I froze a whole farm haul of Pennsylvania peaches one summer, peeled, sliced, and bagged, and this peach cherry crisp is what I kept reaching for all the way through winter. After a few rounds, I learned the trick that makes or breaks it: frozen fruit has to be thawed and drained, or you get soup under the topping instead of a crisp.
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The cherries are my husband’s doing. Cherry pie is his favorite dessert, so I started adding cherries to my peaches, and here’s the part most recipes won’t tell you: frozen cherries actually taste more like cherries than the firm, out-of-season fresh ones at most grocery stores. I spent years reading produce data as a grocery category manager, and out of season, the freezer often beats the produce aisle, cherries especially.
If you love this combination, you’ll want my cherry-and-peach cobbler for cake-topping nights. For a peach-only dessert, try my cast-iron peach cobbler when you want a crackly, caramelized edge, or my peach cobbler pound cake when you want peaches baked right into a tender cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easier than pie. No crust, no rolling, no chilling dough, one bowl for the filling, one for the topping.
- Fresh or frozen, any season. Built to work with frozen stone fruit, so it’s not a six-week-a-year recipe.
- The freezer secret. Frozen cherries have more flavor than most grocery-store-fresh ones, and they’re already pitted.
- Egg-free. Easy to slot into almost any menu or allergy situation.
- Make-ahead friendly. Topping holds in the fridge up to 2 days; baked crisp freezes up to 3 months.
Do cherries and peaches go together?
Yes — and it’s one of my favorite stone-fruit pairings. Peaches are sweet and floral; tart cherries cut right through that with a little acidity, so the filling tastes balanced instead of one-note. Vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon bridge the two. It’s the same logic behind my cherry and peach cobbler; the combo just works, whether you top it with biscuit or oat crumble.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Peaches – Fresh or frozen, both work, so this is a year-round recipe. If using frozen, thaw and drain them well first, or the filling turns soupy.
- Cherries – I find frozen cherries have more flavor than most grocery-store fresh ones, and they come pitted. If you use fresh cherries, a cherry pitter speeds things up. I leave mine whole, but you can halve them.
- Old-Fashioned Oats – Use rolled oats, not quick oats or steel-cut oats. Quick oats disintegrate; steel-cut oats won’t soften enough for the topping.
- Butter – Softened unsalted butter binds the topping into golden, craggy crumbles. Unsalted lets you control the salt, let it sit out until it gives easily when pressed.
- Cornstarch – Thickens the juice the fruit releases so the filling sets instead of running. Bump it up slightly if your peaches are especially juicy.
- Pecans (optional) – Work ⅔ cup (95g) chopped pecans into the topping for extra crunch. Almonds work too.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap fresh and frozen. Both work for the peaches and the cherries; just thaw and well-drain the frozen fruit first.
- Add nuts for crunch. Work ⅔ cup (95g) chopped pecans or almonds into the topping.
- Try other fruit. Apple and blackberry, pear and raspberry, or a peach-cherry-blueberry mix all work in this same crumble.
- Change up the spice. Swap the cinnamon for cardamom or allspice, or add a little citrus zest to brighten the fruit.
I’ve made the fresh-and-frozen swap and the pecan topping myself; the other combinations are ideas I’d happily try but haven’t tested yet. If you run with one, let me know how it turned out in the comments!
How to Make Peach Cherry Crisp
Make the filling. In a large bowl, toss peaches, cherries, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until the fruit is evenly coated. (Using frozen fruit? Thaw and drain it well first.)
Make the streusel. Whisk brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add softened butter and rub it in with your fingers until crumbly.
Assemble. Spread the fruit in an even layer; scatter the streusel over the top.
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the edges bubble. Cool for at least 20 minutes so the filling thickens. Top with vanilla ice cream if you like.
Sarah’s Expert Tips
- Cool before serving. Let the crisp cool at least 20 minutes so the filling thickens, it’ll still be warm and scoopable. For neat, clean squares, give it longer, closer to fully cool.
- Drain frozen fruit well. If you’re using frozen peaches or cherries, thaw them and drain off the extra juice first. That released liquid is exactly what turns a crisp soupy. For especially juicy fruit, add a little more cornstarch, about ¼ teaspoon per cup, so the filling still sets.
- Ripen underripe peaches first. If your fresh peaches are firm and underripe, hold off a day or two. Ripen them in a brown paper bag at room temperature to bring out their sweetness and juice before you bake.
- Don’t slice the peaches too small. They shrink as they bake, so cut them into proper slices, about ¼ inch, rather than small chunks.
Recipe FAQs
Storage
- Refrigerate. Cool the crisp completely, then cover it tightly or move it to an airtight container. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. The topping softens in the fridge, that’s normal.
- Reheat. Warm it in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to restore the topping’s crunch. A microwave is fine for a quick single serving, but it won’t crisp the top again.
- Freeze. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, or use a freezer-safe container, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven. The cornstarch filling can loosen a little after freezing.
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Recipe
Peach Cherry Crisp
Equipment
- 9-inch square baking dish 10 inch cast iron skillet, or similar size dish
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups fresh (about 4 medium fresh peaches) or frozen sliced peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cherries pitted, whole or sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons (30g) lemon juice from 1 lemon
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon (1/2g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight)
For the topping
- ½ cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (71g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight)
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (95g) chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking dish, a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or any 2–2.5-quart baking dish. Set aside.
Make the Peach Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the peaches, cherries, lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Mix well to coat the peaches and cherries evenly. (Using frozen fruit? Thaw and drain it well first.)
Make the topping
- In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, using your fingers to rub out any lumps of brown sugar. Add the soft butter and mix with a spoon until the mixture is crumbly (go ahead and use your hands if it's easier). Stir in the pecans, if using.
- Transfer the peaches and cherry mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the filling.
- Bake the crisp for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and cool at least 20 minutes before serving, the filling thickens as it rests. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if you like.
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Notes
- Fresh or frozen: both work. Thaw and drain frozen fruit well; for especially juicy fruit, bump the cornstarch by about ¼ teaspoon per cup so the filling still sets.
- Cooling: rest at least 20 minutes so the filling thickens — it’ll still be warm. For clean squares, cool closer to fully.
- Storage: cool completely, then store airtight at room temperature or in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven to crisp the topping again (a microwave warms it but won’t crisp it). Freeze for up to 3 months; the cornstarch filling can loosen slightly after freezing, which is normal.
- Pan size: a 9-inch square dish or any 2–2.5-quart baking dish works; a 10-inch cast iron skillet gives crispier edges.
Just starting to make this. The ingredients don’t mention pecans but the instructions do. What quantity, whole, finely chopped etc.???
So sorry Kit, the instructions shouldn’t have pecans listed. I will change that right away. But, if you do add them I would recommend 2/3 cup (95g) chopped or halved unsalted pecans.