Perfect Peach Crisp

This peach crisp recipe with fresh peaches is a classic! It’s got a sweet, vanilla-scented fruit filling and a golden crunchy crumble.

Here’s a treat for eating al fresco on the porch as the summer sun sets: this Peach Crisp recipe! This nostalgic dessert is pure summer bliss. Ripe, juicy peaches star in a vanilla-scented gooey filling that’s covered with just the right ratio of crunchy golden crumbles. Top with a dollop of melty vanilla ice cream and it’s summer dessert heaven! Recently we enjoyed it on the patio with dinner guests, who helped themselves to seconds…then thirds! Here’s how to make this tasty summer treat.

Ingredients in this peach crisp recipe

Peach crisp is a summer tradition around here (though I grew up eating this fresh peach pie as our seasonal treat). The great part about crisp? It’s simple, requires no baking technique and is a knock-out hit every time you serve it. People never tire of crisp: we promise! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for a good peach crisp recipe:

Ripe fresh peaches: don’t compromise on ripeness! See the notes below. You can also substitute frozen peaches in this recipe if desired.
Granulated sugar
Cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
Lemon juice
Vanilla extract
Old Fashioned rolled oats
All purpose flour
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Butter (cold)
Salt

How to ripen peaches

Ripe peaches are key to any peach recipe. At the store, there’s a lot of variation in ripeness: you might find them rock hard or so juicy they’re almost bruising. If they’re even a bit hard, you’ll need a few days to ripen them. Here’s what to do:

Place the peaches in a paper bag.
Add a banana inside the bag. The banana emits ethylene gas, which helps the peaches ripen at the same time.
Gently close the top of the bag and wait 1 to 4 days, depending on the ripeness of the peaches. Check each day by gently squeezing the fruit to see if the flesh feels soft.

Tricks for peeling peaches

Traditionally, a peach crisp uses fresh peeled peaches. You can make crisp with skin-on peaches, but it does add an extra texture element that some eaters might not enjoy. Here’s what to know about peeling peaches: you can’t use a vegetable peeler! It destroys the delicate fruit in the process. Here’s a quick way to perfectly peel peaches (which I learned from my mom in this peach pie recipe):

Boil batches of peaches for 45 seconds each. Drop 3 peaches into a pot of boiling water, so that the water fully covers them and boil for 45 seconds.
Place into ice water. Remove the peaches from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Drop in the next batch and repeat.
Pull off the skin with your fingers. Once the peaches are cooled, use a sharp knife to puncture the skin of the peach, then peel it off in large sheets with your fingers.

Make it gluten-free or vegan

Want to make this peach crisp recipe work for gluten-free or vegan diets? Here are a few easy substitutions that work perfectly:

Use almond flour for gluten-free. Almond flour is perfect for crisp recipes: it makes an even crunchier crumble topping.
Substitute vegan butter or coconut oil for vegan. Vegan butter is the best option for the crunchiest crumble. Coconut oil comes out softer and not quite as crisp. We recommend refined coconut oil, which has a subtler coconut flavor.

Leftover storage info

Got a big pan of peach crisp and want to save it? This dessert saves well at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen.

It can stand for 1 day covered at room temperature. The topping stays crisp with this method.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. It holds up pretty well in the fridge, and tastes even better when reheated.
Freeze up to 3 months. You can freeze peach crisp for up to 3 months in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and the topping is crisp.

More peach recipes

When it’s the season, make all the peach recipes! Here are some favorites you’ll love:

Try this easy and tasty Fresh Peach Salad
Go for Peach Sorbet
Mix up a batch of Peach Salsa or Peach Sangria
Bake a Peach Cobbler or Fresh Peach Pie

This peach crisp recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free and vegan, see the substitution notes in the recipe below.