Peach Crisp Recipe with Oatmeal Topping

It doesn’t get more deliciously rustic than a peach crisp with an oatmeal topping. You take the most basic ingredients and turn it into the perfect summer dessert.

Peach crisp is a nostalgic summer time dessert that gives you an excuse to use up those plump, ripe peaches.

It is simple and takes only a few ingredients to create this rustic dish, making it perfect for those evenings when you need something sweet but don’t have oodles of time to make it.

It reminds me of my delicious strawberry crumble that comes together in minutes. Or, our favorite strawberry sponge cake that is like a sweet cloud on top of a bed of strawberries. Mmmm, so good.

What is Peach Crisp

Peach crips is a humble dish that has warm fresh peaches as the filling with a crisp topping made of old-fashioned oats on top.

This is the perfect summer dessert to enjoy with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on those hot summer nights.

Peaches come in season in the Midwest in mid-summer, so that’s when we like to eat this simple dessert.

If you want to throw a peach crisp together when peaches aren’t in season at your local farmer’s market, then use canned peaches or frozen peaches in place of fresh.

Why you’ll love this Peach Crisp recipe

• This easy peach dish comes together in minutes!
• A peach crisp satisfies your pie craving with a lot less work and time!
• You can make this easy peach crisp sweeter by adding more sugar or tarter by eliminating some of the sweetener in the recipe.
• Add chopped nuts, such as pecans, to give the crumbly topping a bit of crunch.
• This old recipe can be used with any fruit of your choice. It is a great base for other fruit crisps.
• You can use natural sweeteners, such as maple syrup or honey, to make this a bit healthier.
• Peach crisp tastes delicious with the peach skin on or off. That brown sugar streusel can make anything taste amazing.
• This is a great dish to take to summer gatherings, such as 4th of July, Bar-B-Qs, or Father’s Day celebrations.

Tell me about this recipe

• Taste– Whether your peaches are super sweet or a little on the tart side, this dish boasts a subtle peach filling with the buttery oatmeal crumble on top of the fruit that gives the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Texture– The tender peaches paired with brown sugar oat crumbly mixture on top is one of my favorite things. These textures are the perfect combination, especially when you finish it off with a scoop of ice cream that slowly melts into the juices from the fresh fruit. Mmmmm… I need some now!
• Ease– Depending upon whether you take to peeling peaches or just leave them with the fiber rich skins on, this dish uses one large bowl to mix everything and one baking dish to cook everything. It is an easy summer dessert that requires minimal clean up!
• Time– This is a family favorite dessert for the flavor, but I love it because it doesn’t require much time and only a few minutes of hands on time.

Ingredients for Peach Crisp with Oatmeal

• Fresh Peaches- Fresh peaches make the best peach crisp, but use what you have available if it is the off season. You can see if you have a good peach by gently squeezing the fruit. If it is hard, it might not be ripe enough. It should have some “give” to it without being mushy.
• Lemon Juice- Acid is always needed to off set the sweet. In this easy recipe, it also helps to preserve the integrity of the peaches.
• Sugar– You will need white sugar for the filling and brown sugar for the crumble that goes on top of the fruity dessert.
• Cornstarch– This is optional, so don’t let this keep you from making this if you don’t have any. It does help with creating a gel-like filling. It isn’t necessary and will still taste great without cornstarch. If you opt out of using the cornstarch, use a slotted spoon to serve the dessert so that some of the fruit juices can drip out prior to putting it on the serving dish.
• Flour– I use all purpose flour for the crumble, but you can use whatever flour you have on hand.
• Butter– You will cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or two forks so you get the perfect crumble consistency.
• Rolled Oats– No delicious peach crisp is complete without an oat topping. I prefer rolled oats, but you can use whatever oats you have on hand if you’re in a pinch.
• Cinnamon– I love a tad of spice to go with the sweet of the peaches and brown sugar.
• Salt– Like the lemon juice, salt helps to bring out the sweetness of the dish.

How to make Peach Crisp

1. Place peaches, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar in a bowl. Mix and arrange in a baking dish.
2. In the same bowl, throw in flour and butter. Cut in the cold butter. Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients for the crunchy oat topping. You can use your fingers if you want to!
3. With your hands, scatter the oat topping on top of the peaches until it is evenly coated.
4. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the juicy filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes at room temperature.

What if you don’t have fresh peaches?

If you don’t have fresh peaches due to the time of year you’re making this dessert, grab some frozen or canned peaches.

You will want to drain the canned peaches before using so your crisp will have the perfect texture and won’t be too soupy.

The same goes for frozen peaches. I like to dump the bag of frozen peaches in a strainer in my sink and allow the moisture to drain out of they thaw.

This is something I do for all of my peach desserts when I don’t have ripe peaches to use.

If I don’t, the peach juice tends to make the filling a bit too watery.

What is the difference between Peach Crisp and Peach Cobbler?

Peach crisp is a sweet dessert that uses juicy peaches and a crisp peach crumble for the topping.

A peach cobbler fills a pan full of sliced peaches and covers them in a firm topping, such as dessert biscuits or a flaky crust.

The peach crisp marries the simple peach with an oatmeal cookie topping.

It is an easy dessert that takes very little effort.

How to easily peel fresh peaches

If you are peeling fruit for your fresh peach crisp, the easiest way to remove the skins is to boil a large pot of water and add in the whole peaches one at a time.

Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and immediately put them in a large bowl of ice water.

The skins will, literally, fall off of the peaches in the cold water.

Now they are ready to slice!

How to ripen fresh peaches when it’s not peak season

Place your peaches in a single layer inside of a brown paper bag.

Close the bag and let them sit in a dark place for a day, or two.

The gas from the fruit will be trapped inside of the bag and encourage the fruit to ripen.

How to store store peach crisp leftovers

If you have any leftovers, which almost never happens in our house with any sort of fruit dessert, let the crisp cool to room temperature.

Put the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze Peach Crisp?

Yes, you can freeze a peach crisp!

Put your peach crisp together, but don’t bake it!

Wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.

Freeze it for up to 3 months.

To eat your crisp, allow it to sit out on the counter for one hour.

Bake it as directed. You might need to add 15 minutes to the baking time since it will be cold in the center when you put it in the oven.

Toppings for Peach Crisp

The best toppings for a crisp is good ol’ vanilla ice cream.

If you want something a bit lighter, make some homemade whipped cream.

Pour a cup of heavy cream in your stand mixer and add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Mix on a high speed until soft peaks form.

Fruit Substitutes for Peaches in this Recipe

• Cherry Crisp- Add in 2 cups of canned cherries in place of the peaches.
• Apple Crisp- Peel and slice 4 cups of granny smith apples and use them in place of the peaches.
• Blueberry Peach Crisp- Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries to the peaches.

Peach Crisp with Oatmeal Recipe