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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Couldn’t find fresh peaches at the store this time of the year. So used 3 15.5 oz cans of peaches. Drained and rinsed with water. Then went ahead with the recipe. Reduced the sugar in the crisp to 1/2 c. My family loved it but said could reduce the sugar some more. So next time will reduce the sugar in the filling to 1/3 c, and add 1 c of pecans. Planning to make it for Thanksgiving.
Can you substitute nectarines for the peaches? What about leaving the skins on…??
Hi Amy, it’s fine to use nectarines. You can leave the skin on if you don’t mind the texture of that once it’s baked. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious dessert–and easy to put together!
We LOVE the topping and usually make a little extra.
If your peaches are not ripe (hard as rocks) place them in a brown paper bag with a banana to expedite ripening–might take a few days or more. Once ripe, but firm, refrigerate until ready to use.
Thank you Jenn, for another yummy recipe.
What can i use in place of the nuts ? Help!! I want to make this in 2 days, for Labor Day weekend. Thank you Jenn
Hi JC, I am obviously weighing too late – sorry! I’m not sure how you handled it, but it’s fine to just omit the nuts from the topping.
Sorry! My previous comment/question re peach crisp was completely written wrong! I meant to say, I want to replace large oatmeal with regular oatmeal and would this make a difference in the other ingredient measurements.
Sorry again for making your job more difficult.
Tannis Stewart
Hi Tannis, no worries! Are you referring to quick oats? If so, they should work without any other modifications. Enjoy!
My search for the perfect Peach Crisp is over – this is it. Absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. The only substitution I made was using sliced almonds instead of pecans. Can’t wait to make this again.
Delicious! Would almond flour work as a substitute to make the crisp gluten free? Thanks so much!
Hi Sarah, Glad you like it! I’ve never worked with almond flour — it may work, but I can’t say for sure. You can definitely use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Hi Jenn, I would like to make this with dairy free butter for someone with a dairy allergy. As I cannot find unsalted dairy free butter should I just omit the salt called for in the recipe ?
Yep (but I’d keep the 1/8 teaspoon salt for the filling). Enjoy!
I grind up the gluten free oats for the flour. I also use butter flavored Crisco.
Way too sweet. Use less sugar!
What size baking dish do you use?
YOu’ll need an 8×8 or 11×7-inch baking dish. Enjoy!
Dear Jen, I am a huge fan of your rhubard strawberry crisp – a big hit in our house.
I could make this crumble with apricots, right?
Glad you like the strawberry/rhubarb crisp! Yes, I think this would work with apricots. Enjoy!
Question, in making peach crisp do you thaw fresh frozen peaches or use frozen?
Hi Alice, I’d thaw them first and drain off any liquid. Enjoy!
Thank you