Making homemade pie filling is much easier than you think. This simple recipe with just 5 ingredients features fresh peaches and can be used for pies, dump cakes, crisps, crumbles, and cobblers. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
Quick and easy
Peaches rank very high on the Summer fruit list around here.
When they're good, they're fantastic. When they're not so good, we can always bake with them.
That's why I want to share this easy recipe: You can bottle (so to speak) their fresh flavor for cold, dull days and bring a little sunshine in.
I sometimes also make peaches in vanilla syrup and can them. But it's a more laborious recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Peaches: fresh but not overripe peaches, without skin. However, you can leave the skin on if that's how you like your pies. It usually shrivels as it bakes, so I don't find it appealing.
- Sugar: I use light brown sugar because the flavor is great with peaches. But white sugar also works.
- Cornstarch: it's the thickening agent that helps create the syrup.
- Lemon juice: a little adds some needed acid to balance out the sugar.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
How to make peach pie filling
Similar to what we do with the fruit in the Strawberry Pie with jello, the peaches are macerated with brown sugar to allow them to release the liquid that will form the syrup.
Peeling peaches
It's much easier than you think, and I have a whole post to guide you: how to peel peaches.
Peach juice
In a large bowl, mix peach slices with sugar. In half an hour or so, they will have released their natural juices, and liquid will be gathered at the bottom.
Draining
The peach juice is then drained into a saucepan, and the cornstarch slurry is added. When the mixture is heated, it will thicken more or less depending on what you're using it for.
Final syrup
It's thick and golden in color, it's not a clear gel. It has a lot of fresh peach flavor and keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Peaches: fresh fruit is always the first choice, but this can be made with unsweetened frozen peaches. I recommend thick wedges, not cubes, as they will retain the shape more. Keep in mind that frozen fruit always loses firmness after it's defrosted.
- Storing: you can keep it covered with plastic wrap, in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, or frozen for a month.
- Flavorings: I add vanilla because I think it adds a light sweetness that complements the juicy peaches well. You can omit it if you want a plain sweet peach flavor or use spices like ground cinnamon or cardamom in addition to the extract.
- How to use it: use this peach filling as is for a peach cobbler, peach dump cake, a crumble or crisp. Don't add the water if making a fruit pie as it will make the filling too runny, especially if you add a top crust.
- Serving it: if you're using this peach mixture to make a pie or any of the desserts mentioned above, the best way to serve it is slightly warm (or at room temperature during hot days outside) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Easy peach pie: use the homemade graham cracker crust or a purchased pie shell, add the peach mixture, and top with a simple crumble mixture (found in the cherry crumb pie recipe). Bake it until bubbly and golden. Or use a good quality store-bought pie dough and make a double crust pie, making sure you pierce the dough in the top to create an air vent.
- From scratch pie: for making a pie completely from scratch I always use the Flaky Pie Crust recipe. It can be made ahead and refrigerated for a week or frozen for a month.
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Homemade Peach Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 4 cups peach slices, about 7 medium
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put 4 cups peach slices in a large bowl, add ½ cup light brown sugar, mix lightly and let stand for about 30 minutes, until the natural juices from the peaches are released.
- Drain this liquid into a medium saucepan. If the colander can hold the peaches but is not smaller than the pan, drain them into a medium bowl first and then transfer the juice to the saucepan.
- Put the remaining peaches in the bowl where you mixed them with the sugar. No need to use and wash another bowl.
- Dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small saucepan with a hand whisk until smooth with no lumps. Depending on what you'll use this peach mixture for (see Notes below on how to use it), add ½ cup water, mix and heat over medium temperature until it starts to boil. Softly boil it until it slightly thickens and the cornstarch cooks, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the stove, mix in ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and add this mixture to the peaches. Mix lightly and let cool completely before using. See Notes below for dessert ideas.
- Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze if not using it anytime soon.
Frances says
I love using fresh peaches and freezing them in this form for desserts. I follow this other then using swerve brown sugar, and usually no water. This is a keeper!
Nancy Mackenzie says
I commented previously about this delicious recipe. I want to add that for peaches I add 1/4 tsp each of almond extract, cinnamon and cardamom.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Nancy! Thanks for the reviews. Yes, adding some almond extract is very nice, it complements the peaches very well. Have a great week.
Nancy Mackenzie says
Delicious. This is my go-to filling now. Doing it this way makes a nice not-to-thick syrup and peaches that are not over cooked.
Paula Montenegro says
My thoughts exactly Nancy!
angiesrecipes says
We have been eating lots of stonefruit lately. They are so sweet and juicy now. The peach pie filling looks great and would be perfect paired with some cream as the dessert.