A Quick and Easy Peach Dessert You'll Want to Make Right Away

That stretch of the year when peaches show up perfectly ripe, fragrant enough to smell from across the kitchen, always seems to call for something more than eating them plain over the sink. Not everyone has time for an elaborate baking project though, especially on a warm evening.

This particular dessert takes almost no effort and turns a handful of ripe peaches into something genuinely worth serving. Keep reading for the full recipe.

Ripe Peaches Make All The Difference

Choosing the right peaches matters more than any other single step in this recipe. Baking experts recommend picking peaches that smell fragrant and give slightly when pressed gently, rather than peaches that feel completely hard or already soft and bruised.

A peach that is too firm will not have developed much sweetness yet, while an overripe one can turn the filling watery once baked. Giving peaches a few extra days on the counter to ripen, if needed, makes a real difference in the final result.

The Whole Thing Comes Together In Two Simple Steps

This dessert really only involves two components, a quick peach filling and a buttery oat topping scattered over it. The peaches get tossed with sugar, a little cornstarch and lemon juice, while the topping comes together by working cold butter into oats, flour and brown sugar until it turns into loose, clumpy crumbs.

There is no dough to roll out and no need to fuss over presentation. Everything goes into one dish and into the oven, which is a big part of what makes this recipe so quick to pull together on a whim.

It Works Just As Well With Frozen Peaches

None of this requires waiting for peak peach season either. Frozen peaches work well in place of fresh ones, with the added benefit of skipping the peeling step entirely, since frozen peaches are typically sold already peeled and sliced.

Baking straight from frozen just means adding a few extra minutes in the oven to make up for the added moisture. That flexibility makes this a dessert worth keeping in regular rotation, not just something reserved for the height of summer.

The Full Recipe

Quick Peach Crisp Serves 6, about 40 minutes total

Ingredients

6 ripe peaches, sliced (fresh or thawed frozen)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a nine inch baking dish.
Toss the peaches with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Pour into the prepared dish.
Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt. Work in the cold butter with your fingers until the mixture turns into coarse, clumpy crumbs.
Scatter the topping evenly over the peaches.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So the next time a few ripe peaches are sitting on the counter with nowhere to go, this crisp turns them into dessert with barely any effort. Sometimes the simplest recipe in the rotation ends up being the one everyone asks for again.