Baked Peaches With Crumble Topping Recipe

Baked peaches make a delicious and (relatively) healthy dessert that is sure to impress all of your guests. While the base of this recipe consists of juicy, ripe peaches that are baked to the point where they almost melt in your mouth, the toppings really make this after-dinner treat unforgettable. Of course, this means that the topping is where you will spend your time as far as prep is concerned. Plus, there are a few additional accoutrement you can add to really make this incredible dish pop. Even with the topping, the prep is still quick and painless despite being completely homemade.

Recipe creator Angela Latimer is a master of baked goods as evidenced by her website Bake it With Love. "I feel that anything made from scratch is better than processed foods," she says, "and fruit desserts are a much healthier option than many." A healthy dessert option? Sounds fantastic.

This recipe calls for a few additional sweet items as well as peaches, which are, of course, naturally sweet. So to start, pick up some ripe peaches from the fruit aisle or your local farmers market. Everything else is needed for the topping. You will need to get some all-purpose flour and a container of quick oats. From the spice aisle, you'll need light brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Since you only need a small amount of cinnamon, you might already have that in your pantry. Finally, you should have a few sticks of butter.

There are also a few optional ingredients you can add to the topping, including nutmeg and mascarpone, as well as honey and vanilla bean. These extras will really take this dessert to another level. Finally, some ice cream or whipped cream makes a perfect cool contrast to the warm baked peaches. Now you're ready to get baking. The sooner you bake, the sooner you and your family can enjoy!

Preheat your oven to 350 F. While heating, line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. (Alternatively, you can spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.) Wash and cut your peaches in half, removing the pits, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. You could also flip a muffin tin upside down, and place the peaches between the inverted muffin holders to "cup" the peaches, preventing them from moving around. The important thing to note here is you must make sure the peaches don't stick to whatever they are baking on.

Now you can turn your focus to making the crumble topping. First, melt your butter. (It should be equal to about ½ cup.) Latimer will "always microwave the butter, use a microwave-safe dish, and heat in 30-second increments until melted." This ensures you don't accidentally burn the butter. In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, quick oats, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon with the melted butter. Use a fork to blend until all of the topping ingredients are thoroughly coated with the butter.

Once your topping is well-blended, divide it between the peaches. Add a generous amount of the topping to each peach half, then use your hand to distribute the topping, gently pressing it into the peach pit cavities. While this recipe calls for four peaches, you could also use this topping amount for just three peaches. You can also opt to make this healthier by eliminating some of the crumble (i.e. butter) altogether. "To keep this easy dessert on the lighter side of calories," advises Latimer, "reduce the topping amount in half."

Once the topping has been added, bake the loaded peaches in the center rack of your pre-heated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. One thing to note, though, is that cooking times may vary based on the size of your peaches or how ripe they are.

You can test the peaches with a fork to determine if they're tender and ready to eat. "The peaches should feel completely tender when done," says Latimer. "Starting with a peach that isn't rock hard and unripe helps." Once they've finished cooking, remove the peaches from the oven, and let them cool for five to 10 minutes.

Once cooled, you can add your choice of additional toppings to the peaches. One more bit of advice from Latimer before delivering these delicious treats, "The rounded peaches make them a moving target, so if possible, serve in a small fruit bowl."

Not only will this dessert taste great, but the presentation will be incredible! Consider making this recipe for your next dinner party, and you will certainly not be disappointed.