Simple Peach Crisp Recipe

If you're looking for a dessert that's delicious, comforting, easy to make, and sure to please, chef and recipe developer Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking has you covered with this simple peach crisp recipe. Even the novice baker will feel accomplished when this dish comes out perfect every time. And what's more, it uses fresh, ripe peaches, so it's sure to become a summer favorite you'll look forward to year after year.

A peach crisp is the perfect dessert to serve at a barbecue with friends, after a Sunday dinner with the family, or any time you want a sweet treat that takes just 10 minutes to prep and pop in the oven. And beyond the fresh peaches, it calls for mostly common ingredients typically found in well-stocked kitchens, so whenever peaches are in season, you can whip one up and serve it with some happiness. 

"This recipe is incredibly easy so its very hard to make mistakes," says Morone. "[Just] make sure you use cold butter in the topping. If the butter is too warm, the topping will spread out more and won't get crispy when you are baking it. But, it will still taste really good, even if you mess that part up a little."

This sweet, rich dessert calls for fresh peaches, of course. Beyond that you'll need lemon juice, almond extract, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, old fashioned oats, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, light brown sugar, and a hefty bit of unsalted butter, which should be kept cold right up until you use it in the recipe.

"The secret ingredient in this peach crisp is the almond extract, which goes so well with the peaches and helps to bring out the peach flavor," says Morone.

To start things off, preheat the oven to that classic baking temperature of 350 F. Then, lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, add the sliced peaches, lemon juice, almond extract, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour. Toss until the peaches are coated, then pour the peach mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the remaining flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, and whisk them together until the dry ingredients are well-combined. Then, add the cold butter to the bowl (pro tip: chop it up into bits right before adding) and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to combine the mixture together until small clumps form.

Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the peaches in the baking dish, spreading it out to fully cover the fruit. Pop the dish in the preheated oven and bake it for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbly. Serve portions of the peach crisp warm, ideally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. 

"You can store this covered at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days," says Morone.