Showcasing sweet and juicy peaches bubbling beneath a toasted pecan oat streusel, peach crisp takes less than half the time and effort required for traditional peach pie. Served warm with cold vanilla ice cream, summer dessert doesn’t get much better than this!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips. I also made a few small tweaks to the recipe, which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
This peach crisp combines a mountain of jammy, juicy summer peaches under sweet and crumbly oat streusels. It also requires a mountain of willpower to not eat the entire pan. Trust me, I make this at least 3x each summer and there are never any leftovers. It’s the *best* peach dessert. (Sorry, peach pie.)
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Peach Crisp
- Showcase Fresh Peaches: This is the perfect recipe for peaches to shine during peak season.
- Easier Than Pie: I absolutely adore peach pie, but there’s no doubt that homemade pie is a labor of love. Sometimes we need a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s easier, but just as seasonal and impressive. In this peach crisp, you’re swapping pie crust for an easy oat pecan streusel topping.
- Wonderful Mix of Textures: Thick, soft, juicy peach filling + crispy, nutty, toasted topping.
- Full of Flavor: While the peaches steal the spotlight, they’re enhanced by a supporting cast of brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, lemon, and vanilla—which work together to deliver a caramelized flavor you will love.
- No Eggs: Another egg-free baking recipe.
- No Waiting: You don’t have to wait for anything to come to room temperature, chill, or cool! This is a crowd-pleasing dessert recipe that you can prep, bake, and serve in about an hour. It joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
One reader, Tammy, commented: “This has to be the best peach crisp recipe I have ever made or had. We absolutely loved it. It was simple and I had all the ingredients on hand. Was a great way to use up the rest of our gorgeous, fresh Georgia peaches. This recipe is going in my personal cookbook to make again and again. ★★★★★“
Fruit crisps, such as this strawberry vanilla crisp and my apple crisp, are the indisputable dessert champions as they only require a baking dish, fruit, and streusel. And they have so much texture in each warm bite. No need to dirty your rolling pin!
Not a fan of an oat topping? Try this fan-favorite peach cobbler or spiced pear berry crumble instead.
Ingredients to Use & Why
- Fresh Peaches: You need about 2 to 2.5 pounds of peaches, or about 6 medium-size peaches. Pit and slice them. Peeling is optional. See below for information on the best peaches to use.
- Flour: All-purpose is best here. You’ll use flour in both the filling and the topping.
- Sugar: You need granulated sugar for the filling and brown sugar for the topping.
- Salt: For its flavor-enhancing superpowers.
- Lemon Juice: The filling tastes a little flat without it.
- Vanilla Extract: I love using vanilla in this strawberry vanilla crisp, and it’s great in this recipe too.
- Cinnamon: Warm cinnamon spice and peach desserts go hand-in-hand.
- Butter: To prevent it from melting too soon and losing texture, use very cold butter. This will give the topping that incredible crumbly texture, when the pieces of cold butter hit the hot oven and melt all over the peach crisp. I take the butter out of the refrigerator, cut it into cubes, and then place the cubed butter in the freezer for about 10–15 minutes before I need it.
- Oats: Whole rolled oats are best in this crisp topping, but quick oats work too.
- Pecans: Chop up some unsalted pecans for the topping. You can leave them out for a nut-free dessert.
- Vanilla Ice Cream (for Serving): Optional, but strongly encouraged! The way the ice cream starts melting when it hits that warm peach crisp is just about the most mouthwatering dessert experience I can think of!
Want to level up your peach crisp? Try my brown butter blueberry peach skillet crisp.
Making Peach Crisp Is as Easy as 1, 2, 3
- Combine filling ingredients, and spread in a lightly greased baking dish. You can use pretty much any 9-inch or 2- to 2.5-quart baking dish, such as a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or a 9-inch square baking pan. This is a smaller size pan than the one needed for this apple crisp.
- Combine topping ingredients. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then use a pastry cutter or forks to work the cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients, breaking it down into pea-sized pieces. The mixture should be crumbly. Stir the oats and chopped pecans into the topping mixture *after* you cut in the butter. You don’t want them to break down too much. This is the same way we make the topping for bourbon cherry crisp. Sprinkle the topping all over the filling. And then…
- BAKE. That’s it! The peaches release their juices, the juices bubble up, the topping becomes crunchy and toasted. And you don’t even have to wait for it to cool down, because you can dig into this peach crisp while it’s warm. YUM!
All the tasty perks of a traditional peach pie in a fraction of the time.
It will seem like a lot of topping, but keep in mind that a lot of it seeps down into that juicy peach layer.
The best fresh peaches for peach crisp are the same I recommend for other peach recipes including fresh peach cake, and peach bread. You can use any variety of peaches, yellow or white, but you want slightly firm (not hard) peaches with no bruises or soft spots. Your best bet is to purchase or pick about 10 firm peaches (about 3 pounds), then let them sit in a paper bag for 1–2 days to ripen. Some may have soft spots after this time, so that is why I suggest buying a couple more than you actually need. Eat any overly soft peaches or use them in peach muffins.
This is a great question, and I definitely want to answer it for anyone wondering. Peach crisp and peach cobbler both showcase peaches, but they have different toppings. Peach crisp includes a buttery streusel-like oat crumb topping, while peach cobbler typically has a thicker, more substantial biscuit topping. Both are easier than pie!
Fresh peaches are best for peach crisp, but you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
You can make this peach crisp without oats using most of the same exact ingredients. Use the topping from apple crumble pie. Don’t over-mix—it will become a paste if you over-mix. Use the same oven temperature and bake time as below.
Perfect Peach Crisp
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 8-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This buttery peach crisp combines sweet and juicy peaches with brown sugar cinnamon oat streusel. Toasty pecans add a little crunch while vanilla ice cream adds a lovely contrast to the warm peach filling.
Ingredients
Filling
- 5 cups (around 750–800g) sliced peaches (peeled or unpeeled)
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 2/3 cup (57g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats (or quick oats)
- optional: 2/3 cup (95g) chopped or halved unsalted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 9-inch square pan, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or any 2–2.5-quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Gently mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking dish.
- Make the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the oats and pecans. Sprinkle evenly over filling.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving warm. You can also serve room temperature or cold.
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: I do not recommend preparing and refrigerating the crisp, unbaked, because the filling will become extra juicy the longer it sits. You can, however, prepare the topping up to 2 days in advance and cover and refrigerate it until needed. Baked crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable/Fruit Peeler | 9-inch Square Baking Dish, 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet (or similar size) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Update in 2023: After making this peach crisp so often, I made a few slight tweaks to the original 2015 recipe. I reduced the sugar in the filling from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup because it was a little too sweet. I also added some lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
- Baking Pan: Any baking pan that holds about 2–2.5 quarts is best. You could also divide the filling and oat topping up into individual oven-safe ramekins. Bake them on a baking sheet. The bake time and yield depends on their size, but bake until the topping is lightly browned and peach filling bubbles up around the sides.
- Gluten Free: For a gluten-free crisp, use my recipe for gluten-free apple crisp and replace sliced apples with sliced peaches.
- Can I Use Frozen or Canned Peaches? Fresh peaches are best for peach crisp, but you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Best Peach Crisp recipe ever!! Followed recipe exactly as you recommended and we will be making this many a family favorite now❤️! Looking forward to trying out some of your other recipes!
Simple, quick and delicious – my new go-to for peach crisp! TY!
Easy and quick and delicious. I especially liked the “cook mode” feature on your recipe page.
Super delish with fresh peaches from my tree! Added a tiny nub of grated ginger to the filling, nice combo!
I made this this morning, and it turned out so delicious! I like It more than traditional peach pie. I used unsalted mixed nuts because I always have a huge jar of it on hand from Costco . Thanks for the great and easy recipe!
Im making your peach crisp for a potluck tomorrow, but dont have time to prepare and bake all at the same time. Can I slice the peaches and mix the filling indredients the day before and then make the topping and bake the day of? I dont want the peaches to get get too juicy setting in the bowl overnight. Any suggestions?
Hi Nancy! We don’t recommend making the filling ahead of time for the exact reason you listed – they get too juicy/wet. See recipe notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!
Delicious, topping was light and crispy. I added a little grated ginger to the fruit… yum!
Sooooo good!
My topping wouldn’t get crunchy
Mine didn’t look like Sally’s, but it was still crunchy. Maybe the peaches make a difference in terms of how much liquid they give off?
This was the best peach dish I have ever made! So good.
I was wondering if I could use fresh mangoes instead of peaches? If so, would I still add the lemon juice? Thank you so much
Hi Vicky, we haven’t tried it ourselves, but we can’t see why that wouldn’t work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Great recipe! 5 cups was about 6 peaches. I subbed lime juice for lemon, and almonds for pecans, based on what was on hand and it came out great!
I used peaches that were not very ripe, and if I made it again I would still use less sugar. I also found that the pecans that were directly exposed to the heat got a little burned during the cooking. That being said, we ate the whole thing. I’d make it again but use less sugar, and I’d make sure that the nuts weren’t directly exposed to the heat.
I’ve made this recipe like 5 times already. It is SO good. Perfect last-minute dessert!
I have a bunch of fresh peaches ready to eat but wondering if I can freeze them and make this later with those fresh frozen peaches? Made today and it’s excellent would like to make again in a week or so. Thanks!
Hi Meghan, Frozen peaches work too– see the recipe notes for more details.
I can cook anything including a fantastic peach pie. I used a bit over 2.5 pounds of wonderful peaches. Lot’s of juices in the dish but it turned out gummy. Seemed like too much topping and too much flour.
Mine turned out gummy as well. Still delicious though! Next time I will substitute cornstarch for flour.
I didn’t make this recipe because I couldn’t read it because of all the &$#@ advertising on your site. This has happened before..learned my lesson and will not open your site anymore
Oh wow, how rude, you know they have to have advertising, everywhere you go, food network etc… everywhere, plus the rating is for the recipe not your dislike on the website. But what can you expect nowadays with people being so rude everywhere. I’m sure Sally doesn’t need you here! Hit the road Jack!!
This is a delicious recipe to especially enjoy those fresh summer peaches! For all recipe websites, I immediately go to “print recipe” to view without all of the ads popping up everywhere. I hope that tip helps others and prevents 1 star reviews for a recipe they didn’t even prepare.
How do you expect these folks to make $ without ads? Are you paying them? As someone taking advantage of this FREE recipe I will gladly scroll past the ads.
Sally, I have really loved baking with you! Whenever I get a chance to bake something new, I always check to see if you have a recipe for it! You have helped me become a better baker! This recipe is fantastic! Thank you!
Love this crisp, followed recipe adding a short basket of blackberries, yum! Topped with limited edition/seasonal peach ice cream, I’m in heaven. Peaches used I picked myself and were firm, so the sugar added (1/2 cup) was perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sally,
I just made your brown butter blueberry peach crumble and it was so, so darn delicious!!! I couldn’t find comment section on that website so am commenting on this one. Quick question, I baked at 325 convection oven and there was some juice on bottom of pie plate. Is this normal for crumbles?
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, all of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection/fan ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven.
Too delicious! I didn’t have pecans, but I did have sliced almonds, so I used those. Otherwise followed the recipe. Oh, and I used my food processor to mix the topping ingredients. Won’t be making this very often, because…too delicious!
Hi Sally,
Can I use large flaked oats or should I use regular size oats?
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, that should be fine!
Having been disappointed by many peach pies, cobblers & crisp that didn’t taste like peaches. This recipe did … amazing!
Hi Sally! I’ve made this crisp before and absolutely love it. Do you think you could take this recipe and turn it into a galette? Would the topping and pecans still work?
Hi Ashley! We usually don’t add the crisp topping to a galette, but you could certainly try it. You may love our strawberry peach galette (you could use all peaches there)!
Whipped this up yesterday for a Sunday lunch gathering and it was a hit! I had an excess of nectarines as well as peaches and blackberries, from the trees and bushes, so I threw them in as well. This was a perfect summer treat with a scoop of Tillamook vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream for a little more indulgence. Thank you, Sally! Your recipes never steer me wrong. I plan to bake, then freeze a couple of these for fall/winter desserts when summer fruits are surely to be missed.
Fresh Georgia peaches from the traveling Peach Truck made this a perfect dessert
Do I have to preheat the cast iron skillet in the oven first/low temp/ Peach Crisp
Hi Gail, you do not need to preheat the skillet before baking. Hope you enjoy!
Do you have the nutrition for this recipe?
We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This was absolutely delicious! I love all of Sally’s recipes but this one may be my favorite!
I have always made apple crisp but would love to give this recipe a try as every thing I have made of yours comes out wonderful! My only question is if I can use a food processor to make the topping if I just pulse the ingredients quickly a few times? Thanks.
Hi Andrea, it can be easy to overwork the butter using a food processor, so just be cautious of that if you decide to use it for making the topping. Hope you love the peach crisp!
Lovely summer dessert! I used peaches from a jar so just added a sprinkle of sugar to the filling. I also halved the recipe and baked it in a small glass dish. I let it cool for about 15 minutes then added ice cream and WOW! DEE-LISH-US!!!! The pecans add great flavor and crunch. And the house smells SO good! Thanks, Sally!