How do you tell if a peach is ripe?

Look for peaches that give slightly when you press them gently with your fingers. They should also give off a fragrant peachy smell. Too hard and they’re not ripe yet and too soft, they’re overripe and can be mushy.

Can you leave the skin on the peaches when making a crisp?

I like peeling peaches, but if you don’t mind a bit of texture from the skin on in your peach crisp, you can skip this step and cook your filling with the skin on.

How do I prevent the crumble topping from being too soggy?

If your topping turns out soggy, it may be because you added too much butter, or your peach crisp needs more baking time. Make sure you bake the crisp until the top is golden brown and you see the filling start to bubble around the edges.

How do I know when my peach crisp is done baking?

Look for the topping to be a light golden brown and the filling should be bubbling up around the edges.

Can I leave peach crisp out overnight?

Absolutely! Your crisp will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature. For extended storage, you’ll want to pop it into the fridge or freezer.

Easy Peach Crisp Recipe - I Heart Naptime

Name: Peach Crisp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 5-6 Tablespoons salted butter (, slightly softened); 2/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats; 1/3 cup light brown sugar (, packed); 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 1/2 pounds fresh peaches (, peeled and sliced 1 3/4" thick (about 6-8 whole peaches)); 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; Pinch salt; Dash ground cinnamon (, optional)

Easy Summer Dessert

There are so many reasons to love this easy peach crisp recipe! The sweetness of the ripe peaches and the irresistible buttery crumble topping is the perfect combination for a warm-weather dessert.

You can use any kind of fruit to make a crisp. Blueberry crisp, apple pie crisp, and strawberry rhubarb crisp are all popular variations.

This recipe uses fresh peaches, although canned and frozen will work if you can’t get your hands on fresh ones. You can also use my recipe for peach pie filling to make a peach crisp.

The topping comes together quickly and is a mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar, and oats. The oats give the topping a gloriously crispy texture and a slight nutty crunch.

Serve your peach crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of light and fluffy whipped cream and for the ultimate treat.

What Is the Difference Between a Peach Crisp and Peach Cobbler?

What’s a crisp? What’s a cobbler? It’s easy to get confused between the two terms. It really all comes down to the topping.

Peach crisp has a crisp and crumbly topping which can also contain oats making it a streusel topping (like this recipe and my peach crumble pie). Whereas peach cobbler has more of a soft biscuity, cake-like topping.

Both crisps and cobblers are delicious in their own right and it really comes down to personal preference, you could even make a peach pie with a lattice pie crust topping if you want.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

Topping

Salted butter: If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt with the cinnamon
Oats: I use old-fashioned oats to give the topping a crisp and toasty texture and flavor.
Sugar: Light brown sugar gives the peach crisp topping more of a caramel flavor than regular white sugar.

Filling

Fresh peaches: Peel and slice the peaches. To easily peel the peaches, boil a large pot of water, then reduce to a simmer and carefully submerge the peaches in the water. Let them blanch for 30 seconds and then remove them to an ice water bath. Once the peaches have cooled, the skin should peel right off.
All-purpose flour: I use flour to help thicken the filling, so it isn’t too watery.
Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice helps to prevent the peaches from browning.
Sugar: I use granulated sugar to sweeten the filling. Maple syrup would also be a good option.
Flavoring: Vanilla, salt, and cinnamon add additional flavors to the peachy filling.

Variations

You know I like to give you options for how you can take my recipes and make them your own! Here are some options that might inspire you to put your spin on this easy peach crisp recipe.

Use frozen peaches: Let the peach slices thaw and make sure to drain any excess liquid but reserve a ¼ cup for the recipe.
Use canned peaches: There’s no need to soak the peaches in sugar since canned peaches are already in syrup so you can skip that step! Simply use ¼ cup of juice from the can.
Add fresh berries. Add a handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries to the peach filling before adding the topping.
More crunch: Add some chopped nuts to the topping for extra texture and flavor. Almonds or pecans would work well.
Make it gluten-free: Swap wheat flour for almond meal or almond flour in the topping and use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in the filling instead of flour.

How to Make Peach Crisp

This is a straightforward peach crisp recipe that takes about an hour to make from start to finish. You have to let the peaches sit in the sugar for 20 minutes before making the filling, so remember to factor that time in.

Make topping: Grab a large bowl and add the flour and butter. Use a fork or pastry mixer to cut the butter into the flour until it’s clumpy and crumbly. Mix in the oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon until everything is well combined.
Prepare peaches: Toss the peaches and sugar together and let them sit for 20 minutes. The sugar will help sweeten the peaches and draw out the juice. Strain the peaches and reserve ¼ cup of the peach juice.
Make the filling: Stir together the peach juice, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon and then pour over the peaches and toss them until everything is coated.
Assemble and bake: Transfer the peach filling to an 8-inch cast iron pan (or ceramic baking dish) and sprinkle the oat topping evenly over the top. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes at 350°F until lightly golden brown.

Expert Tips

If your peaches aren’t quite ripe enough, place them in a paper bag for a day to ripen more quickly.
Chop the peaches into uniform pieces so they all bake evenly.
If the edges of your peach crisp are browning too quickly, cover them loosely with aluminum foil to prevent further browning. This lets the filling cook without burning the crumble topping.
Let the peach crisp cool for a few minutes before digging in as the juices need some time to settle.

Using Leftovers

Leftover peach crisp is so easy to reheat and enjoy on its own, but sometimes, I’m in the mood to get a little creative.

It tastes delicious served cold with some Greek yogurt for a sweet breakfast or snack or warmed up and served as a topping for fluffy pancakes. We’ve also used it to layer over vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce to make peachy ice cream sundaes!

Make Ahead

Want to get ahead with your prep? No problem! You can easily prepare your peachy filling and the crumble topping and store them separately. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in airtight containers.

Once you’re ready to bake the peach crisp, assemble the filling and topping while your oven preheats.

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover peach crisp in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to keep it for a few extra days, store it in the fridge.

Freeze: This crisp is also freezer friendly both before you bake it and after it’s baked and completely cooled. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.

Bake from frozen: If your peach crisp is frozen, you can thaw it overnight in the fridge and then allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, or you can bake it directly from frozen which will take a little while longer. Follow the directions for baking the crisp.

Reheat: To reheat baked peach crisp recipe, place in an oven heated to 350°F for 20 – 25 minutes until heated through. Reheating in the oven keeps your topping crisp and crumbly. If you’re just reheating a piece or two, microwave it at 30-second intervals until warm.