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This peach crisp recipe turns juicy summer peaches and a buttery oatmeal-cookie topping into the kind of dessert that makes peach cobbler jealous.
Oh my goodness, Carrian, you’ve done it again! Another one of your recipes going in my “throw all other recipes away” file. Absolutely perfect!
And the best part? It only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on prep. The peaches bake down until sweet, juicy and bubbling while that brown sugar oat topping becomes golden and crisp. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm and you have one of our all-time favorite summer desserts.
Why You’ll Love This Peach Crisp Recipe
- 10 minutes of prep: This is the summer dessert to make when you want maximum payoff without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.
- That oatmeal-cookie topping: Brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter bake into a golden, crisp topping that might just be our favorite part.
- No fussy pie crust: You get warm, bubbling peaches and buttery crunch without rolling, chilling or crimping anything.
- Fresh, frozen or canned peaches work: Fresh peaches are our first choice, but we’ve included options for making peach crisp when peaches aren’t in season.
- Made for vanilla ice cream: Serve the crisp warm so the ice cream starts melting down into all those juicy peaches. Heaven.
Peach Crisp Ingredients
This fresh peach crisp has two main components: the gooey fruit filling and the oat topping. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
Peach Filling
- Fresh Peaches: The star of the show! Ripe, juicy peaches give the filling the best flavor and texture. Freestone peaches are especially easy to prep for baking.
- Butter: Adds richness to the peaches as they bake and helps create that irresistible gooey filling.
- Cinnamon: A little warm spice brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of the peaches.
- Brown Sugar: Sweetens the peaches while adding a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the peach juices as the crisp bakes so the filling is saucy and gooey instead of watery.
Oat Topping
- Old-Fashioned Oats: The key to that chewy, crisp texture! Old-fashioned or rolled oats work best for the topping.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the topping bake up golden with a rich caramel flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the topping structure and helps create those buttery, crumbly clusters.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth to the oat topping and pairs perfectly with the peaches.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and makes all the buttery, brown sugar flavors pop.
- Butter: Use cold butter so it can be cut into the dry ingredients, creating a rich, crumbly topping that crisps beautifully in the oven.
What Are the Best Peaches for Peach Crisp?
Freestone peaches are our favorite for baking because the pit separates easily from the flesh. Yellow or white freestone peaches will both work, but look for ripe peaches that are sweet and fragrant while still firm enough to slice.
Can I Use Frozen or Canned Peaches for Peach Crisp?
Yes! Fresh peaches are our first choice, but frozen or canned peaches work when peaches aren’t in season.
Frozen peaches: Bake them from frozen and add about 5-10 minutes to the baking time, or thaw and drain them first and use the regular baking time.
Canned peaches: Drain them thoroughly before using. If they’re packed in syrup, you may also want to reduce the sugar in the filling.
How to Make Peach Crisp
Peach crisp is surprisingly simple to make—prep the peaches, mix up the buttery oat topping and let the oven do the rest!
- Make the peach filling. Gently toss the sliced peaches with the filling ingredients.
- Add to the baking dish. Spread the peaches evenly in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make the oat topping. Combine the dry topping ingredients, then cut in the cold butter until crumbly.
- Top the peaches. Sprinkle the crisp mixture evenly over the fruit.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve warm. Let it cool slightly, then add vanilla ice cream.
Tips for the Best Peach Crisp
Use ripe but firm peaches. Look for peaches that smell sweet and give slightly when gently pressed. Super soft, overripe peaches can release too much juice and become mushy as they bake.
Stick with old-fashioned oats. Rolled or old-fashioned oats give the topping the best chewy-crisp texture. Quick oats are softer and won’t give you quite the same hearty crunch.
Keep the butter cold. Cold butter helps create those buttery, crumbly clusters in the oat topping. Cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly, then use your hands to bring some of it together into larger chunks.
Adjust the sugar to your peaches. Taste your peaches before adding the sugar. If they’re extra ripe and sweet, you may not need the full 1/4 cup called for in the filling.
Bake until the filling is bubbling. A golden topping is important, but look at the peaches too. The filling should be hot and bubbling around the edges, which helps the cornstarch fully thicken the peach juices.
Let it rest before serving. We know it’s hard to wait, but giving the peach crisp a few minutes to cool allows those bubbling juices to thicken into a gooey filling. Then bring on the vanilla ice cream!
Want to switch things up? Try our Smoked Peach Crisp! The smoker adds a subtle smoky flavor that is crazy delicious with sweet summer peaches and that buttery oat topping.
How to Store and Reheat Peach Crisp
Store: Peach crisp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Freeze: Peach crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then wrap in plastic followed by aluminum foil. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: To reheat, place leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. That will keep the top nice and crispy. If you don’t care about the top being crispy, you can always zap a serving in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Peach Crisp FAQs
No. Peach skins soften as they bake, so peeling is optional. Peel them if you prefer a smoother filling. Head to our brown sugar peach pie bars for full details on how to peel peaches.
We haven’t tested this peach crisp with gluten-free flour, so we can’t recommend a specific substitute. If you try one, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Very ripe or frozen peaches can release a lot of liquid. Using the correct amount of cornstarch and allowing the crisp to cool briefly after baking helps the filling thicken.
A peach crisp uses a crumbly topping that typically contains oats, while peach cobbler is topped with biscuit dough, batter or another dough-like topping.
When peach season hits, this is the dessert we come back to again and again. The peaches turn sweet and jammy in the oven while that buttery brown sugar oat topping gets golden and crisp around the edges. Serve your peach crisp warm with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream and good luck stopping at one helping.
More Peach Desserts:
- Peach Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
- Fresh Peach Pie
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Peaches and Cream Crumble Bars
- Peach Oatmeal Bars
- Sour Cream Peach Pie
Peach Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 6-8 Peaches, peeled and sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
For the Topping:
- 1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Pinch Salt
- ¾ Cup Butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients, folding gently with a spatula to combine.6-8 Peaches, 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- Place fruit mixture in bottom of a greased dutch oven or 9×13-inch pan.
- In a separate bowl, add the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats, ¾ Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 Pinch Salt
- Add the butter and using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter. At the end, use your hands to combine everything into a thick paste.¾ Cup Butter
- Spread topping mixture over fruit.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until done. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and serve with ice cream!
Recipe Notes
- To peel peaches, start with perfectly ripe peaches. If they are under ripe at all, the only way to peel them is by poaching them in hot water and cooling in cold water. Then use a paring knife to peel the skin off of the fruit. If the fruit is ripe, gently peel the skin off of the fruit with a paring knife by starting to cut and then as the skin loosens, grab it with your thumb against the knife and gently peel.
- The top should be crisp like a cookie when it is done. If it is still soft. you need to keep baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my goodness, Carrian, you’ve done it again! Another one of your recipes going in my “throw all other recipes away” file. Absolutely perfect! (I cut my peaches in 1″ chunks, and used salted butter – only changes I made.)
You’ve made my day Laura!! Thank you so much!
Can this be made using frozen peaches? At the end of last year’s peach season I froze a bunch so they wouldn’t go to waste and am now trying to find uses for them. Thanks in advance.
Hi Nicole! Yes! There is a section in the post that talks about using frozen peaches.
I made this today and it was DELICIOUS! Mine seemed a little low on peaches though (I think I used 7, very average size). How many *pounds* of peaches do you usually put in yours when making it in a 9×13 dish?
Hi Sydney! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s about 2 pounds of peaches, but you can definitely use more.
Hi!! I’m wanting to make this in individual ramekin dishes! Would you have any suggestion for adjusting bake time or even temp? Can’t wait to try, this looks amazing!
Hi Martha! This recipe works great in ramekins! Try not to fill the ramekins past 1/2 – 2/3 full or they will spill over. The bake time and temperature will remain the same. Enjoy!
Hi!! I’m wanting to make this in individual ramekin dishes! Would you have any suggestion for adjusting bake time or even temp? Can’t wait to try, this looks amazing!
Excited to try this… what kind of dutch oven do you use? Thanks in advance!
Hey Cat! Here is a link to the one we use: https://amzn.to/3xP1SjZ
I made the recipe, peach cobbler last night. We had purchased 25 Lbs of peaches from the trucks coming around the northern states. I had so many of the peaches that I, froze some. ate some and made an amazing cobbler-your recipe.
I sometimes forget the portions of oats and flour, and totally forget the starch in the fruit often. Your recipe was wonderful and is in my recipe book. My husband took one bite and had 2 pieces.
Love it, thank you
Kathleen
Love to hear this Kathleen!! Oh man I love peach season!! Thank you for taking time to leave us some feedback!