Showcasing sweet and juicy peaches bubbling beneath a toasted pecan oat streusel, peach crisp takes less than half the time and effort required for traditional peach pie. Served warm with cold vanilla ice cream, summer dessert doesn’t get much better than this!
This peach crisp combines a mountain of jammy, juicy summer peaches under sweet and crumbly oat streusels. It also requires a mountain of willpower to not eat the entire pan. Trust me, I’ve made this at least 3x each summer since 2015 and there are never any leftovers. It’s the *best* peach dessert. (Sorry, peach pie.)
One reader, Tammy, commented: “This has to be the best peach crisp recipe I have ever made or had. We absolutely loved it. It was simple and I had all the ingredients on hand. Was a great way to use up the rest of our gorgeous, fresh Georgia peaches. This recipe is going in my personal cookbook to make again and again. ★★★★★“
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Peach Crisp
- Showcase Fresh Peaches: This is the perfect recipe for peaches to shine during peak season.
- Easier Than Pie: I absolutely adore peach pie, but there’s no doubt that homemade pie is a labor of love. Sometimes we need a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s easier, but just as seasonal and impressive. In this peach crisp, you’re swapping pie crust for an easy oat pecan streusel topping.
- Wonderful Mix of Textures: Thick, soft, juicy peach filling + crispy, nutty, toasted topping.
- Full of Flavor: While the peaches steal the spotlight, they’re enhanced by a supporting cast of brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, lemon, and vanilla—which work together to deliver a caramelized flavor you will love.
- No Eggs: Another egg-free baking recipe.
- No Waiting: You don’t have to wait for anything to come to room temperature, chill, or cool! This is a crowd-pleasing dessert you can prep, bake, and serve in about an hour.
Fruit crisps, such as this strawberry vanilla crisp and my apple crisp, are the indisputable dessert champions as they only require a baking dish, fruit, and streusel. And they have so much texture in each warm bite. No need to dirty your rolling pin!
Not a fan of an oat topping? You’ll love this fan-favorite peach cobbler instead.
Ingredients to Use & Why
- Fresh Peaches: You need about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of peaches, or about 6 medium-size peaches, cut into slices. Peeling them is optional. See below for information on the best peaches to use.
- Flour: All-purpose is best here. You’ll use flour in both the filling and the topping.
- Sugar: You need granulated sugar for the filling and brown sugar for the topping.
- Salt: For its flavor-enhancing superpowers.
- Lemon Juice: The filling tastes a little flat without it.
- Vanilla Extract: I love using vanilla in this strawberry vanilla crisp, and it’s great in this recipe too.
- Cinnamon: Warm cinnamon spice and peach desserts go hand-in-hand.
- Butter: To prevent it from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. This will give the topping that incredible crumbly texture, when the pieces of cold butter hit the hot oven and melt all over the peach crisp. I take the butter out of the refrigerator, cut it into cubes, and then place the cubed butter in the freezer for about 10–15 minutes before I need it.
- Oats: Whole rolled oats are best in this crisp topping, but quick oats work too.
- Pecans: Chop up some unsalted pecans for the topping. You can leave them out for a nut-free dessert.
- Vanilla Ice Cream (for Serving): Optional, but strongly encouraged! The way the ice cream starts melting when it hits that warm peach crisp is just about the most mouthwatering dessert experience I can think of!
Want to level up your peach crisp? Try my brown butter blueberry peach skillet crisp.
Making Peach Crisp Is as Easy as 1, 2, 3
- Combine filling ingredients, and spread in a lightly greased baking dish. You can use pretty much any 9-inch or 2- to 2.5-quart baking dish, such as a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or a 9-inch square baking pan. This is a smaller size pan than the one needed for this apple crisp.
- Combine topping ingredients. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then use a pastry cutter or forks to work the cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients, breaking it down into pea-sized pieces. The mixture should be crumbly. Stir the oats and chopped pecans into the topping mixture *after* you cut in the butter. You don’t want them to break down too much. This is the same way we make the topping for bourbon cherry crisp. Sprinkle the topping all over the filling. And then…
- BAKE. That’s it! The peaches release their juices, the juices bubble up, the topping becomes crunchy and toasted. And you don’t even have to wait for it to cool down, because you can dig into this peach crisp while it’s warm. YUM!
All the tasty perks of a traditional peach pie in a fraction of the time.
It will seem like a lot of topping, but keep in mind that a lot of it seeps down into that juicy peach layer.
You can use any variety of peaches, yellow or white, but you want slightly firm (not hard) peaches with no bruises or soft spots. Your best bet is to purchase or pick about 10 firm peaches (about 3 pounds), then let them sit in a paper bag for 1–2 days to ripen. Some may have soft spots after this time, so that is why I suggest buying a couple more than you actually need. Eat any overly soft peaches or use them in peach muffins.
This is a great question, and I definitely want to answer it for anyone wondering. Peach crisp and peach cobbler both showcase peaches, but they have different toppings. Peach crisp includes a buttery streusel-like oat crumb topping, while peach cobbler typically has a thicker, more substantial biscuit topping. Both are easier than pie!
Fresh peaches are best for peach crisp, but you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
You can make this peach crisp without oats using most of the same exact ingredients. Use the topping from apple crumble pie. Don’t over-mix—it will become a paste if you over-mix. Use the same oven temperature and bake time as below.
Perfect Peach Crisp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: serves 8-12
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
This buttery peach crisp combines sweet and juicy peaches with brown sugar cinnamon oat streusel. Toasty pecans add a little crunch while vanilla ice cream adds a lovely contrast to the warm peach filling.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 9-inch square pan, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or any 2–2.5-quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Gently mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking dish.
- Make the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the oats and pecans. Sprinkle evenly over filling.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving warm. You can also serve room temperature or cold.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: I do not recommend preparing and refrigerating the crisp, unbaked, because the filling will become extra juicy the longer it sits. You can, however, prepare the topping up to 2 days in advance and cover and refrigerate it until needed. Baked crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable/Fruit Peeler | 9-inch Square Baking Dish, 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet (or similar size) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Update in 2023: After making this peach crisp so often, I made a few slight tweaks to the original 2015 recipe. I reduced the sugar in the filling from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup because it was a little too sweet. I also added some lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
- Baking Pan: Any baking pan that holds about 2–2.5 quarts is best. You could also divide the filling and oat topping up into individual oven-safe ramekins. Bake them on a baking sheet. The bake time and yield depends on their size, but bake until the topping is lightly browned and peach filling bubbles up around the sides.
- Gluten Free: For a gluten-free crisp, use my recipe for gluten-free apple crisp and replace sliced apples with sliced peaches.
- Can I Use Frozen or Canned Peaches? Fresh peaches are best for peach crisp, but you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
