Peach Crisp

Grab some ripe and juicy summer peaches and make this Peach Crisp recipe ASAP y’all. It’s one of the easiest recipes to make when the season is begging for a peach dessert. You simply top fresh peaches with the buttery-est, crispiest streusel topping ever made! This easy peach crisp will give you all the silky peach flavor and brown sugar oat goodness. Top with some vanilla ice cream and get your whole life.

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I legit can’t even hold in my excitement when peach season rolls around. Like legit! And that’s because I’m throwing ripe peaches into any and every dessert I can manage. Now I know there are a million and one recipes out there for peach crisps, cobblers, crumbles and the like. You might be a little over it. But let me tell you boos, this one is THE one.

My Peach Crisp recipe is so bomb! Warm, sticky, spiced up and beyond buttery, it’s just too good not to try. Plus it’s perfectly easy to throw together when life throws you a few ripe peaches.

What is a Peach Crisp?

A peach crisp is the ultimate classic summer dessert. You take ripe peaches, slice them and spice them then sweeten them up a bit before adding to a baking dish. You top them off with a crispy buttery streusel mixture made with flour, oats and sometimes nuts. It’s popped in the oven and baked until golden brown and all bubbly. The texture contrast is what makes it so dang on good. You are essentially pairing soft peaches with a crunchy topping.

Now folks love to confuse a crumble with a crisp but a crisp has more going on in terms of streusel ingredients. The addition of oats and sometimes nuts makes the difference.

The Lowdown on this Easy Peach Crisp Recipe

• Cuisine Inspiration: American Classic Vibes
• Primary Cooking Method: Baking
• Dietary Info: Vegetarian but can be made Vegan or even Gluten-Free with a few subs
• Key Flavor: Sweet and Juicy Peaches with a Buttery Oat Filled Crunch
• Skill Level: Easy! No Sweat Fam!

Ingredients To Make this Fresh Peach Crisp with Oats

• Ripe peaches – Be sure to buy peaches with orangey-pink skin tones and a slight give when gently squeeze them. They should be aromatic without even having been sliced yet. 
• Granulated Sugar – We gotta enhance that natural sweetness in the peaches so this is the move.
• Cornstarch – This will help thicken up those peach juices so the filling becomes super silky and not watery.
• Vanilla Extract – This adds some depth and warmth to those peaches.
• Kosher Salt – Always add a bit of salt to anything sweet you bake. It helps enhance and balance.
• Light Brown Sugar -This is the sweet and caramel like base of the topping. That molasses gives a lil something something extra that granulated sugar just can’t give.
• All Purpose Flour – This helps bind our crisp topping together giving it the structure it needs.
• Rolled Oats– You can’t have a peach crisp recipe without this rustic crunch giving ingredient. It stays giving nice texture boos.
• Pecans – This enhances our crisp crunch with a little nutty richness.
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg – We gotta warm this baby up! Nothing enhances peach desserts like these aromatic spices.
• Salted Butter – This adds richness and fat. It also ties the crisp topping together. I use salted here to again balance out the sweetness.

How to Make a Peach Crisp

Step 1: Prep the Peach Filling

1. After you preheat the oven, go ahead and get that peach filling going. Toss the peach slices in sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt and make sure the peaches are coated well.
2. Spread those peaches over the bottom of a buttered baking dish and set aside. 

Step 2: Prep the Crisp Topping and Add to Peaches

1. Start by whisking together all the dry ingredients until they’re well-combined, then work in the softened butter and watch that crumble come together.
2. Spread that spiced crisp topping over the top of the peaches and be sure to hit every spot especially the edges.

Step 3: Bake and Serve it up!

1. Bake your crisp for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
2. Cool the crisp for about 15 minutes before you smother it in whipped cream or ice cream and serve. 

How to Serve Southern Peach Crisp with Fresh Peaches

• Warm: It’s best served up warm y’all. Ain’t nothing like it! Serve that baby after it has rested about 15 minutes with some scoops of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and get your whole life!
• Drizzle: A little caramel sauce ain’t never hurt nobody! I’ve even got a vegan caramel version for any dietary restrictions.
• Garnish it Up: You can sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over the top or even add some mint or fresh berries to individual servings to get it all sophisticated when entertaining.

Recipe Substitutions

• Peaches: The best thing about this recipe is you can make it all year round if you want. Grab some frozen peaches if peaches aren’t in season. Just make sure you completely defrost and drain all the liquid. Pat the peaches dry with paper towels to ensure the filling doesn’t get too watery. Canned peaches work the same way boos! Just don’t grab any with heavy syrups or you will definitely need to cut back the sugar.
• Cornstarch: Grab arrowroot powder, tapioca starch or even use sifted flour if no cornstarch is around.
• Pecans: You can totally leave this out (no need for those with nut allergies to not enjoy this!- just replace with more oats) or you can swap them out for other chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds.
• Spices: No cinnamon or nutmeg around? Throw in some apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, allspice or ginger.

Recipe Variations and Additions

• Gluten-Free: Replace the all-purpose flour with 1:1 ratio gluten-free baking flour for all my gluten sensitive boos. And swap out the rolled oats for gluten-free ones.
• Vegan: Swap out the butter for a vegan butter brand.
• Zest it up: Citrus is a great way to brighten up the flavor even more. Add a little lemon or orange zest to the crisp topping mixture.
• Berries: Y’all the combo of peaches and berries is undefeated. Add in some fresh raspberries to the peach mixture for a pop of beautiful bright color and tart flavor.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Peaches: Ripe is key. Grab yellow peaches instead of white since they hold up better when baked.
• Skin on or off? Keeping the skin on or off of the peaches is a preference thing boos but I suggest removing for this peach crisp recipe.
• Peach Slices: Keep the peach slices at least ½ inch thick or more. Otherwise, they’ll break down and get too mushy while baking. And make sure the slices are the same size for consistent even baking.
• Browning Too Fast: If you find that the topping is browning too quickly in the oven, cover the peach crisp with aluminum foil so the topping doesn’t burn. This way the peaches will continue to bake and soften but the topping won’t over-brown.
• Let it Rest: I know it’s tempting to dive right in after your peach crisp comes out of the oven but chill a bit. Relax boos. Let it rest at least 15 minutes to let it set up for easier serving before eating.

How to Store

• Fridge: Make sure you bring leftovers to room temperature before storing. Keep any leftovers in the same pan and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store the covered dish in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It might get a little soggy if it sits for super long, just warning ya!
• Freezer: If you have an entire pan of baked crisp to freeze, cover the entire dish with a double layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. If you just have a few leftovers, transfer to an airtight freezer safe container. Pop in the freezer and it should stay all good for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Thaw it in the fridge overnight and pop in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best Crisps, Crumbles and Cobbler Recipes 

• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Apple Crisp French Toast
• Southern Blackberry Cobbler
• Peach Crumble Bars 
• Peach Cobbler
• Peach Cobbler Cheesecake