Peach Crisp

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This peach crisp with a generous oat-pecan streusel is summer comfort food defined.

Partially-served Peach Crisp in a baking dish.

With a generous and crunchy oat-pecan streusel and juicy peach filling, this peach crisp is the ultimate summer comfort food. Bonus: it’s quick and easy to make. The only time-consuming part of the recipe is peeling the peaches. Serve the crisp warm from the oven topped with vanilla ice cream. Leftovers are delicious with your morning coffee the next day, too. For seasonal variations, see my fall apple pecan crisp and spring strawberry rhubarb crisp.

“Fantastic recipe, it tastes like Summer!”

Mike Stamm

What You’ll Need To Make Peach Crisp

Crisp ingredients including oats, butter, and lemon.
  • Peaches: Provide the main flavor and juiciness, offering a sweet and slightly tart taste, perfect for the base of the crisp.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds brightness and acidity, helping to balance the sweetness and prevent the peaches from browning.
  • Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the peaches, enhancing their natural flavors and contributing to the caramelization during baking.
  • Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent, ensuring the filling has a perfect, syrupy consistency without being too runny.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle, rich flavor that deepens the flavor profile of the peaches.
  • Dark Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a rich, caramel-like flavor, creating a deeply flavored, crisp topping. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the topping, providing structure and helping it to crisp up nicely in the oven. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
  • Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Add a chewy texture and a nutty flavor, contributing to the traditional crisp topping.
  • Pecans: Provide a crunchy texture and a rich, nutty flavor, enhancing the overall texture and taste of the topping.
  • Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Add warmth and spice, complementing the sweetness of the peaches and adding depth to the flavor profile.
  • Butter: Binds the topping ingredients together, creating a rich, crumbly texture that melts into the peaches as it bakes.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

Begin by making the peach filling. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt.

Bowl of unmixed peach filling ingredients.

Mix well to coat the peaches evenly, then set aside.

Bowl of peaches mixed with a sugar mixture.

Make the topping by combining the brown sugar, flour, oats, nuts, and spices in a large bowl.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients and nuts.

Mix well, using your hands to rub out the lumps of brown sugar.

Bowl of nut mixture.

Add the soft butter.

Butter in a bowl with a nut and oat mixture.

Mix until the mixture is crumbly (go ahead and use your hands if it’s easier).

Bowl of crumbly nut and butter mixture.

Transfer the peaches to a buttered baking dish and press into an even layer.

Peaches in a buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top.

Baking dish of peaches topped with a nut and oat mixture.

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.

Peach Crisp in a baking dish.

Spoon the crisp into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen peaches for peach crisp?

Sure! Whether you have sliced and frozen peaches from the previous summer, or are using some purchased from the freezer aisle at the supermarket, they’ll work nicely. Just thaw and drain them before incorporating into the recipe. 

Can I substitute another fruit for the peaches?

The answer is…it depends. When making desserts that contain fruit, you can’t automatically substitute one fruit for another because different fruits vary in juiciness and sweetness. These variables can impact the recipe’s texture and amount of sugar needed. If you have a question about substituting another fruit, I’m happy to weigh in! Just email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.

What is a substitute for the pecans in the peach crisp topping?

You can just omit the nuts; the streusel will still be delicious.

Partially-served Peach Crisp in a baking dish.

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Peach Crisp

This peach crisp with a generous oat-pecan streusel is summer comfort food defined.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

For the Filling

  • 3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 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
  • 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

For Serving

  • Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Butter a 2-qt baking dish.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (8 servings)
  • Calories: 439
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 69 g
  • Sugar: 51 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Sodium: 117 mg
  • Cholesterol: 31 mg

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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Comments

  • My husband absolutely loved this recipe. I’ll definitely be making it again.

  • Best ever!!!! So crispy and delicious… I will covet this recipe… it will be one of my secret recipes. We ate it for a week! Fabulous!!!! Yum yum yum

  • It was delicious! White peaches were sweeter but mushier. Yellow peaches came out with the right tartness and firmness. Be careful about leaving it in too long. If you are trying to get it more golden brown, it may overcook your peaches. Great recipe!

  • I would like to make this for someone with a nut allergy. Do I need to substitute for the nuts or are they optional?

    • Hi Laura, It’s completely fine to just omit the nuts. Enjoy!

  • I made this crisp today for the first time. As per recipe, I used a 2 qt. dish. That was too small. Lots of juice ran out. Luckily I had put a lined pan underneath and avoided a really messy oven. I am waiting for it to cool so we can try it. It smells good! What size dish is everyone else using?

    • Hi Erena, You were correct in using a 2-quart dish so it’s strange that it overflowed. Did you, by any chance, increase any of the ingredients?

  • Excellent. We live in peach country, so will make this over and over and intend on freezing some. Thanks for sharing.

  • Excellent recipe! I used both white and yellow peaches for this recipe. For some peaches that were very ripe, I left the skin on and it was a nice color contrast to the ones that were peeled.

    I loved the pecans and the oats–they added a nice texture to the dish!

    I may have used a baking dish that was too large, as the topping did not fully cover the peaches. I would either bake them in a smaller baking dish next time, or make more topping (can’t have too much of it!).

    The dessert was a big hit and everyone loved it!

  • Have tried several peach crisp recipes over the years. This one is by far the best!! The reason? A key ingredient in this recipe is the corn starch; it may seem minor, but it is not! The cornstarch thickens up the sauce surrounding the peaches; whereas, many other recipes I’ve used lacked the thickening and were watery. Crumble is wonderful with lots of brown sugar and lots of pecans.
    A tip: If you don’t want vanilla ice cream, try butter pecan. I did and it worked really well!

  • Hi Jenn!
    Some friends of ours dropped in last Friday, so I needed a dessert quickly and easily to prepare.
    And what shall I say – your Peach Crisp turned out perfect!
    Even my husband loved it, and he’s not really into peaches.
    Btw, I added some extra zing by drizzling some limoncello over the peaches before sprinkling the streusel.
    Thank you so much for your recipes!

  • hi jen it was awsome

    • I found the filling a great consistency but this was waaayyy to sweet for my family’s liking. Like too sweet to finish. I would make this again but at least halve the amount of sugar as a starting point.

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