as they bake.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the peach juices so the filling is luscious rather than watery.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness of the peaches.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the fruit.
- All-Purpose Flour: Helps bind the topping into buttery crumbles that bake up crisp and golden.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Give the topping its hearty texture and signature crunch. Don’t substitute quick oats, which won’t provide the same texture.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and subtle caramel flavor to the topping. Always pack brown sugar into the measuring cup when measuring.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm spice that pairs beautifully with peaches.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Unsalted Butter: Brings the topping together and helps it bake up crisp, golden, and buttery.
- Pecans: Add rich, nutty flavor and extra crunch to the topping. If you have a nut allergy or simply prefer a classic oat topping, feel free to leave them out.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prepare the peach filling: Toss the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Make the crisp topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pecans. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse, uneven crumbs. Some larger clumps are exactly what you want—they’ll bake into crisp, buttery clusters.
Assemble: Transfer the peaches to a buttered baking dish, spreading them evenly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches, covering the fruit from edge to edge. There’s no need to press it down; keeping the topping loose helps it bake up crisp and crunchy.
Bake and cool: Bake until the topping is deeply golden and the peach juices are bubbling thickly around the edges of the dish. Those bubbling juices are the best indicator that the filling has thickened and the crisp is ready. Let the crisp cool for about 15 minutes before serving. This gives the filling time to set slightly so it isn’t too runny. Serve warm, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you enjoy this peach crisp, be sure to try my plum crisp in late summer, apple crisp in the fall and strawberry rhubarb crisp in the spring—they’re made with the same kind of easy, buttery crisp topping that’s always a hit.
More Summer Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
Peach Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 3 lb peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into ¼-in (6-mm) slices
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Topping
- ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅔ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
For Serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Butter a 2-qt (2L) baking dish.
- Make the peach filling: In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Mix well to coat the peaches evenly.
- Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, using your fingers to rub out any lumps of brown sugar. Add the soft butter and mix with a spoon until the mixture is crumbly (go ahead and use your hands if it's easier).
- Transfer the peaches to the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top. Bake the crisp for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven, and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Had to make this right away and it turned out great! Thanks for such a simple and delicious recipe!
This looks delicious and I love peaches! I’m definitely going to make it. It is mango season in Florida right now. Would mangoes work in this recipe? Would I need to adjust anything?
Hi Jan, I think this would work with mangoes as long as they’re not overly ripe. Also, without having tested it myself, I’m not sure if you’ll need to tweak the amount of sugar. Please LMK how it comes out if you try it!
Can this be done with frozen peaches? If so, should they be defrosted first?
Sure, frozen peaches are fine. Just thaw them first and drain off any juice. Enjoy!
I did increase cornstarch to 4 T as suggested by other reviews. My topping was soggy and would not crisp up, even with additional baking time. Any suggestions for the future. The flavor was good. N
Hi Ann, so sorry you had a problem with the texture of the topping! My guess is the peaches released a lot of juice or the filling needed a bit more time to bubble and thicken. Next time, I’d make sure the filling is bubbling well before taking it out of the oven, and if the topping is browning too quickly, just loosely tent it with foil so it can continue baking.
You did it again, another great recipe from OUAC! I took the crisp to a friend’s house for dessert, everyone loved it. I added blackberries since we had picked some. No other changes to the recipe. My question is how do you suggest freezing the fruit for a crisp for a Thanksgiving dessert. Should I add the lemon, sugar etc, or just freeze them plain?
Jenn, you are my “ go to.” When I’m looking for recipes, never had a bad one! All 5 star. Thank you.
So glad it was a hit! In terms of freezing, I think you could do either – freezing the peaches on their own, or mixed with the other filling ingredients.
Good recipe, but I’d make some adjustments next time, since the crisp was very liquidy. As others suggested, I’d add another 2 Tbs. of cornstarch (or arrowroot) to the base. I only used 1/2 cup brown sugar for the topping, since there’s enough sugar in the filling (I’d reduce the sugar in the base as well next time). Definitely tasty – we’ll have to freeze half, since there’s only two of us, and it’s a tempting treat!
What size is the pan you used? Thank you!
Hi Joan, you’ll need a 2 quart pan (a square 8 x 8-in or oblong 11 x 7-inch). Enjoy!