Quick Peach Crumble (crispy topping, juicy filling)

August 14, 2024

This easy peach crumble has a juicy and sweet (low-sugar!) filling and a crunchy, nutty topping. It’s quick and easy to make and you don’t even need to peel the peaches!

Peach crumble in baking pan

How does this peach crumble taste?

I don’ t like overly sweet desserts and prefer to let the fruit shine in this crumble. There is just the right amount of sweetness – with only 3 tablespoons of sugar in the filling and 4 tablespoons sugar in the crumble topping. If the peaches are ripe and sweet, you won’t need more sugar than that.

This gorgeous golden crumble has a lovely crunch to it due to the coarse brown sugar like demerera or turbinado in the crumble topping.

There is a hint of cinnamon in both the filling and the topping that pairs beautifully with peaches. You can add a teaspoon of grated ginger or a pinch of cardamom powder to the peach filling for an extra depth of flavor.

And now, let me tell you to the secret ingredient that makes the crumble topping stand out: ground nuts. Ground hazelnuts or walnuts pair beautifully with the sweet and slightly acidic peaches. Almond meal works well too! The nut-topping simply tastes so much better than the traditional butter-flour-sugar mix. This crumble will literally melt in your mouth.

Do You Peel Peaches Before Cooking?

It is not necessary to peel the peaches for crumble. The skins will soften during baking, so it’s completely up to you. If you are easily bothered by peels, you can chop the peaches into small cubes. This way the peels blend in and are barely noticeable. Or you can peel them if you prefer to. The peel usually comes off easily using a knife if the peaches are ripe. So it’s a matter of minutes. But as I said: I never do, which works for me … and the people around me!

How to serve peach crumble?

Peach crumble in pan
Peach crumble and vanilla ice cream – the perfect combination!

It’s hard to beat the classic pairing of warm peach crumble with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. The contrast in temperature, sweetness, and texture makes for an irresistible combination. Having said that, I often serve it plain too! In my opinion, a dollop of whipped cream or sour cream mixed with a spoon of sugar also pairs well with the juicy peach filling and crunchy topping.

Recipe quick peach crumble

Sliced peaches
No need to peel the peaches.

Start with the peach filling. Wash and pit peaches. Finely slice them. The peaches should be ripe (meaning slightly soft to the touch) to get a sweet and juicy crumble.

To keep the recipe as simple as possible I never peel the peaches. If you are easily bothered by peels, you can peel the peaches before slicing. Alternatively, you could dice them into small cubes – this way the peels blend in and are barely noticeable.

Peach filling
Combine peaches, sugar, cinnamon and grated ginger.

In a large bowl or directly in an 8-inch square pan (21 cm) or round 9 to 10-inch (24 cm) round pan combine peaches, sugar, cinnamon and ginger, if using. Mix well.

Peach filling in pan
Add peach filling to the baking dish.

Evenly distribute peaches in the pan, including the juices. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C with the rack in the center.

dry crumble ingredients
Sugar, ground hazelnuts, flour, cinnamon, and salt.

For the crumble topping, combine flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.

Butter cubes and flour
Work cubed butter into dry crumble ingredients.

Add cold butter in small cubes and work butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers.

topping peach crumble
The crumble topping resembles cookie dough.

The butter will soften slightly as you go and the mixture should resemble cookie dough.

crumble topping on fruits
Distribute the topping evenly.

Crumble the dough evenly on top of the peaches.

crispy peach crumble
The filling should be juicy and bubbly, the topping golden.

Bake the crumble at 375°F/190°C until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes. If the topping is already golden brown but the filling is not yet bubbly, cover pan with tin foil and continue baking for a few minutes.

Quick peach crumble in pan
Enjoy peach crumble with vanilla ice cream.

Remove pan from the oven, and let the crumble rest for a few minutes before serving warm with a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments how it turned out and also leave me a star rating if you want :)

Juicy peach crumble
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5 from 11 reviews

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Quick Peach Crumble (crispy topping, juicy filling)

This delicious, juicy, low-sugar peach crumble is finished with a buttery, nutty, crunchy topping. It’s so easy to prepare and will melt in your mouth. The perfect summer dessert!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Yield: 4 serbings

Ingredients

Peach filling:

  • 8 medium peaches (about 1¾ pounds or 800 g, see note)
  • 3 tablespoons (40 g) sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (75 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (75 g) hazelnut meal/ground hazelnuts (other ground nuts and almond meal work well too)
  • 4 tablespoons (55 g) brown sugar (coarse brown sugar like demerera or turbinado makes for a crunchy topping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 ½ tablespoons (80 g) cold butter

To serve:

  • Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Peach filling:

  • Wash and pit peaches. Finely slice them. No peeling required (see note).
  • In a large bowl or directly in an 8-inch square pan (21 cm) or round 9 to 10-inch (24 cm) round pan (see note) combine peaches, sugar, cinnamon and ginger, if using.
  • Mix well, and then distribute peaches evenly in the pan, including the juices. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C with the rack in the center.

Crumble topping:

  • Combine flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add cold butter in small cubes and work butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers. The butter will soften slightly as you go and the mixture should resemble cookie dough.
  • Crumble the dough evenly on top of the peaches.
  • Bake the crumble at 375°F/190°C until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes. If the topping is already golden brown but the filling is not yet bubbly, cover pan with tin foil and continue baking for a few minutes.
  • Remove pan from the oven, and let the crumble rest for a few minutes before serving warm with a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!

Notes

Peaches: The peaches should be ripe (meaning slightly soft to the touch) to get a sweet and juicy crumble. If you like a super fruity crumble, use 2 pounds or up to 1 kg of peaches. To keep the recipe as simple as possible I never peel the peaches. If you are easily bothered by peels, you can peel the peaches before slicing. Alternatively, you could dice them into small cubes – this way the peels blend in and are barely noticeable.
Baking pan: The best pan for baking acidic fruits like peaches are non-reactive casserole or pie dishes. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or enamel-lined cast iron are perfect. Pans made from metals like aluminum, unlined copper, and untreated cast iron react with the acid in fruits and can leach a metallic flavor into the crumble.
Quick Peach Crumble (crispy topping, juicy filling) was last modified: August 22nd, 2024 by Ursula

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