Let's Talk About This Peach Raspberry Crisp—And Why I Keep Making It

Alright, so you know those summer days when it's too hot to even think about dinner but somehow there's always room for dessert? That's when I whip up this Peach Raspberry Crisp. Actually, the first time I made it was by accident—I'd meant to just make a peach cobbler for a potluck, but then I realised I only had two peaches and a punnet of raspberries that were about to go off. A bit of a kitchen panic, honestly! But it turned out so much better than anything I'd planned. Now it's just kind of my signature move when stone fruit's in season. If you like your desserts a bit on the messy side (and seriously, who doesn't?), you're in for a treat.

Why You’ll Love This—Or At Least, Why I Do

I make this whenever I've got too much fruit kicking around (or when my kids are eyeing the ice cream in the freezer). My family actually gets excited when they see me rooting around for oats and butter—no joke. It’s sweet, tart, goes a bit gooey in the middle, and there’s that buttery crisp on top. Oh, and you don’t need to fuss with pie crusts. I’ve tried the fancy stuff, but honestly, this is way more forgiving. If you don’t have the exact fruit, just use what’s close. One time I used frozen mango instead of peaches—not quite the same, but no one complained. Sometimes, the crisp topping goes a bit wonky (I once forgot the sugar and...well, let's just say it had "character"). Still tasty though.

What You Need (But Don’t Stress If You Don’t Have Everything)

3-4 big ripe peaches, sliced (I’ve used canned in a pinch—just drain ‘em!)
1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen work too, but don’t thaw them or you’ll get soggy city)
¼ cup sugar (sometimes I use brown, sometimes white, sometimes... whatever’s left at the bottom of the jar)
2 teaspoon lemon juice (I eyeball it, honestly, and my gran used to insist only fresh lemons, but bottled is fine—don’t tell her I said that)
½ cup flour (plain old all-purpose; though wholewheat works if you’re feeling healthy)
½ cup rolled oats (quick oats work too, though the texture’s a bit different)
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon (sometimes I add a pinch of nutmeg if I’m feeling wild)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and diced (if you only have salted, just use it and skip the added salt)

How I Actually Make It (More or Less)

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), though honestly, if you forget and stick it in cold, it just bakes a bit longer—no biggie.
Toss your peach slices and raspberries in a big-ish baking dish (I use a 9-inch square but pretty much any oven-safe dish will do). Sprinkle on the sugar and lemon juice; give it a gentle stir. If the peaches are really juicy, I sometimes add a spoonful of flour here to thicken things up—your call.
In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them in with your fingers until it’s all crumbly and lumpy. You can use a pastry cutter if you have one, but I usually can't be bothered to dig it out of the drawer. (This is where I usually sneak a taste, just sayin’.)
Scatter the crumble mixture over the fruit. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect—rustic is the name of the game here.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. You’re looking for bubbling fruit peeking through and a golden crisp top. Sometimes mine gets a tad too brown at the edges; if that happens, just cover it with foil and keep going.
Let it cool for at least ten minutes (good luck waiting that long). It’ll set up a bit as it cools, but it’s also great warm and messy.

A Few Things I’ve Learned, Mostly By Messing Up

If you use frozen fruit, don’t thaw it first. I did once and ended up with soup—not the vibe.
Browning the butter before adding makes it fancier, but honestly, I can barely tell the difference when I’m wolfing it down.
If your topping looks dry, just dot a bit more butter on before baking. It’ll sort itself out.

Variations—And Not All of Them Worked

I swapped blackberries in once when I ran out of raspberries. Pretty good, though a little more tart (kids made faces, but still ate it).
Once I tried adding chocolate chips to the topping—wouldn’t do that again, it kind of overpowered the fruit.
If you want it gluten-free, try using almond flour plus gluten-free oats—I’ve had decent luck with that, though it’s a bit more crumbly.

What If You Don’t Have All the Gear?

I use a ceramic baking dish, but I’ve made this in a metal roasting pan (even a deep pie plate) and it worked fine. No pastry cutter? Two forks or just your fingers do the trick. I once improvised with a potato masher, not ideal but hey it worked. And if you’re really stuck, some people even make crisps in a cast iron skillet—never tried it myself, but seems cool. Serious Eats has a deep dive on crisp toppings that I found helpful once, even if it’s a bit much.

Storing (Though Honestly, It Never Lasts Here)

Supposedly you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, but in my house it’s usually gone by breakfast the next day. Reheat in the oven if you want the topping crispy again (microwave works but you lose the crunch—tradeoffs, right?). King Arthur Baking has more on storing fruit desserts if you’re curious.

How We Serve It (And You Probably Should Too)

I love it warm with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream (sometimes I go for Greek yogurt if I’m pretending to be healthy). My cousin insists on whipped cream and, honestly, it’s good either way. Once we ate it with a drizzle of honey ‘cause we ran out of everything else—actually, that was pretty great too. Oh, and sometimes we just eat it cold with a cup of coffee for breakfast—no regrets.

Lessons Learned—Aka Pro Tips I Wish I’d Known

Don’t rush melting the butter into the topping; I once tried nuking it in the microwave to save time and ended up with a greasy mess. Just use cold butter and work it in, it’s worth it.
If your peaches are rock hard, let them ripen a bit or slice them thin and bake a bit longer—tried using underripe ones once and it was, well, chewy. Not in a good way.

FAQ—Things People Actually Ask Me

Can I use all raspberries or all peaches? Sure you can! It'll taste different—maybe a bit one-note with just raspberries, but nobody’s going to complain if it’s sweet and bubbly.
I’m out of oats—what now? I’d just use extra flour, or even a handful of crushed-up granola if you’ve got it. It’s not traditional, but it works.
Help! My crisp is soggy in the middle. Probably too much juice in the fruit or it needed a bit longer in the oven. Sometimes I drain a bit of juice off halfway (careful, it’s hot!)
Can I freeze it? You can freeze the baked crisp, but the texture’s a bit mushy when you reheat. Freezing the fruit mix and topping separately works better, if you can be bothered.
Is it okay to eat for breakfast? I mean, it’s got fruit and oats—practically health food, right? (Don’t quote me.)

One Last Thing (Because I Got Distracted)

Oh, if you actually want to nerd out about fruit crisps, Bon Appétit has a slideshow of different combos. I lost an hour last week browsing it when I was meant to be, you know, working. But back to this recipe—just dive in and make it yours. No two crisps ever come out exactly the same, and that's kind of why I love it. Enjoy!

Peach Raspberry Crisp: My Go-To Summer Dessert Story

Let's Talk About This Peach Raspberry Crisp—And Why I Keep Making It

Why You’ll Love This—Or At Least, Why I Do

What You Need (But Don’t Stress If You Don’t Have Everything)

How I Actually Make It (More or Less)

A Few Things I’ve Learned, Mostly By Messing Up

Variations—And Not All of Them Worked

What If You Don’t Have All the Gear?

Storing (Though Honestly, It Never Lasts Here)

How We Serve It (And You Probably Should Too)

Lessons Learned—Aka Pro Tips I Wish I’d Known

FAQ—Things People Actually Ask Me

One Last Thing (Because I Got Distracted)

Peach Raspberry Crisp

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