How to prepare your peaches

Wash the peaches: Start by rinsing the peaches under cool water to remove any dirt or debris.

Slice in half: Hold each peach firmly in your hand and use a sharp knife to carefully cut it in half lengthwise, following the natural crease that runs from the stem to the bottom.

Remove the pits: To remove the pit, gently twist each peach half in opposite directions. The pit should release easily. If it doesn’t, use a spoon or your fingers to scoop it out. Make sure to remove any remaining hard pieces around where the pit used to be. 

Slice: A few quick slices, and you’re ready to go! 

Optional — Remove the skins: If you prefer peeled peaches, you can blanch the peaches. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, prepare the peaches by cutting a small “x” mark on the bottom of each peach. Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then transfer them to an ice bath. Starting at the “x” mark, peel the peach skin off. 

 

Gluten-Free Peach Crisp Ingredients

For the Peach Mixture Filling

Peaches

Fresh peaches are the best for this peach crisp recipe! I love peach skins, so I leave mine on, but you can also remove the peach skins.

Coconut sugar

You can also substitute an equal amount of brown sugar if you prefer.*

Gluten-free flour

I love the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Blend! If you don’t need to make this gluten-free, you can use an equal amount of regular, all-purpose flour instead.

Cinnamon

Vanilla extract

Almond extract

Salt

 

For the Topping:

Gluten-free flour

Or regular all-purpose flour, if you prefer.

Oats

You can’t have peach crisp without oats! While oats don’t naturally contain gluten, many are processed in facilities that also process wheat. So, if you’re serving this to someone with a severe gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, be sure to find certified gluten-free oats.

Finely chopped pecans

You can always omit these if you don’t like nuts.*

Coconut sugar

Brown sugar also works well.*

Coconut oil (melted)

Always measure coconut oil when it is melted. You can also choose to use ghee or melted butter instead.*

Almond extract

I love adding almond extract to the crisp topping. I think it gives the recipe a sugar cookie flavor!

Vanilla extract

Salt

Cinnamon

*To understand how these swaps will affect the taste of your peach crisp, read more below.

Completely Grain-Free Peach Cobbler

To make a grain-free peach cobbler recipe, omit the oats. Adjust the chopped pecans to 1 ½ cups and adjust the gluten-free flour to 1 ½ cups.

Ingredient Substitutions: Flavor Results

Coconut oil versus ghee vs. butter

If you want a completely dairy-free option, coconut oil is great. If you generally cook with coconut oil and like it, you’ll like it in this recipe. You can definitely taste the coconut flavor, but it’s not too strong.

Ghee is a form of butter with most of the lactose and casein removed. So, it’s a perfect option for most people with dairy sensitivities. It may still be a problem if you are super sensitive to dairy. Using ghee results in a taste that is closer to the traditional peach crisp flavor. 

Butter is the traditional ingredient for a peach crisp topping. If you don’t need to go dairy-free, this will give you the most classic taste. 

Coconut sugar versus brown sugar

Coconut sugar is derived from the sap of the coconut palm tree and has a complex, caramel-like flavor, along with trace nutrients. It has more of a “health food” taste. It amplifies the natural sweetness of the peaches, without adding too much additional sweetness.  

If you’re going with coconut sugar, you want to ensure you’re using ripe peaches that have reached their peak sweetness.

Brown sugar, on the other hand, is made from sugarcane or sugar beets and is essentially white sugar with molasses added. It gives your peach crisp a more classic, and slightly sweeter taste. 

Gluten-free flour versus regular

Here’s the great thing about finding a good gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour: you can’t really tell much of a difference in this recipe! So use whatever you have on hand. 

Pecans or nut-free

Adding the pecans will give you a crunchier texture and a more earthy flavor. Simply omit them if you don’t want pecans!

Cobbler, Crumble, and Crisp: What’s the difference?

While these fruit-based desserts are frequently mixed up, each offers a unique texture and topping. 

A crumble features a soft, buttery mixture of flour and sugar that dissolves on the tongue. 

In contrast, a crisp is topped with a crunchy, oat-based layer that adds a bit of nuttiness. 

A classic cobbler is made with a light, sweet, biscuit-like dough that adds a fluffy texture to the dish.