This old-fashioned Peach Crisp recipe is made with fresh peaches, that are baked until tender, with a cinnamon-oat crisp topping. Served warm with a scoop of ice cream, this is a classic dessert that everyone will adore!
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Why I Love This Recipe for Peach Crisp
You might be wondering if peach crisp is basically the same as its yummy cousin, peach cobbler. Well, sort of! There’s one basic difference between the two: the topping. Crisps are made with a crispy, crumbly topping mixture, rather than a soft dough or cake topping. The topping is similar to streusel and usually contains rolled oats, which crisp up during the bake time to give the dessert a buttery crunch. Cobblers (like my other favorite classic berry cobbler) are made with dough toppings. Here’s why you should consider making a peach crisp this summer:
- Irresistible Fresh Flavor: Fresh peaches are baked in a thick, syrupy sauce, topped with a buttery, crunchy cinnamon-oat topping. While the crisp bakes, those cinnamon-spiked juices bubble up through the topping, giving it crisp, candied edges throughout. Topped with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or just as-is, this classic dessert is sure to please!
- Great For A Party: This is a classic dessert that almost everyone loves, making it a great idea when serving a large group. It also travels well and you can easily double this recipe to fill a 9×13. I’ve included all my make ahead or prep ahead tips below in this post.
- Super Easy: You only need one bowl and the casserole dish to bake it in. The most intensive part will be preparing the peaches if you choose to peel them, and even that only takes a couple of minutes! You don’t need any fancy appliances, just a bowl, spoon, knife and an optional vegetable peeler.
- Affordable: I love a recipe that doesn’t require me to buy a lot of ingredients. Besides the fresh peaches, you will probably find that you already have all the ingredients needed to make this recipe in your kitchen.
If you happen to be a peach fanatic like me, you should try these frozen peach bellinis and this easy peach dump cake made with a box of cake mix. I also really love these easy peach dumplings served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for this peach crisp recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Peaches: It’s not necessary to peel peaches before making peach crisp. However, I recommend peeling, because the skin of the peaches can be unpleasantly tough in a dessert recipe.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar in the peaches, but you could sub this for brown sugar if you want a more caramel-y flavor to your peaches.
- Flour: Some of the flour is for the topping, while a couple of additional tablespoons help to thicken the peach filling, similar to an apple pie.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch also helps thicken the filling, and makes it silky-smooth.
- Cinnamon: This goes into the peach mixture as well as the topping. You can also add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg for even more warmth.
- Butter: The butter should be at room temperature. I use salted butter. If you use unsalted, you may want to add a pinch of salt to the topping.
- Oats: You will need old-fashioned rolled oats. Don’t substitute instant oatmeal or steel-cut oats, as these will not bake properly in the topping.
How To Make Homemade Peach Crisp
You’re going to love how quick and easy this recipe really is! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F and butter your baking dish.
- Filling: Combine the peaches, sugar, some of the flour, cornstarch, a teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt in a big bowl. Mix well, and pour into the baking dish.
- Topping: In the same bowl, mix the sugar, remaining flour, butter, and remaining cinnamon to form a wet, lumpy mixture. Add the oats, and mix those in well to make a streusel-like topping. I find it easiest to use my hands for this. Scatter the oat mixture evenly over the peaches.
- Bake: Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The crisp is done baking when the oats are a light golden-brown all around the edges.
- Rest and Serve. Let your peach crisp rest for at least ten minutes, and then serve it warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Chef’s Tips
- Ripe Peaches: While peach crisp is a super-simple dessert, there is one thing that can ruin it, over-ripe peaches. I recommend buying your peaches a day or two in advance, to make sure they have time to ripen, but are not too soft. If you use peaches that are extra soft and ripe, they will become mushy once baked. Pick just ripened peaches that still feel firm for the best texture.
- Let Rest: It’s worth repeating: don’t try to serve this dish right away. If you serve peach crisp immediately after taking it out of the oven, it will be almost molten hot – and it will fall apart! It’s best to let it rest for at least ten minutes. The syrupy juices will begin to thicken, and the crisp will cool enough to be served safely.
- Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is softened and at room temperature. If it is cold, or still partially cold, it will be pretty impossible to get the correct texture for the streusel topping.
Chef’s Variations
- 9×13: Need to double this recipe? No problem! Double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 casserole dish. Watch the baking time, but expect to need an additional 10 minutes of bake time.
- Frozen Peaches: You can frozen peaches for fresh, if you like! Allow the peaches to completely thaw out, ideally in a colander or strainer over a bowl, to catch the excess water and juices. Once the peaches are thawed and drained, proceed with the recipe as written. The final texture will be softer than when made with fresh peaches, but still tasty.
- Gluten Free: Use a reputable, gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend, instead of the regular flour, for the streusel topping. Skip the flour added into the peaches and add an extra 2 teaspoons of cornstarch instead. The texture of the topping may be slightly different, but the results will still be scrumptious!
- Berry Peach Crisp: To make a gorgeous berry-studded version of this crisp, replace ⅓ to ½ of the fruit with fresh (or frozen, drained) berries. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all work really well in this recipe!
- Caramel: Create a decadent, sticky version of this crisp by drizzling caramel sauce over the top, five minutes before the crisp is done. Continue baking for the remaining 5 minutes, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Nuts: Want to add some nuts? You can add a 1/2 chopped pecans, walnuts or even almonds to the streusel topping! This gives it a good crunch!
Yield: 6
Peach Crisp
Old-fashioned Peach Crisp is a simple yet indulgent dessert recipe that everyone will adore! Fresh peaches are baked to juicy perfection with cinnamon, sugar, and a buttery, rolled oat topping. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and watch it disappear!
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled and thinly sliced fresh peaches
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter an 9×9 baking pan, and set aside.
- Mix the peaches, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl until well combined. Pour the peach mixture onto the prepared pan and set aside.
- In the same large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, remaining ½ cup flour, butter, and remaining teaspoon of cinnamon until it forms a wet, clumpy mixture. Add the oats and stir to form a coarse mixture. (I find it easiest to do this with my hands.)
- Crumble the oats on top of the peaches in an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the oats start to turn a light golden color around the edges. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes to cool and set up.
- Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
Storage: Peach crisp will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To reheat, place the crisp in an oven-safe dish and bake at 400°F until heated through. Or microwave individual servings in 30 second bursts.
Prep Ahead: Prepare the crisp, but do not bake. Instead, wrap with Saran Wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove 30 minutes to up to an hour before you are ready to bake the crisp and set it on the counter to warm up a little. Preheat your oven and bake as directed in the recipe.
Make Ahead: Bake crisp as directed and let cool. If you are serving in the next couple of hours, feel free to leave it resting at room temperature. Then reheat the entire crisp in the oven at 400°F for about 8 minutes, until warmed through. Or reheat individual servings in the microwave.
9×13: Need to double this recipe? No problem! Double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 casserole dish. Watch the baking time, but expect to need an additional 10 minutes of bake time.
Ripe Peaches: While peach crisp is a super-simple dessert, there is one thing that can ruin it, over-ripe peaches. I recommend buying your peaches a day or two in advance, to make sure they have time to ripen, but are not too soft. If you use peaches that are extra soft and ripe, they will become mushy once baked. Pick just ripened peaches that still feel firm for the best texture.
Frozen Peaches: You can frozen peaches for fresh, if you like! Allow the peaches to completely thaw out, ideally in a colander or strainer over a bowl, to catch the excess water and juices. Once the peaches are thawed and drained, proceed with the recipe as written. The final texture will be softer than when made with fresh peaches, but still tasty.
Gluten Free: Use a reputable, gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend, instead of the regular flour, for the streusel topping. Skip the flour added into the peaches and add an extra 2 teaspoons of cornstarch instead. The texture of the topping may be slightly different, but the results will still be scrumptious!
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 582kcal, Carbohydrates: 101g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 260mg, Potassium: 407mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 61g, Vitamin A: 1165IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 3mg
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OMG!! Was a huge hit with guests. So much flavor. And the topping was perfect! Had 8 giant peaches I had to use before they over ripened and this recipe was definitely the ticket! Will be making this again next peach season.
Made this today, however, I used stevia for the sugar and brown sugar. My husband is diabetic. This is delicious and I will definitely make this again!!! Thank you for the recipe.
This was such an easy and delicious recipe. I love that it’s not too sweet. My only issue with mine was it wasn’t as thick as shown in the photo. I will try to add more cornstarch next time I make it.
Oh my gosh, this was sooo good!! Everyone got a serving and there was silence at the table.
How much cornstarch? Mary Olson
Hi Mary, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch!
I didn’t peel my peaches, still turned out amazing. I added a little bit of vanilla to the peach/flour/sugar mixture. I only had instant oats, so I didn’t mix those in until there was only 5 minutes left of baking, then I Incorporated it in and put on broil for a couple minutes. I love this excited recipe!
Please note, if making gluten free, you also need to use Gluten Free Oats. Oats are not naturally gluten free.
I’ve made this three times this peach season and it’s absolutely delicious!!!!! My go to peach crisp recipe from now on!
Excellent recipe. Used cup4cup GF flour and it was delicious. I also was a bit heavy handed on the oats and so crunchy on top!
Can you use quick oats instead of old fashioned?
Hi Lauren! Yes, they should work just fine in this kind of recipe!
Can you use can peaches?
Hi Rose, yes, but they will have a slightly different texture. I would use canned peaches in a light syrup and make sure to drain them well, or even rinse them, so they are not overly sweet!
Delicious and easy! I added 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom….. elevates the flavor a notch will be making this often during peach season.
I have made this twice now and it’s spectacular. First time I just used peaches and the second time it was peaches and cherries. I love the topping, it’s like heaven in my mouth
Looks yummy..what are your thoughts of switching out and using apples instead of peaches?
Hi Shannon! Apples will work just fine!
This turned out great! It was a major hit at a summer family gathering. Thank you!!
Delicious. First time making this topping that turned out great. Other versions had too dense or too hard of a topping. This is a keeper.
Next time I make this I will use only 1/3 of the white sugar. My peaches were very ripe and extra juicy. They were sweet enough to stand alone without sugar.
Because they were extra juicy the final outcome did not set. No way am I not going to use all that juice. So, when I make this again I will add more corn starch.
Still, this is the best. Thank You!
How many servings does this make
Hi Kathy! It will serve 6 people. The yield amounts are always listed in the recipe card right above the recipe name. Hope this helps!
I made the peach crisp I did not have enough peaches I added plums. The dessert was all gone the first night I made it. Will definitely make it again
Hi there, is it 1/2 cup butter total which is equivalent to a stick of butter or a stick of butter plus 1/2 cup butter?
Hi Katie! It’s 1/2 cup butter (so 1 stick) total! So sorry, I had a website update and it listed some ingredients weird when the update happened. I thought I had found them all, but this one was still written in a confusing way. It has been updated in the recipe as well, thank you for catching it!
This is very good. I am eating it right now! I used Bob’s Red Mill quick oatmeal and King Arthur gluten free Measure for Measure flour. I also used the “lightest” can of peaches I could find because it isn’t peach season yet where I live. Thank you for the recipe!
Great to know about the gluten free flour, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the recipe.