Fresh peach crisp is the dessert I make the moment peaches hit their peak — juicy chunks of fruit bubbling under a crunchy almond, cinnamon, and nutmeg topping. There's no refined flour or butter here: almond flour and toasted almonds do the crisping, coconut oil adds richness, and palm sugar keeps it paleo-friendly. It bakes in one dish and tastes like late August in a spoon.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Ingredients
Peach Fruit Filling
3 pounds (1361 g) peaches, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 tablespoon (15 ml) tapioca flour
2 to 4 tablespoons (60 ml) palm sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Coconut oil for greasing baking dish
Crisp
¾ cup almonds, toasted and chopped
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup palm sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) palm sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (75 ml) coconut oil, melted
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease an eight-inch square baking dish with coconut oil and set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (for easy cleanup).
2.В В Combine all peach fruit filling ingredients in a bowl. Transfer the fruit filling to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake the fruit until it is hot and has released its juices (20 to 25 minutes).
3.В В While the fruit is cooking, pulse the almonds, flour, palm sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped (about 9 pulses). Add the coconut oil and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand (about 5 pulses). Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and pinch between your fingers into small pea-sized pieces (with some smaller loose bits).
4.В В Remove the fruit from the oven, uncover, and stir gently. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake the crisp until the topping is a deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling (about 15 minutes), rotating the dish halfway through baking. Let the crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Making the Crisp Ahead
The topping can be transferred to an airtight contain and refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen for up to one month. If frozen, allow to thaw completely before using. The fruit filling can be assembled in the baking dish and held at room temperature for up to four hours before baking. To finish, bake as directed.
Pro Tips
- Toast the almonds before chopping them — it deepens the flavor of the topping dramatically and keeps the nuts crunchy under the juicy peaches.
- The two-stage bake matters: the peaches go in covered first to release their juices, then the topping is added so it browns without burning.
- Pinch the topping into pea-sized clumps with your fingers after processing; those irregular pieces bake into a mix of crunchy bits and sandy crumbs.
- Use peaches that are ripe but still firm so they hold their 1½-inch chunks instead of collapsing into purée.
- The raw topping freezes beautifully for a month — make a double batch and keep one in the freezer for emergency crisp cravings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare this peach crisp in advance?
Yes. The topping can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen for up to a month (thaw before using). The peach filling can sit assembled in the baking dish for up to four hours at room temperature before baking.
Do I have to peel the peaches?
The recipe calls for peeled peaches, and the tender chunks eat more elegantly that way. If the skins are thin and you're in a hurry, leaving them on works too — the crisp will just have a little extra color and texture.
Can I use frozen peaches?
Yes, but thaw and drain them well first so the filling doesn't turn watery, then bake until they're hot and have released their juices before adding the topping.
Is this peach crisp gluten-free and dairy-free?
It is both. The topping uses almond flour instead of wheat flour and melted coconut oil instead of butter, with palm sugar for sweetness.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Grease an eight-inch square baking dish with coconut oil and set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (for easy cleanup). 2. В В Combine all peach fruit filling ingredients in a bowl.
- Transfer the fruit filling to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake the fruit until it is hot and has released its juices (20 to 25 minutes). 3. В В While the fruit is cooking, pulse the almonds, flour, palm sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped (about 9 pulses).
- Add the coconut oil and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand (about 5 pulses).
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and pinch between your fingers into small pea-sized pieces (with some smaller loose bits). 4. В В Remove the fruit from the oven, uncover, and stir gently.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.
- Bake the crisp until the topping is a deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling (about 15 minutes), rotating the dish halfway through baking.
- Let the crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving. Making the Crisp Ahead The topping can be transferred to an airtight contain and refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen for up to one month. If frozen, allow to thaw completely before using. The fruit filling can be assembled in the baking dish and held at room temperature for up to four hours before baking. To finish, bake as directed.
