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Peach crisp may scream summer, but thanks to frozen and canned peaches, this Easy Peach Crisp recipe deserves a spot on your table year-round. The filling bakes up juicy and warmly spiced, while the buttery oat topping turns golden and crisp. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an unforgettable dessert.
Whether peaches are overflowing at the farmers' market or you are pulling a bag from the freezer, this recipe gives you a reliable dessert with a saucy peach filling and golden oat topping every time
Easy Peach Crisp at a Glance
- Serves: 8, especially delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Time Needed: 15 to 20-minute prep + 35 to 40-minute bake
- Enjoy Year-Round: Use fresh peaches in the summer, or frozen or canned peaches when peaches are out of season, or you want to keep prep simple.
- Why You'll Love This Recipe: The peaches bake up sweet, saucy, and warmly spiced, while the buttery oat crumble turns golden and crisp. Best of all, it works beautifully with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches.
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Key Tips for Peach Crisp
I have made this peach crisp with fresh, frozen, and canned peaches, and with attention to a few small details, each version bakes up saucy, sweet, and perfectly spiced.
- Drain frozen or canned peaches well. That extra liquid can keep the filling from thickening properly.
- Use cold butter for the topping. Just as with homemade buttermilk biscuits or an all-butter pie crust, cold butter creates crumbly pockets that bake into a crisp, buttery topping rather than a greasy layer.
- Let the peach mixture sit while you make the topping. This gives the sugar and cornstarch time to draw out the juices and start building that syrupy filling.
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. They create a heartier, crispier topping with more texture than quick oats. I recommend them for my old-fashioned apple crisp and blackberry crisp as well.
- Bake until bubbling. The bubbling filling around the edges of the pan tells you the cornstarch has activated and the peaches have softened.
And finally, while optional, I strongly encourage serving peach crisp warm with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, no-churn vanilla ice cream, or homemade whipped cream. The contrast between warm and cold completes the dessert.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-Star Reader Review
Delicious. Very easy recipe. I used frozen peaches. Came out great. Nice summertime dessert. -Linda
Notes on Ingredients & Substitutions
- Peaches: This recipe works with firm, ripe fresh peaches, frozen sliced peaches, or sliced canned peaches. When working with canned peaches, select peaches that are sliced (not cubed) and are canned in 100% fruit juice (not heavy syrup) so that the filling is not overly sweet.
- Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned is best, but quick oats work if that is all you have on hand. The topping just won't be quite as crumbly. Do not use steel-cut oats.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the peach filling, while brown sugar adds depth to the crisp topping. Both light and dark brown sugar work, but I prefer dark brown sugar for richer caramel notes.
- Flour: I have tested this peach crisp recipe using whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and a 1:1 gluten-free flour, and the results were delicious each time.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the peaches' juices as they bake. Feel free to use tapioca starch or arrowroot powder in its place.
- Lemon: Adding lemon zest and lemon juice to the peaches adds a bright flavor that helps to balance the sweetness and make the dessert pop.
- Ground Ginger: While cinnamon and nutmeg are expected additions to peach crisp, ginger may seem odd. But trust me, that little kick gives the peach filling a unique warmth that makes this crisp extra special.
How to Use Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Peaches
- Fresh Peaches: Peel (or not), pit, and slice into ½-inch thick wedges or dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Frozen Peaches: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and drain. I like to place the frozen peaches in a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and let them drain as they defrost.
- Canned Peaches: Drain well in a fine-mesh strainer. When made with sliced peaches canned in 100% fruit juice, the crisp is still incredibly delicious, and the prep could not be easier.
How to Make Peach Crisp
Once your peaches are sliced, thawed, or drained, it is time to make peach crisp.
- Toss peaches with sugar, lemon, and cornstarch. Gently toss the sliced peaches with the zest and juice of a lemon, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Let that sit while you prepare the oatmeal topping.
- Prepare the oat topping. Mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar until combined. Add in the cold cubed butter and mix with your hands, two forks, or a pastry cutter until the butter is distributed throughout the oats and the mixture is crumbly.
- Assemble. Pour the peaches and any accumulated juices into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the oatmeal topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake. Bake the peach crisp until the topping is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges, about 35-40 minutes. The bubbling matters because it means the cornstarch has thickened the juices.
- Rest. Let the crisp rest for 10-15 minutes before serving so the filling can settle slightly. Then serve warm as desired. A scoop of ice cream is always my vote!
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the leftover crisp to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual servings in the microwave in a heat-safe bowl, or reheat the entire crisp in a 300℉ oven for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through. Let a cold baking dish come closer to room temperature before placing it in the oven to prevent cracking.
FAQs on Peach Crisp
The easiest method is to parboil the peaches slightly. Score the skin on the peaches with a paring knife. Drop the peaches into boiling water for 15 seconds, or until the skin begins to peel. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the water and place them into ice water. Once cooled, remove the peaches from the ice bath, and the skin should just peel right off.
No! While peeling peaches will give the crisp a more uniform texture, I often skip this step to keep prep simple. It matters less when making a peach crisp than when making peach cobbler.
Yes. Unlike frozen berries in my blackberry crisp recipe, it is best to thaw frozen peaches in the refrigerator and drain them before using, as they release much more liquid than frozen berries and take significantly longer to soften.
Yes! To double this recipe, simply double the ingredients and use a 4-quart or 9x13 baking dish to bake the peach crisp. The baking time will remain the same.
More Delicious Desserts Starring Fruit
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Easy Peach Crisp
Video
Ingredients
- 6 cups peeled and sliced peaches, about 8 peaches, or 2 pounds of peaches
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ~1 small lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ~1 small lemon
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup brown sugar, dark or light
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed, plus more for greasing pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃) and butter a 2-quart or 8x8 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced peaches, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1½ tablespoons cornstarch, and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Let that mixture sit for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the peach crisp topping.
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix together ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon table salt until the mixture is well combined. Add ⅓ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed) and using fingers, fork, or pastry cutter, mix butter into oat mixture until evenly distributed and the crisp topping is crumbly.
- Pour the peaches into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the peach mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crisp topping is browned and the peach mixture is bubbly.
- Let the crisp cool for 10-20 minutes to continue to thicken. Then serve semi-warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream as desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Score the skin of the peach slightly with a knife.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Place peaches in a large pot of boiling water for 15-20 seconds, or until the skin begins to split.
- Remove the peaches from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them in an ice bath.
- Use a paring knife to peel the skin, which should easily peel off the flesh of the peach.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This peach crisp is amazing! Everyone in my family loved it and it was so easy to make too! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Olivia!
this is one of the best peach desserts that I have made in a long time! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
I am thrilled you enjoyed!
I'm not a big fan of peach cobbler, but I loved this crisp so much! I used fresh peaches, and it was perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I'll be making it every peach season! 🙂
I absolutely love hearing you enjoyed the crisp so much, Kara! Thanks for shairng.
Soo easily and so delicious! Couldn’t have asked for a better recipe!
Thanks so much Jennifer for sharing that you enjoyed
Yummy! This peach crisp was amazing and very delicious!
I have made this twice, once using canned peaches and once using fresh. Wow, what a difference. Even not using any granulated sugar with the canned, it was still too sweet for me. Fresh peaches make a huge difference (duh?). Thanks for the tip to remove the skin. Mine didn't split, but the X i made on the bottom made the skin easy to grab and pull off.
My winter try will be with fozen peaches. It's a great recipe, thank you!
Fresh is so much better in my opinion too! And I am so happy to hear that you have been enjoying this dessert often 🙂