Easy Peach Crisp [With Fresh Peaches, Canned, or Frozen]

How to make a sweet and fruity easy peach crisp with fresh peaches, canned or frozen—to enjoy year-round! Gluten-free, sugar-free, and optional add-ins for the peach crumble listed below!

Easy Peach Crisp with Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Peaches

If you love peaches as much as I do, relegating this delicious, melt-in-the-mouth easy peach crisp recipe (peach crumble) to summer just won’t do. Which is why I’m sharing methods to make this versatile peach crisp with fresh peaches, frozen, or canned - to enjoy at a moment’s notice year-round!

This easy peach crisp recipe relies on just a few inexpensive pantry-friendly ingredients and combines a lightly spiced cinnamon-peach filling with a buttery, biscuity cinnamon oat streusel topping. However, it’s also super customizable to dietary needs (including making a healthy peach crisp with no added sugar!) and what you have in your kitchen. Keep reading for my favorite add-ins and recipe variations.

I love knocking out this fresh peach crisp as a last-minute dessert for mid-week meals or as a dish to impress at BBQs, potlucks, parties, and more. While it may taste like you’ve been in the kitchen for hours, this naturally vegan peach crisp recipe only requires 5 fuss-free steps and 10-15 minutes of hands-on prep work.

The Difference Between Peach Crisp vs. Crumble vs. Cobbler

You may have noticed that all three dishes seem very familiar, so what is the difference? First, you’d usually make a peach cobbler with a biscuit dough or cake mix batter topping. When using dough, it’s often dropped in rounds to create the look of a cobbled path, hence a ‘cobbler.’

The difference between a peach crisp and a peach crumble is a little harder to place. Once upon a time, a crisp usually meant oats are in the streusel topping, though the terms are primarily used interchangeably now (as I do in this post). They both refer to a dessert with a fruity filling and streusel topping made with flour, sugar, butter, and sometimes oats.

The Ingredients

This peach crisp recipe relies on just a few simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients.

The Peach Filling:

• Peaches: During peach season, I highly recommend using fresh ripe peaches (freestone peaches will be the easiest to pull away from the pit) that are firm with some give and no bruises or soft spots. However, you could also make the peach crisp with canned peaches or frozen peaches (refer to the FAQs for the method).

If your peaches aren’t fully ripe, pop them in a paper bag with an apple or banana to encourage them to ripen sooner.

• Sweetener: I used maple syrup, though any liquid or granulated sweetener will work. I.e., malt rice syrup, agave syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar, etc.

You could also use a sugar substitute like sugar-free maple syrup, brown sugar, erythritol/ monk fruit, etc.

• Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon or lime juice (and, optionally, some zest) to brighten the flavor of the peach filling.
• Cinnamon: Adjust the amount to preference.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

A streusel topping is one of my favorite dessert elements. It’s 'buttery', crisp, and fresh yet warming thanks to the addition of cinnamon and is perfect for this peach crumble.

• Flour: You can use white all-purpose flour or a 50:50 combination of AP and whole wheat flour. For a gluten-free peach crisp, use an all-purpose gluten-free blend.
• Oats: (optional) Use rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) to add texture. Use gluten-free certified oats if necessary.
• Vegan butter: Use lightly salted dairy-free butter or coconut oil, melted.
• Cinnamon: Adjust the amount to preference.
• Salt: To enhance the various flavors.

You may also like to sprinkle over (or mix in) a small amount of sugar, which will caramelize in the oven and make for a sweet, 'buttery' topping.

What could I add to The Peach Crumble?

Like any crumble or crisp, there are plenty of ways to adapt and adjust this recipe. Here are a few of my favorite options to help you find your perfect peach crisp:

• Vanilla extract: A small amount of vanilla in the peach filling will taste delicious.
• Nuts: (optional) Use chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans to mix into the crumble topping for added crunch.
• Shredded coconut: Instead of nuts, coconut also adds some texture (and flavor) to the peach crumble topping.
• Spices: Cinnamon pairs particularly well with nutmeg (just a dash). For a more robust flavor, you could experiment with adding cardamom or ground ginger.
• Rose water: Just a small amount of rosewater in the fresh peach crisp filling adds a delicious Spring/Summer depth. Edible lavender could also work.
• More fruit: Crisps and crumbles are famously easy to adapt with your choice of fruit, based on the season. Instead of replacing the peaches, you could double up on fruits for extra flavor.
  • Peach blueberry crisp (add around a cup of blueberries)
  • Apricot
  • Mango
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Cherries
  • Rhubarb
• Dried fruit: You could add a handful of raisins, sultanas, or dried blueberries.

Be careful not to add too much liquid, or the filling will become overly watery. In that case, add some cornstarch to thicken the filling (refer to FAQs).

How to Make Peach Crisp?

With minimal effort, you can get this delicious peach crisp on your table in under an hour from scratch!

• 1) First, preheat the oven to 375F/190C and lightly grease a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
• 2) Meanwhile, chop the peaches (then pat them dry) and combine the peach slices with the sweetener, lemon, and cinnamon until well combined. Then pour the peach mixture into the dish.

There’s no need to peel peaches, as the cooking time will soften them and make them barely noticeable within the peach dessert.

However, if you’d prefer to peel them, slice a small X at the base of each peach, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath until they’re cool enough to touch. At this point, the skin should peel away easily.

• 3) Then, in a medium bowl, prepare the cinnamon streusel topping by combining the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and melted vegan butter (or coconut oil). Use your fingers (or a fork) to mix them until it’s a crumb consistency.

• 4) Spread the topping over the peaches and then transfer the peach crisp to the oven to bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling.

If it browns too quickly, tent some foil over it as it bakes.

• 5) Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To make chunkier crumbs: Use chilled vegan butter straight from the fridge.
• Sweeten to taste: Adjust the amount of sugar you use based on how sweet the peaches are (i.e., less when making peach crisp with canned peaches that were in syrup) and if you want the crisp topping sweet.
• Adjust the texture: I like to cut wedges of peach, but you can adjust the thickness or size of the peach pieces to adjust the consistency. (i.e., thinner slices will become softer).

Serving Recommendations

While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a big portion of this fresh peach crisp alone, make the treat even better with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream, dairy free custard, plant-based whipped cream, vegan plain or vanilla yogurt, or delicious vegan caramel sauce or raspberry syrup!

You can also top the vegan peach crisp with more fresh fruits like raspberries and other berries for the contrast In texture and flavor.

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Make ahead: Prepare the filling and topping for this easy peach crisp/crumble separately and store them covered in the fridge for up to a day before assembling and baking. You can also freeze the cinnamon streusel topping for up to 3 months.

Store: Allow the peach crumble/crisp to cool and store leftovers either covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Freeze: The baked crisp will freeze for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped to avoid freezer burn/ice crystals. Note the topping won’t stay crispy upon thawing and may benefit from broiling.

Reheat: You can reheat a large amount in an oven at 350F/180C until warm (around 15-20 minutes). Single portions will also reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Note that the topping won’t remain as crisp when microwaving, though.

More Easy Summer Desserts

• Strawberry yogurt popsicles
• Mango yogurt popsicles
• Healthy watermelon popsicles
• Pineapple strawberry nice cream
• Vegan coffee nice cream
• Pineapple strawberry mocktail

If you try this easy peach crisp recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla