Homemade peach crumble pie features a buttery, flaky crust and a fresh, tender peach filling. Topped with a cinnamon spiced brown sugar crumble, you’ll love the flavor and texture of each bite! Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summertime indulgence.
Peach crumble pie is the pie version of this peach quick bread— and most certainly a tasty experience to savor this summer! The filling is sturdy with plenty of juicy peach chunks throughout. The crumble keeps its shape, while some of its butter melts down creating an even richer peach pie filling. If you enjoy my apple crumble pie, you’re in for a real treat today!
3 Parts to Peach Crumble Pie
Pie Crust: We use my favorite homemade pie crust as the base of today’s peach crumble pie. It’s made with a mixture of butter and shortening for ultra flaky layers and bakes up nice and golden brown. You only need half of this crust recipe, so freeze the other pie disc for later or make 2 crumble pies! (Try my all butter pie crust for another option).
Peach Filling: After 4 test pies, I landed on the perfect peach pie filling– one that yields tender and delicate (not mushy) peaches with a wonderful balance of sweetness. To the peaches we add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Brown sugar and peaches are meant to be; this flavor pairing makes this peach pie better than any I’ve tasted recently. There isn’t too much brown sugar because peaches are naturally sweet. Cinnamon is an obvious must, lemon juice adds brightness, and flour thickens everything up. If you’d like to use instant tapioca in place of flour, see my note below the full recipe.
Crumble Topping: Made with only 5 ingredients, the crumble topping comes together quickly and easily. I wanted the brown sugar and cinnamon flavors to shine in this pie, so we use both in the crumble topping.
Overview: How to Make Peach Crumble Pie
Make the pie crust. The pie crust needs to chill for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days), so you could make the crust a few days in advance.
Make the filling. Peel and cut the peaches into chunks. Combine the peach chunks, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon together.
Roll out the pie dough. Roll out one disc of chilled pie dough until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Gently place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish.
Fill the pie. Spoon the peach filling into the crust. Make sure to leave any excess liquid behind in the bowl– we don’t want that in our pie. Trim off any excess dough, then flute the edges.
Make the crumble topping. Combine all of the ingredients together– it will be pretty thick and crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over the peach filling.
Bake. Bake for about 50-55 minutes total, until peach juices are bubbling on the sides and the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I like to place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
Cool & serve. Let the pie cool for at least 3 hours before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up– I actually place it in the refrigerator during this time so the filling is super sturdy.
The Best Peaches to Use for Peach Pie
Fresh peaches are best for peach pie, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal as they’re already too soft and mushy.
The best fresh peaches for peach pie are slightly firm (not hard) with zero bruises or soft spots. Your best bet is to purchase or pick about 9-10 firm peaches, then let them sit in a paper bag for 1-2 days to ripen. Some may have soft spots after this time, so that is why I suggest buying a couple more than you will actually need. Eat the others or add them to a smoothie. I recommend this when making peach bread, too.
My tip for cutting peaches: Cut the peaches into chunks, not slices. Slices bake into mush, while chunks keep their delicious soft texture.
Peach Crumble Pie Topping
What I love most about this crumble topping (besides the incredible taste) is that it keeps its shape for perfect slices. It’s buttery, sweetened with brown sugar, and cinnamon-spiced. I added some walnuts for extra crunch and texture, but you can leave the nuts out or use chopped pecans instead– toast them for even more flavor. Serve each slice with ice cream, a drizzle of salted caramel, or homemade whipped cream!
Make the filling: Peel the peaches then cut into 1-2 inch chunks. You’ll need 7 cups. In a large bowl, stir the peach chunks, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon together until thoroughly combined. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (if you made the entire pie dough recipe– you can freeze the other half of the dough at this time). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the peach filling into the crust, leaving any liquid behind in the bowl– don’t want all that in the pie. Use a small paring knife to trim excess dough off the edges. Flute the edges.
Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Stir in the butter and walnuts. The crumble topping will be thick and crumbly. Sprinkle over peaches.
Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until peach juices are bubbling on the sides and the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up; I actually place it in the refrigerator during this time so the filling is super sturdy. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Cover pie leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Wonderful pie for making ahead! The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Tapioca: To thicken the filling, you can use 1/4 cup of instant tapioca instead of all-purpose flour. Instant tapioca can be found in the baking aisle. Since I know it may not be convenient for everyone, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour works just as well.
