Ever made a peach crisp and wished the topping were a little crunchier...and more of it? This peach crisp with pecans recipe is the fix. It's just as much about the crunchy topping as it is about celebrating summer peaches.
Fruit crisps made with oats just aren’t going to pass the crunchy, crusty topping test. Oats soak up the juices and don’t remain crisp. This peach crisp is made with pecans, butter, flour, and sugar (no oats), creating the ultimate crispy and crunchy topping that’s still good for breakfast the next day.
A ripe, summer "chin-dripping-good" peach is my favorite fruit of all time, and this crisp is the best way to make them into a dessert. It's in our family's top 5 desserts.
This crisp is the last thing I made before going into labor in the middle of the night with our firstborn child. I remember being a little jealous that I was not able to eat the leftovers the next morning.
Over the years, I've tweaked how to make this ultimate summer dessert without being married to it all day long. If you dread making pastries by hand, using a kitchen scale and food processor significantly cuts down on the prep time and dirty dishes; the topping comes together in 5 minutes.
It’s truly at its best right out of the oven, but you can make it in the morning with a brief reheat until warm for your dinner guests. Serve with vanilla ice cream or make homemade crème fraîche if you want something less sweet.
This is a dessert I'd happily serve at a dinner party alongside summer recipes like my grilled chicken thighs with peach salsa. Peaches on peaches are not a problem in August.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Is Different
- No oats: Oats absorb the peach juices and soften. Pecans are toasted and stay crunchy.
- Thickened with cornstarch, not flour: Don't worry about watery peach juices because cornstarch is a more efficient thickener than flour.
- More topping than most recipes: This is just as much about the crust as it is about the peaches.
- Longer bake time: Bake it longer than most recipes, at 55 minutes. The filling is fully bubbling, and the topping is deeply caramelized. Under-baked and watery crisps are a real disappointment.
- Use a food processor and scale: These small appliances save time and clean up.
Ingredients
You will need 10 ingredients to make this crunchy peach crisp with pecans.
For The Topping:
- Pecan Halves: The star of the crunchy topping. Buy pecan halves, not pieces. You'll pulse them in the food processor yourself, which gives you control over the texture. You want some small bits and some larger pieces for a varied, crunchy topping, not a fine meal.
- All-Purpose Flour: A little flour binds with the butter and sugar to create the topping.
- Dark Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: We're going to use two sugars similar to those in chocolate chip cookies. I prefer dark brown sugar because of the molasses-like, deeper flavor it has. Light brown sugar works, too.
- Cinnamon: A little bit of spice to complement the sugar/flour/butter/nut topping.
- Unsalted Butter: To blend with the flour and sugar. Butter is necessary for the fat and mouthfeel in our favorite desserts.
For The Filling
- Peaches: Peaches are in season during the heat of summer for about 5 weeks. White or yellow flesh varieties both work. Don’t bother with trying to buy grocery store peaches grown hundreds of miles away. It’s best to find a local orchard for sweet, tangy, and good peaches. If you are having a hard time finding good peaches, I suggest having these Georgia peaches shipped to your front door during the season. They are more expensive than local, but they are very good.
- Cornstarch: A fine, white powder derived from corn. It’s in the baking aisle and is commonly used as a thickening agent in recipes. It needs to be heated to a light boil before thickening begins. A substitute is arrowroot powder.
- Granulated Sugar: To balance the tartness of the peaches. If your peaches are more sweet than sour, reduce the sugar to half.
- Lemon Juice: Only use fresh lemons, which add some acid and brightness. When shopping, choose a heavy lemon. Weigh it to help you find the best one with more juice.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Equipment
Equipment makes a real difference in this recipe:
- Food processor, 11-14 cup capacity: This is the tool that cuts your prep time in half. Just put it in the dishwasher when you are finished. A small processor won't handle the volume of the topping efficiently.
- Kitchen scale (optional but worth it): Weight measurements for flour, sugar, and pecans are more accurate than volume. The gram measurements are listed in the recipe card.
- 2½-Quart baking dish: I have used 12-inch cast-iron skillet, 9 x 9 x 2½-inch casserole, or a 12 x 8 x 2½-inch casserole. All three work. Cast iron retains heat beautifully. A casserole dish is easier to transport if you're bringing it somewhere.
- Individual servings (optional): You can use 8 individual 8-ounce capacity ramekins or 8 of these 6-inch All-Clad gratin pans for stunning individual servings. Bake them on a cookie sheet.
How To Peel Peaches
There are 2 ways to peel peaches:
- Cut a small X in the skin on the bottom of the peach. Submerge the peaches in boiling water 3-4 at a time for 30-60 seconds, then plunge them into an ice bath to prevent cooking. This makes the peeling slip right off, revealing perfectly smooth flesh.
- Peel them just like you would peel an apple with a small paring knife or vegetable peeler. In the time that it takes to boil water, I can have 7-8 peaches already peeled and sliced. So, I don't always blanch them in boiling water.
Tip: Sometimes, the pit sticks or clings (clingstone) to the flesh, versus easily detaching (freestone). If your pit is stuck, start cutting wedges around it like an orange segment. The pit will eventually come loose.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
Step 1: Pulse the pecans in the food processor 6 times, 1 second each, until the pecan halves are chopped. Remove the pecans to a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
Step 3: Add the butter cubes. Pulse 10 times until it looks like clumpy, damp sand. You should still see small pieces of butter throughout.
Step 4: Add the pecans back to the food processor. Pulse 4-5 times until the nuts are small, but not fine. Refrigerate the topping for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
Step 5: In a mixing bowl, combine the peeled peach slices, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch with a spatula until evenly coated. Pour the peach mixture into your skillet or casserole dish and spread it into an even layer.
Step 6: Spread the pecan topping evenly over the peaches. Let it sit in loose, irregular clumps. Bake 55 minutes until bubbly and brown.
Step 7: Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, or a drizzle of half-and-half.
What To Use In Place Of A Food Processor
If you don't have a large food processor, you can still make the crisp by hand. Here's how to do it:
- Hand chop the pecans with a chef's knife. Keep chopping until the pieces are ¼ inch or smaller. Set them aside.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to blend.
- Add the cubed butter to the bowl of flour and sugar. Use a pastry blender or 2 forks to blend into a crumbly, sandy texture.
- Add the chopped pecans and combine using the pastry blender or your fingers. Don't handle the crumble too much or the butter will melt.
- Chill, covered, in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or overnight.
How To Freeze Peaches
If you have the opportunity to buy plenty of ripe local peaches, you can freeze them to enjoy later. Here's how to do it:
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You might need more than 1.
- Squeeze 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into a bowl with 2 cups of cold water. Stir to combine.
- Submerge 3-4 peaches at a time in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Gently transfer them to an ice bath.
- Slip the peelings off and slice into ½-inch wedges.
- Dip each peach slice into the bowl of lemon water to prevent browning, then place it on the lined cookie sheet. Do not let the peaches touch each other.
- Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours to completely freeze.
- Transfer the frozen peaches to your freezer-friendly container of choice.
Note: 3 pounds of sliced frozen peaches fit in a 1-gallon freezer bag.
Dinner Party Tip
Scoop your vanilla ice cream into individual scoops on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the morning. Return it to the freezer so the ice cream is ready to go when you serve the crisp.
Make Ahead Instructions
This crisp is at its best right out of the oven. That said, it works really well as a make-ahead dessert for guests.
Make it in the morning and let it cool completely. Cover it and store at room temperature. Before serving, reheat it uncovered in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until warm throughout.
You can also prep the two components separately:
- Topping: Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate covered.
- Filling:
- Slice the peaches up to 4 hours before baking.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over them and keep them covered in the refrigerator.
- Mix the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.
- Set aside until ready to bake.
- An hour before serving, toss the peaches with the sugar and cornstarch.
- Add the topping and bake.
Storage Information
Room Temperature: Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days. The topping will soften in the refrigerator, but it crisps back up when reheated.
To Reheat: Place the crisp, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, though the topping won't crisp the same way.
Freezer: I have not tested freezing a cooked peach crisp. I will provide an update upon my findings during our next peach season.
FAQ
Yes. You don't have to defrost them. They might need a few more minutes of cooking. Freeze your own local peaches at their peak. See my instructions for freezing peaches. They are so much better than store-bought.
I suggest doubling the recipe if you want to bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Sometimes, peaches that aren't quite ripe enough will have stubborn skins.
If you blanch your peaches and the skin is not coming off, resubmerge them in the boiling water for another 30 seconds and chill in ice water or wait a day longer.
In my opinion, no. I hesitate to use canned peaches because they taste much sweeter in my opinion.
You don't have to peel peaches, but I think it's necessary because the texture of the peeling is not pleasant for some of us.
Did you try any of these tips? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Peach Crisp With Pecans
Equipment
- food processor, 11-14 cup capacity
- kitchen scale (optional)
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet, 9 x 9 x 2.5 inch casserole, or 12 x 8 x 2.5-inch casserole (2.5-quart capacity) OR 8 individual skillets or ramekins
Ingredients
Topping
- ¾ cup all purpose flour (108 grams)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (107 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (2.7 grams)
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed into ½ inch pieces (140 grams)
- 1½ cups pecan halves (156 grams)
Filing
- 3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½ inch wedges (7-9 peaches)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
For The Topping
- Pulse the pecans in the food processor 6 times, 1 second each, until the pecan halves are chopped. Remove the pecans to a bowl. Set aside.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl of the food processor and pulse for 5-7 seconds to mix.
- Add the butter cubes. Pulse 10 times until it looks like clumpy sand.
- Add the pecans to the food processor. Pulse 4-5 times until the nuts are small, but not fine. Refrigerate the topping for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
For The Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch with a spatula. Pour the peach mixture into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 9 x 9-inch casserole.
- Spread the pecan topping evenly over the top. Let it sit in loose clumps. Bake 55 minutes until bubbly and brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, or a drizzle of half-and-half.
Notes
- Hand chop the pecans with a chef's knife. Keep chopping until the pieces are ¼ inch or smaller. Set them aside.
- Add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to blend.
- Add the cubed butter to the bowl of flour and sugar. Use a pastry blender or 2 forks to blend into a crumbly, sandy texture.
- Add the chopped pecans and combine using the pastry blender or your fingers. Don't handle the crumble too much or the butter will melt.
- Chill, covered, in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or overnight.
- Topping: Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate covered.
- Filling:
- Slice the peaches up to 4 hours before baking.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over them and keep them covered in the refrigerator.
- Mix the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.
- Set aside until ready to bake.
- An hour before serving, toss the peaches with the sugar and cornstarch.
- Add the topping and bake.
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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