There are few desserts that capture the feeling of late summer quite like a homemade fresh peach pie or fresh strawberry pie. When peaches are at their peak, they’re naturally sweet, incredibly juicy and packed with sunshine in every bite. Wrap them in a flaky, buttery crust, and you have a timeless dessert that’s worthy of everything from backyard barbecues to holiday tables. Peach desserts are the best!
What makes this Fresh Peach Pie Recipe especially wonderful is the extra step of letting the peaches rest before baking. As they macerate, they release their flavorful juices. Those juices are then gently cooked until thickened before being stirred back into the fruit. It’s a simple technique that concentrates the peach flavor and helps create a beautifully sliceable pie without sacrificing the juicy texture everyone loves.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just like peach cobbler, this is a classic summer dessert for cookouts, holidays and family gatherings.
- This pie is packed with fresh, juicy peaches.
- There is a thick, flavorful filling that slices beautifully.
- The homemade buttery pie crust is made from scratch.
- There’s a gorgeous lattice top that’s easier to make than it looks.
- This pie has the perfect balance of sweet fruit, warm spices and flaky pastry.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Filling
- Fresh ripe peaches
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Cornstarch
For the Homemade Pie Crust
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Cold unsalted butter
- Ice water
For the Finish
- Coarse sparkling sugar for a bakery-style crust
- Egg wash
Choosing the Best Peaches
The best peach pie begins with choosing the right peaches!
Look for peaches that are fragrant (pick them up and smell them!) They should be lightly soft when gently squeezed. The perfect peaches are brightly colored and ripe but still firm enough to hold their shape. Avoid peaches that are overly soft or bruised, since they’ll break down too much during baking.
Yellow peaches are generally the best choice because they have the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity for baking.
How to blanch peaches:
This recipe calls for peeled, sliced peaches. The easiest way to get the skin off a peach is to blanch it in hot water. Use peaches that are ripe, but not mushy. You will need about 7 medium-large peaches to get 6 cups of sliced peaches. Make an “X” in the bottom of each peach, boil it for 30 to 60 seconds, plunge it into an ice bath, and then the skin should easily peel off (depending on how ripe your peach is).
How to make a lattice pie crust:
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a ruler and a pizza cutter, or a knife to cut 3/4-inch wide strips of dough across the dough rectangle. Weave the strips of dough into a lattice top on the pie.
- Trim off the excess dough and crimp the crust along the edges to seal. Brush the top of the pie with an egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
- It’s a good idea to put a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven– just in case your pie is so juicy that it drips juices off the side of the pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, about 40 to 50 minutes more.
Tips for Perfect Peach Pie
- Keep everything cold: Cold butter and chilled pie dough create the flakiest crust.
- Don’t skip the chilling: Refrigerating the assembled pie before baking helps keep the butter cold and prevents the crust from shrinking.
- Bake on a sheet pan: Peach pies sometimes bubble over. Placing the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet makes cleanup much easier.
- Let the pie cool completely: As tempting as it is to slice into a warm peach pie, allowing it to cool gives the filling time to finish setting.
Variations
Once you’ve mastered this classic version, try changing it up!
- Add fresh blueberries for a Peach Blueberry Pie. SO delicious!
- Mix in raspberries or blackberries. Or bake my peach and raspberry pie bars. It’s such a great flavor combination!
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the filling.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds over the lattice before baking.
- Swap the lattice top for a full double crust.
- Once you’ve mastered the fresh peach pie, try baking a fresh pear pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to peel the peaches?
Peeling gives the pie the smoothest texture. The blanching method is the quickest way to remove the skins.
Can I use frozen peaches?
Fresh peaches are recommended for the best texture. If using frozen peaches, thaw and drain them well before beginning.
Why is my peach pie watery?
Usually because the peaches released too much liquid during baking. This recipe minimizes that problem by cooking the juices before adding them back to the fruit.
Can I make the pie ahead?
Yes. Bake the pie a day ahead and store it loosely covered at room temperature.
Can I freeze peach pie?
Absolutely. Bake, cool completely and freeze for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
Fresh Peach Pie is wonderful all on its own, but it’s even better served with:
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Fresh whipped cream
- Cinnamon whipped cream
- Vanilla bean gelato
- Caramel sauce
- Fresh peach slices
Storage Instructions
Cover leftover pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap.
- Room temperature: Up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months.
Why This Recipe Works
The combination of homemade buttery pie crust, perfectly ripe peaches and the extra step of reducing the peach juices creates a pie that’s packed with fresh peach flavor while maintaining a filling that slices cleanly. Instead of relying on excessive thickener, the fruit itself becomes more concentrated, allowing the natural sweetness of peak-season peaches to shine.
Whether you’re baking for a summer celebration, a family gathering or simply because peaches are finally in season, this is the kind of classic dessert that never goes out of style. One bite of flaky crust and juicy peaches is all it takes to understand why homemade peach pie remains one of America’s favorite summer desserts.
Fresh Peach Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
FILLING:
- 6 cups peeled and sliced peaches (see notes below)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
CRUST:
- 2½ cups all purpose flour (plus more for rolling)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chilled, unsalted butter, (diced)
- 6 to 9 tablespoons ice water
TOPPING:
- 1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
- ½ tablespoon chunky, sparkling white sugar (or regular sugar)
Instructions
MAKE THE FILLING:
- In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients for the filling until the peaches are well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let the peaches sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, pour the peaches into a sieve placed over a bowl to drain the juices. Transfer the juices to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then stir into the peaches; cool completely.
MAKE THE CRUST:
- Once the peaches are macerating, make the crust. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands until it forms a crumbly mixture with some pieces of butter the size of small peas. (Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor.) While mixing, drizzle in enough water so it comes together as a dough. It shouldn’t be too wet, but it should hold together when squeezed.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, flatten them into disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight).
ROLL & ASSEMBLE:
- Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Place it in a standard pie plate and refrigerate to chill.
- Once the peach filling is cooled, transfer it to the chilled pie crust in the pie plate.
- Roll out the remaining disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 14 inches long by 10 inches wide. Use a ruler and a pizza cutter, pastry wheel or a knife to cut ¾-inch wide strips of dough across the dough rectangle. Weave the strips of dough into a lattice top on the pie. Trim off excess dough and crimp the crust to seal.
BAKE THE PIE:
- Chill the unbaked pie for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Remove the pie from the fridge. Lightly brush the top with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with golden sugar. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking tray (to catch any juices) and bake for 20 minutes at 400℉. Turn the oven temperature down to 350℉ and bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, about 40 to 50 minutes more.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Peaches: Use peaches that are ripe, but not mushy. You will need about 7 medium-large peaches to get 6 cups of sliced peaches. You can either peel the peaches using a vegetable peeler, or try the blanching method. To do so, make an “X” in the bottom of each peach, boil it for 30 to 60 seconds, plunge it into an ice bath, and then the skin should easily peel off (depending on how ripe your peach is).
- Rolling the dough: It can be helpful to roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Make sure to flour both sides of the dough first.
- Letting the peaches macerate before baking helps intensify their flavor while reducing excess liquid in the finished pie.
- Cooking the peach juices before returning them to the filling creates a pie that slices cleanly without becoming dry.
- Chill the assembled pie before baking to help the crust stay flaky and hold its shape.
- Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet in case any juices bubble over.
- Cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
