Peach Crisp (easy, with oats)
This is a perfect summer dessert, with a crisp topping and a layer of juicy peaches that create their own sauce during baking. It's sweet, fresh, and one of the easiest fruit bakes during peach season.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the fruit layer:
- 6 cups sliced peaches with or without skins
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup rolled or old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
For the fruit layer:
- Spread 6 cups sliced peaches in a 9-inch round or square baking dish that can go into the oven. I use ceramic or glass because they are pretty enough to serve this dessert directly from them.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger on top.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons cornstarch in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Drizzle over the fruit, and stir it right in the dish. It will not be uniformly mixed, and that is fine.
For the topping;
- Combine 1 cup rolled or old-fashioned oats, ¾ cup all-purpose flour and ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar in a medium or large bowl.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and in pieces, and integrate them using your hands or a pastry cutter. You'll have a coarse, rustic mixture with different sizes of butter pieces.
- Sprinkle this mixture on the peaches, leaving a little space around the edges so the juices can bubble up. You can lightly press it down to make it more compact.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, or plain at room temperature.
Notes
Baking time: Keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Variations: You can add some lemon zest (together with the lemon juice) to the filling if you want a sharper lemon tone. Or use orange zest and juice, as they go very well with peaches and spices. Add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel-like topping mixture for a crunchy crumble.
