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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This was a delicious recipe! I made a few changes based on the comments and what I had. I halved the sugar in the filling, and I used coconut sugar in the topping, but 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup. It was perfect! The peaches I had were on the edge and a bit mealy from being refrigerated for a while, this was a great use for them!
Your strawberry-rhubarb recipe is my go to recipe. I made the Peach Crisp with fresh Colorado Palisade peaches, ripe and juicy. Followed the recipe and I ended up with a juicy peach “soup” with the crisp not crunchy or crisp at all. Taste is wonderful, almost like a topping for a sundae. I didn’t read the reviews first, as I commented your strawberry-rhubarb recipe is the one I use so I had no doubts. Now reading the other reviews I found the common denominator it seems if you have ripe, juicy peaches and not the “firm, ripe” peaches so often found, the recipe comes out soupy. Thoughts?
Hi Cary, Sorry to hear you had a problem with this. I see, based on your next comment, that you have figured out the solution to very juicy peaches. Yes, I may add a note to the recipe about that. Regardless, sorry to hear it was disappointing!
Hi. I’ve made this several times and loved it. Now I need to make it again for a Saturday dinner. How far ahead can I make it and put in the refrigerator before that day?
Glad you like it! I’d say you could make this a day or 2 ahead. Before serving it, I’d let it sit out on the counter to come to room temperature and then pop it in the oven for a few minutes to heat it through and crisp up the top. You could also prep/assemble it a day ahead and bake before serving.
Can it be made at least 3 days ahead or am I pushing my luck?
I think you’re pushing your luck — I’d stick with 1 day ahead — sorry!
For the baking dish, do you recommend a square 8×8 OR 9×13 size? I didn’tknow if 9×13 was too large for this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Julie, I’d use an 8 x 8-inch dish. Hope you enjoy!
I made half the recipe and divided peaches and topping into 4 individual pie pans! Worked great! I did mix peaches with other ingredients then immediately placed in pie pans with a slotted spoon.
My husband is diabetic so I used Sukrin gold for brown sugar, monk fruit sugar for white, and for the whipped cream sweetened with Sukrin icing powder.
Delicious! Halved the recipe because I didn’t have enough ripe peaches and there are just 2 of us. Made it as written except for leaving the peach skins on. Fantastic!
Outstanding for its ease and flavour. I always make a well-reviewed recipe as written and then modify it to personal taste. Didn’t have nuts one day – still great. Half the amount of white sugar in the filling – still great. A dollop of cream fresh or equivalent (high-fat yoghurt) instead of ice cream: a nice twang – great.
Thank you!
This was Beautiful and delicious! Followed the recipe as is- the only change I did was add some blueberries. Big hit!! It was a bit soupy but I think once it gets refrigerated it will congeal- Will make it over and over again! Thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone
Should I add more oats if I want to omit the pecans due to a nut allergy?
Hi Lenny, you really don’t need to. Hope you enjoy!
This was delicious! Like Cary in her review, I also used ripe Colorado Palisade peaches and it came out very runny, but still so yummy! Next time I may increase the amount of cornstarch to see if that will thicken it a bit more. We all love it, though – just need to serve it in a bowl! Thank you for the recipe!
It turned perfect! We all loved it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Just made this. It is outstanding! Recipe was very easy to follow. I just had a taste and can’t wait for later! Thank you so much!
One of the best recipes I have ever made. Picked the peaches off my tree and now I am obsessed! I am planning on using this recipe for fresh cherries…
Any suggestions on different fruit and how the recipe would change?
Also can this be frozen for down the road and recommendation on defrost and reheating?
I’m a fan.
Hi Linda, Glad you liked it! You can try with different fruits (including cherries); just keep in mind that all fruits have a different level of sweetness and exude more or less juice so you may need to play around with both the sugar and cornstarch amounts.
And, I haven’t frozen it but I think you could. I’d thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat it to warm the filling and crisp up the topping again. Please LMK how it turns out if you freeze it!