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
Can you use home canned peaches in a peach crisp recipe?
Hi Sally, we’ve had a few readers used canned with success, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I’m wondering if you’ve tried it with less than 1/2 cup sugar in the peaches. The peaches I have are already sweet and I’m looking for a recipe that uses less sugar. Thanks!
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested it, but feel free to reduce the sugar just a bit if your peaches are especially sweet. Hope you enjoy it!
Totally my fault but the topping looked a bit dry so I added more butter and now I have a soggy “crisp” topping. I don’t want to toss it. Any ideas on what I can do/make with it now?
Hi Jackie, have you tried increasing the bake time at all? A few extra minutes might help crisp it up a bit. Otherwise, you could still enjoy the peaches with some vanilla ice cream.
Was the hit of the potluck. 5 people asked for the recipe. And it’s so EASY to make.
Love the peach crisp! Could this be made in a slow cooker or air fryer?
Hi Yvonne, we haven’t tested either of those, but let us know if you do.
OMG! This recipe did not disappoint! Thank you for another stellar recipe
Jane, see step 1 (first sentence) for temperature: “Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).” And step 4 (first sentence) for time: “Bake for 45–50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges.”
Wonderful recipe. Came out delicious. I used fresh peaches and splashed bottled lemon juice over the peaches to keep them from losing their color because it look a little while to peal and cut them up. I added the zest of one lemon and it’s juice as well. I baked it in a pan, not a skillet. It turned out so delicious. I’ll definitely make again.
A huge hit! I added some blueberries with the peaches. This crisp is amazing!
I made this crisp yesterday; it is one of the best we’ve ever had. Not too sweet, and a perfect proportion of fruit to topping. Your topping is going to be my go-to topping for all my fruit crisps from now on.
Delicious! Picked a bunch of peaches at a local farm and made this twice in one week! It was so tasty, I had to share it with the neighbors! I couldn’t keep the goodness to myself! Completed exactly as the recipe was written, included the pecans and served with vanilla ice cream. So good. Definitely go make some!
A summer dessert delight! Easy and yummy way to use up an abundance of peaches!
I liked this but mine wasn’t juicy enough. Did I not slice the peaces thin enough? Plus, the peach filling itself was not very sweet.
Hi Rebecca, were your peaches particularly hard? It sounds like they may have needed an additional day to ripen so that they could release more of their juices and have a sweeter taste. Thank you for giving this one a try!
I used this recipe a few times and am going to make more with all my peaches. But my question is can you grate the frozen butter for the topping? I had trouble using my pastry cutter and cutting in the frozen butter, it never really got crumbly.
Hi Val, that should work, but you’ll still want to use your pastry cutter to blend it with the other ingredients. Since the grated butter pieces are smaller, be careful not to overwork it.
I found this recipe searching for crisps with oatmeal for something different than my go to cobbler recipe. The crisp was simple to make and so delicious! I added a small handful of blueberries in addition to the fresh peaches and used pecans in the topping. We enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The creamy texture once the ice cream melts a little with the warm crisp is delightful! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I will be making more crisps in the future.
Made with fresh local peaches this is darn near the finest crisp I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The proportion of fruit to topping is deliciously decadent. I left the skins on, used white whole wheat flour (it was all I had on hand). went for the optional pecans and Wow! Now I’m just trying to figure out how many I can fit in my freezer. “Honey! Cancel our vacation plans. I’ve got a bushel of peach crisp to make.” Thank you!
Love this recipe, ive come back to it many times! Ive started to add a little whiskey to the filling and it gives it such a nice flavor!! <3
I highly recommend NOT leaving out the pecans from the streusel – it makes it! The crunch is lovely. I also recommend tasting your peaches and adjusting even the 1/2 cup of sugar for the filling. I only used 1/4 cup and it was plenty sweet, especially with the streusel.
Will make again!
Just made the “perfect peach crisp” recipe. Absolutely “perfect”!
Better than my peach pie,better than my app,e crisp. I will make this again& again.
Company coming in October for an extended stay soooo…. will make this and freeze.
Appreciate your thawing and warming instructions as well.
Truly delicious
I must say, this recipe IS perfect. I omitted the nuts and threw in some sliced strawberries that I had left over and it was delicious! I made two batches, looking forward to taking one in to share with my coworkers tomorrow.
Jus checked out your recipe.. omg it sounds SOO good, I’m now omw to store to grab cinnamon! I’m so excited to make this w- my homegrown peaches!! I was thinkin & wondering how a drizzle of caramel, on the topping, or on the ice cream just might pair very well w- the dish!!? Ill let u know how it turns out!
I made this crisp tonight and I told my husband it was awful hoping he wouldn’t eat any. I wanted it all for me! He didn’t fall for the trick.
My FIL loves blueberries. Can I follow this recipe and just replace the fresh peaches with blueberries? Maybe about 4c blueberries?
You sure can. Yes, I would use about 4 to 5 cups of blueberries. Glad you enjoyed this!
Summer crowd pleaser and comes together quickly!
The best, easiest recipe! Make sure you get your crumble as dark as the picture, makes all the difference!!! Perfect dessert.
I love this recipe. I tried several- and this is the best by far. If you have an abundance of peaches and want to save some for another time: make the peach crisp, let it cool, freeze it overnight uncovered, seal the frozen dish with a sealer. Nice summer treat to serve over the winter months. I just used my last crisp from summer 2023 last week. It was still great.
Hi, saw this amazing recipe!! Just wondering if I can use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats as I’m on a diabetic diet, Thanks!
Hi Kay, steel-cut oats would be quite crunchy in this topping. We did have one reader report that she cooked them about halfway through, cooled them, and then added to the topping, and she said it worked for her. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
It seems overcooked, the toppings is to crispy. The filling is fine. Have never done the butter bit but I got a pantry cutter and that seemed ok but I had a lot of topping. It’s edible of course with ice cream but any suggestions for next batch?
Hi Kathleen, if the top got too crispy in the oven, next time loosely tent the pan with foil about halfway through baking time. And easy fix for next time!
This crisp was so unbelievably delicious. But I’m not surprised – I’ve loved every dessert I tried from your site! (Y’all, if you make this, do the topping exactly the way Sally says to. Oh my…)
Made this for the first time tonight. It was delicious. I added a cup of blueberries to the filling like another baker suggested – mostly because I love peaches and blueberries together and I had some to use up. Excellent flavor, great with vanilla ice cream. I agree this one is a keeper.
Simple and delicious