brown butter peach crisp

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Peach Crisp is full of juicy, sweet summer peaches flavored with a hint of cinnamon and baked beneath a golden, buttery crisp topping. Brown the butter for your topping to give an incredible depth of flavor! This dessert comes together in just over an hour, and promise me you’ll enjoy it piping hot from the oven, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

A spoon scooping into a dish of peach crisp.

Published: August 2019. Updated: July 2023.

Table of Contents

Why you’ll love this Peach Crisp:

Juicy Peaches – Fresh summer peaches are baked to juicy perfection and enhanced with a bit of sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Brown Butter Crisp Topping – Our gorgeous peaches are nestled underneath a flavorful crisp topping! The crunchy topping is the perfect contrast to the tender, fresh fruit.
Easy Dessert – This dessert takes minimal work (and is even faster if you opt out of browning the butter, which is totally optional) and can be ready to serve in about 1 hour and 15 minutes!

Plates of peach crisp with ice cream on top.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.

Fresh Peaches – Use peaches that are ripe, but not super mushy. I see some people recommend using underripe peaches for baking, but I personally don’t like to do that – as long as they’re not terribly mushy, they’ll still hold in nice slices while baked. Ripe peaches have the best flavor and are the most juicy! Try your local farmer’s market or a food co-op for good peaches, since many grocery store peaches can be hit or miss.
All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour.
Oats – Use whole rolled old-fashioned oats.
Corn starch – This thickens the peach filling so it’s not runny.
Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla for best results.

Ingredient Substitutions:

Other fruits – Want to mix in some other fruits? You sure can! See my recipe variations at the bottom of this post.
Gluten-free – Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats and this recipe is easily made gluten-free!
Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter.
Peaches – I *think* you can use canned peaches, but be sure to drain the peach juice. Try to get ones without any added sugar, otherwise you will need to taste them and decide how to reduce the sugar from the recipe to taste.

How to Make this Peach Crisp Recipe Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Brown Butter. If browning the butter for your crisp topping, make it a little ways ahead so it can chill until solid again. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then continue cooking, stirring lazily, for 5 minutes or so, until foamy and golden brown. Transfer to a heat safe bowl and set in the freezer or fridge for 20-40 minutes, or until solid. This can be done up to 2 weeks ahead!

Step 2: Mix up the Peach Filling. Toss together sliced peaches, granulated sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a splash of vanilla right in your pie dish. Gently stir this fruit mixture until well-mixed and set aside.

Step 3: Make Crisp Topping. Whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium or large bowl. Cut cold cubed brown butter in with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly crisp topping.

Step 4: Stir Peaches & Add Crisp Topping. Give your peach mixture one last good stir! By now, the peaches will be releasing their peach juices. Then, scatter the topping over the top of the peaches. It’s so easy, we could make this in our sleep!

Step 5: Bake the peach crisp as directed in the recipe card below for best results. The crisp topping will be golden brown and the filling will be very bubbly, with a bit leaking out the edges.

Crisp topping on top of the peach filling.

Serving + Storing this Recipe:

Let rest for 10 minutes or so, then serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream! I personally love ice cream with any fruit dessert. This is best fresh & piping hot from the oven, but leftovers can be cooled to room temperature, then stored in the fridge, covered well with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 until warm, if desired. Everyone is sure to love this delicious dessert – it really is the best peach crisp!

The peach crisp topped with scoops of ice cream.

Expert Success Tips:

Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
Bake Properly – Be sure to bake until the juices are thick and bubbling around the edges, and even running out a bit. This is a good indicator that the entire crisp has heated through. The heat needs to reach the center of the crisp to activate the thickener, and ensure the peaches thicken properly. So, even if your crisp topping looks like it’s browning at, say, 30 minutes, it really needs to go at least 40 minutes, or up to 55.

FAQs:

Can I make this peach crisp ahead?

No, I don’t recommend that. It’s best eaten fresh from the oven!

How do I ripen my peaches?

If your peaches are hard, they’re not ripe. Set them on your counter, stem side down, spaced apart a bit and let ripen for 2-4 days. Some grocery store peaches never seem to ripen well and this has to do with when they were picked/how they were transported. If they get soft but not super ripe, they should still work in a baking recipe like this because they’ll become tender as they bake. You might need to taste them and add a pinch of sugar if they’re a little on the tart side. Basically, picking or purchasing local peaches is the way to go, if you can. Or, try something like The Peach Truck or Tree Ripe Fruit, which travel various parts of the country to bring good peaches right to you!

Can I use frozen peaches?

Frozen peaches are a great option, especially if making this out of peach season, or if your grocery store’s peaches have been less than wonderful. Do not thaw them before using (this is a good rule of thumb with any fruit desserts!)

Can I use a different baking pan?

Yes, a 8 or 9-inch round pie plate or an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan will all work.

A close-up on a plate of peach crisp with a spoon digging in.

Recipe Variations:

Peach Blueberry Crisp – Use half peaches and half blueberries!
Peach Nectarine Blackberry Crisp – This recipe was originally a peach nectarine blackberry crisp. Use 2 medium peaches, 2 medium nectarines, and 8 ounces of blackberries. Everything else is the same.
Peach Cherry Blueberry Crisp – Use 2-3 medium peaches, 8 ounces of dark sweet (or tart!) cherries, and 8 ounces blueberries.

A close-up on a spoon digging into the dish of peach crisp.

Special Tools:

Pastry Cuter – This makes cutting the butter into the flour SO easy! They’re inexpensive and easy to find.

More Peach Recipes to Love:

More Fruit Desserts to Try:

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!

Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!