This fresh peach crisp has sweet, juicy peaches, a lightly spiced filling, and a buttery brown sugar oat topping that bakes up golden brown and crunchy.

Close-up of peach crisp topped with vanilla ice cream.

It fills a 9×13-inch pan, so there’s plenty for a family dessert or summer get-together. A little cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice round out the peach flavor without overpowering it.

Keeping the Peach Filling from Turning Watery

Fresh peaches release quite a bit of liquid as they bake. If there’s too much moisture in the filling, the crisp can come out runny and soften the oat topping.

To help prevent that, toss the sliced peaches with 2 tablespoons of sugar and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The sugar draws out some of the excess juice before the peaches go into the baking dish.

Drain the liquid, then add the remaining filling ingredients. The flour thickens the juice left in the peaches, giving the filling a soft, syrupy consistency instead of leaving a puddle in the bottom of the pan.

Macerated peach slices with released juices.

Choosing Peaches for Fresh Peach Crisp

Look for ripe peaches that smell sweet and give slightly when pressed near the stem. Peaches that are still hard won’t have as much flavor, while very soft peaches can turn mushy in the oven.

John and I live in Florida, so we get a fairly long peach season, and this crisp stays in rotation while the peaches are good. It’s also an easy way to use several pounds at once.

I prefer to peel the peaches for a smoother filling, but it isn’t required. The skins soften as the crisp bakes, so either option works just make sure to wash them well before you start.

This peach crisp recipe was made with fresh peaches. I haven’t tested it with frozen peaches, so I can’t say exactly how the filling will turn out. Canned peaches are already soft and packed in liquid, so they may make the filling softer and wetter than intended.

How to Make Peach Crisp

Preheat the oven to 375°F, and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Toss the sliced peaches with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the excess liquid, then add the remaining sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Transfer the peach filling to the prepared baking dish.

Peach filling spread in a white baking dish.

For the oat topping, combine the oats, butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon. A pastry cutter or two forks will work, but I usually use my hands. It makes it easier to tell when the butter is evenly incorporated and there aren’t any floury or sandy patches left.

Unbaked peach dessert covered with oat crumble.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches. Bake the crisp uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles around the edges.

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or a scoop of brown sugar peach ice cream for even more peach flavor. That cold ice cream melting into the warm peaches is hard to beat.

Things to Know About Peach Crisp

Make sure the butter is fully worked into the topping. Dry pockets of flour won’t brown properly and can leave pale, powdery spots after baking.

The crisp also needs to bake until the filling bubbles around the edges. That’s a good sign that the filling is hot and has had time to thicken.

Let the crisp cool uncovered. Covering it while it’s still warm traps steam and can soften the topping.

You can also add a cup of fresh blueberries or blackberries to the peaches for a little extra color and tartness. Be mindful when adding blackberries, you may need a little extra flour since they release a lot of liquid.

A wooden spoon scooping peach crisp from the pan.

Storing and Reheating Peach Crisp

This crisp is best the day it’s baked, while the oat topping is at its crunchiest. You can still make it ahead, but let it cool completely before covering and refrigerating it.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. The topping will soften as it sits, but reheating the crisp uncovered in a 350°F oven will bring back some of the crunch.

To freeze it, bake the crisp and let it cool completely. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze it for up to 2 months.

Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it uncovered at 350°F until warmed through.

More Peach Desserts to Try

For a peach dessert with a soft, cake-like topping, try my crazy crust peach cobbler. The cinnamon roll peach cobbler uses canned cinnamon rolls for an easy shortcut, and peach simple syrup is a great way to use extra peaches in summer drinks.

This peach crisp has a buttery oat topping similar to my easy apple crisp, which is a good one to save for fall.