Sliced peaches baked with cinnamon and brown sugar under a crumbly, buttery topping until golden and bubbling. No crust to roll, just a bowl, a spoon, and a scoop of ice cream if you want it.

This peach crumble has a juicy, cinnamon-spiced peach filling under a buttery brown sugar topping, ready in under an hour. Simple to make with fresh or frozen peaches.

Peach season is short, which is exactly why I try to make the most of it while it lasts. Somewhere around late July every year I end up with a counter full of peaches that ripened faster than I planned for, and crumble is the fastest way to turn that into something worth eating instead of something that goes soft and gets tossed.

This one’s simple on purpose. Sliced peaches tossed with cinnamon, brown sugar, and a little lemon juice, topped with a mix of flour, oats, more brown sugar, and cold butter rubbed together until it’s clumpy. No crust to deal with, no lattice pattern to think about, just layer it and bake it.

It works with fresh peaches at their peak, and it works just as well with frozen ones once the season’s over, which is honestly how I make it most of the year.

➡️ You should try this recipe next: Blueberry Crisp Recipe (Easy Homemade, Oat Topping)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No crust to roll out or fuss over
Works with fresh or frozen peaches
Ready in under an hour with minimal prep
Naturally vegetarian and easy to adapt
Great warm with ice cream or cold the next morning
Forgiving recipe that’s hard to get wrong

What You Need

Peaches. Fresh, ripe peaches are ideal when they’re in season, but frozen sliced peaches work well the rest of the year without needing to be thawed first. If using fresh, look for peaches that give slightly when pressed, not rock hard and not mushy.

Granulated sugar. Sweetens the filling and helps draw out some of the natural juice from the peaches as they bake.

Cinnamon. The classic pairing with peaches. A good amount here makes the filling taste warm and a little more complex instead of just sweet.

Lemon juice. Balances out the sweetness and keeps the filling from tasting flat. Peaches on their own can lean a little one-note without something acidic to cut through it.

Cornstarch. Thickens the filling as it bakes so you end up with something that holds its shape on a spoon rather than running everywhere like syrup.

All-purpose flour. The base of the crumble topping, giving it structure so it clumps together instead of staying loose and powdery.

Old-fashioned oats. Adds texture to the topping and helps it turn golden and slightly crisp instead of just cakey. Old-fashioned oats hold up better than quick oats, which can turn a little mushy once baked.

Brown sugar. Sweetens the topping with a deeper, more caramel-like flavor than white sugar, and helps it brown nicely in the oven.

Cold butter. Cut into small pieces and worked into the dry ingredients until clumpy. This is what gives the topping its crumbly, uneven texture instead of turning into a flat layer.

Salt. A small pinch in both the filling and topping keeps everything from tasting flat.

For serving. Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or just a splash of cold cream over a warm bowl.

How to Make Peach Crumble

Make the Filling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss the sliced peaches with granulated sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and spread into an even layer.

Sliced peaches mixed with sugar cinnamon and lemon before baking

Make the Topping and Bake

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture turns clumpy and holds together when pressed.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches, covering as much of the surface as you can without pressing it down too firmly.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving so the filling has time to set up.

Warm peach crumble in bowl topped with melting vanilla ice cream

This is a good match for the blueberry crisp if you’re making the most of summer fruit and want a couple of easy baked desserts in the rotation. Both use nearly the same method, so once you’ve made one, the other comes together just as easily.

💚 Upgrade your meals with high protein recipes the whole family will love — check out The High Protein Cookbook, packed with delicious protein-packed recipes to keep you full and energized!

Tips

Use cold butter, not softened. Cold butter creates those crumbly, uneven clumps in the topping. Softened butter turns it into more of a paste, and it won’t crisp up the same way in the oven.

Peel the peaches or don’t, it’s up to you. Peeling gives a smoother texture, but leaving the skin on saves time and adds a bit of color and texture. If you do want to peel them, a quick dip in boiling water for 30 seconds makes the skins slip off easily.

Don’t skip the lemon juice. It keeps the filling from tasting flat and overly sweet, especially with very ripe, sugary peaches.

Let it cool before serving. The filling needs a few minutes out of the oven to set up. Serving immediately means a runnier filling, which still tastes good but won’t hold together as well.

Taste your peaches before adding sugar. Very ripe, sweet peaches need less added sugar than peaches that are still a little firm and tart. Adjust based on what you’re working with.

Variations

Mix in berries. Raspberries or blackberries stirred in with the peaches add a little color and tartness without changing the method.

Add nuts to the topping. Chopped pecans or almonds mixed into the crumble topping add crunch and a nutty flavor, if you’re not avoiding nuts.

Make it gluten free. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and certified gluten-free oats in the topping.

Add ginger. A little grated fresh ginger or a pinch of ground ginger in the filling adds warmth and a subtle spice note that pairs nicely with peaches.

Make it boozy. A splash of bourbon stirred into the peach filling adds depth and a slightly grown-up edge, especially good if serving this for a dinner party.

Substitutions

Fresh peaches can be replaced with frozen sliced peaches, without thawing first, adding about 5 to 10 extra minutes to the bake time.

All-purpose flour can be replaced with a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version.

Butter can be replaced with a plant-based butter alternative for a dairy-free version, though the texture of the topping may be slightly different.

Brown sugar can be replaced with coconut sugar in the same amount for a slightly different, less sweet flavor.

Old-fashioned oats can be replaced with quick oats in a pinch, though the topping will be softer and less textured.

Storage

Store leftover crumble covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It reheats well and tastes just as good, if not better, the next day once the flavors have settled.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or warm a larger portion in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes if you want the topping to crisp back up.

This freezes well either baked or unbaked. If freezing unbaked, assemble the crumble in a freezer-safe dish, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 15 extra minutes to the bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to peel the peaches?

No, it’s optional. Peeling gives a smoother texture in the finished crumble, but leaving the skins on saves time and adds a little extra color and texture. If you want to peel them, a quick dip in boiling water makes the skins slip off easily.

Can I use frozen peaches?

Yes, frozen sliced peaches work well and don’t need to be thawed first. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time since frozen fruit releases more liquid and takes a bit longer to bubble and thicken.

Why is my crumble topping soggy instead of crisp?

This usually happens if the butter was too soft when mixed in, or if the crumble wasn’t baked long enough for the topping to fully set and brown. Cold butter and a full bake time until the topping is visibly golden are the two biggest factors.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the whole thing a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge unbaked, then bake it fresh when ready to serve. You can also fully bake it ahead and reheat before serving.

What’s the difference between a crumble and a crisp?

They’re very similar and the terms are often used interchangeably. A crisp typically includes oats in the topping, while a crumble is sometimes made with just flour, sugar, and butter, though many recipes, including this one, blend the two.

Print Recipe