This classic peach pie features ripe, fresh peaches tucked and baked inside a flaky, buttery double pie crust. The filling ingredients are minimal, adding only what is needed so those bright, juicy peaches can shine!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get weekly updates from me!
Jump to:
Peach season is upon us, and if we're lucky, we may find ourselves with plenty of these beautiful stone fruit to turn into a perfect peach pie.
This pie is truly all about the peaches, with very little interference from other flavors. There is a hint of almond extract that makes the pie feel more peachy, and a pinch of nutmeg to give it a touch of nuanced warmth. It's baked inside a classic flaky pie crust that is crisp and buttery.
All in all, this recipe is for classic peach pie lovers. It's sweet, crisp, and destined to win blue ribbons—or at least garner a pat on the back from everyone who gets a slice.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The text below offers tons of tips and helpful notes, or you can scroll to the bottom to grab the recipe and get started!
Ingredients Needed
Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe is listed below in greater detail.
- fresh, ripe peaches (see more on this in the "It's All About the Peach" section, below)
- fresh lemon juice
- cornstarch
- granulated sugar
- fresh nutmeg (just a pinch)
- salt
- vanilla and almond extracts
- butter pie crust (there is a full recipe dedicated to this, but everything you need to make it is listed below in the recipe)
Useful Tools
Here is a list of some of the primary tools I use in this recipe. You won't necessarily choose to use them all, but they are exactly what I used. Any links may contain affiliate links.
- 9" pie plate
- rolling pin
- large pot + ice bath (if planning to blanch and peel the peach skins)
- kitchen essentials: baking scale, bowls, measuring cups, and measuring spoons
- pie shield
Best Tips for an Amazing Peach Pie
The article below is chock full of the nitty-gritty information about making a perfect peach pie. However, here is a short summary of my best tips:
- Use just ripe, in-season, delicious peaches
- Cut the peaches in a mix of wedges and bite-sized pieces for optimal texture in the finished pie
- Mix the peaches, sugar, and cornstarch together first, then add in the wet ingredients to prevent any clumps of cornstarch
- Arrange the sliced and diced peaches so that they are packed tightly together in the crust, helping to prevent the filling from sinking after it is baked.
- Preheat the oven well, and bake the pie until it reaches an internal temperature over 200ºF
It's All About the Peach
Before we go into how to make this Peach Pie, it must be said that the quality of the peaches you put into your pie will directly result in how good your pie is. If you use unripe, flavorless peaches, those features won't magically change when you turn them into a pie. Peaches have such a nuanced flavor that no amount of baking or sugar can change a flavorless peach.
This season, due to an untimely freeze that destroyed most of the local peach crop, I bought many peaches from the grocery store that turned out to be pretty terrible. They looked and felt like they would be good, but they turned out to be pretty flavorless.
So be sure to choose the best quality peaches that you can, and ensure they are just ripe. Taste one to make sure it tastes like peach.
Some good ways to ensure you have a quality peach: buy them in season and from a reputable source, and of course smell them and feel them. A ripe peach should smell peachy! And it should give in easily with a little gentle squeeze.
Do not use overripe, mushy peaches. They are too juicy and won't keep their integrity during the long bake that a pie requires.
Conditioning Underripe Peaches
If you have local peaches that are in season but aren't quite ripe, that's ok! You can "condition" the peaches by leaving them at room temperature, stem side down. I usually leave them on a kitchen towel-lined sheet tray. Depending on the peach, it can take 1-3 days. Check them every day.
Once they are fragrant and just barely soft, they are ready to use.
To Peel or Not to Peel
Ultimately, whether or not to peel your peaches is a matter of personal preference.
The skin of a peach contains nutritional value, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It's pretty soft and easy to chew, however that textural component may not align with your desired goal, depending on the dish you plan to make.
I prefer to peel the peaches for pie, or at least peel most of them. Sometimes I leave on some peels to impart some color in the filling.
How to Peel Peaches
I wrote an entire Guide to Peeling Peaches if this is new to you. You can check that out for full step-by-step instructions.
The easiest way to peel a peach is by the blanching method. Blanching is a cooking technique that involves briefly submerging a food item in boiling water, then immersing it in ice water to rapidly halt the cooking process.
Blanching the peach helps loosen the skin so it easily slips off, and, in my opinion, is the best way to peel a peach.
Types of Peaches
There are many different varieties of peaches, but two distinctions worth noting are clingstone vs. freestone peaches. As their name suggests, clingstone peaches have flesh that clings to the pit in the center, making it difficult to "cleanly" get the pit out.
Freestone peaches, on the other hand, have flesh that easily separates from the pit. These are the peaches that cleanly separate after you slice them through the center and gently twist and the two halves apart.
It's unlikely your peach will be labeled as clingstone or freestone, but a quick test to know which is which is to slice in half and twist. If the pit comes out easily, it's a freestone.
If it resists, don't force it! Clingstone peaches can be easily removed from the pit in segments instead of by cutting them in half (see below for how).
Clingstone peaches are more likely to be found earlier in peach season, with freestone peaches being common toward the end of the season.
Cutting Clingstone Peaches
To cut a clingstone peach into segments:
- Start by slicing vertically through the entire peach, beginning at the stem and ending at the blossom end.
- Then, carefully hold the peach and slice a wedge off from the first cut mark. Using your knife, gently pop out that first segment. This step can be the most challenging, but once it's done, it's easy breezy to cut the remaining segments.
- Continue to slice 7 more segments, and twist off each one. This method is gentler and easier than separating the halves of a clingstone peach.
Different Shades of Peach
The color of your pie filling can vary due to the color and ripeness of your peaches.
During testing, I had some pies that were much more red and pink (aka peachy) and some that were much more on the yellow and green spectrum. Neither is wrong! Different varieties of peaches have different amounts of yellow or red pigment in their flesh and skins. You can even see the variation in colors in my photos, which were taken during various stages of the recipe testing process.
I found that during the early part of the season I was getting more yellow peaches, and towards the end, more red.
Pie Crust Options
This pie tastes best with a homemade buttery pie crust.
Here is a list of the pie crusts that will work with this peach pie:
Whatever pie crust you use, you'll need a top crust and a bottom crust. The recipe below lists full instructions for a classic butter pie crust made by hand.
How to Make a Peach Pie
As with most pies, there are a few steps you need to complete to get to the finished product. Many of these components can be broken down into stages and done days (or weeks) in advance.
Steps for making a peach pie:
- Make the pie dough: you can prepare the dough up to 2 days ahead, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Roll out the pie dough: this can be done up to 1 day ahead of time. Roll out the bottom crust and place it in a pie plate. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered completely, until you are ready to make the pie.
- Make the pie filling and assemble the pie. (The pie can be optionally frozen at this stage and baked at a later date, see more on this below.)
- Bake!
The Most Frequently Asked Question: Straining the Juice
One of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to fruit pies is: should I strain the juice before baking so my crust doesn't get soggy?
I know this is likely to be a hot topic here, too, as peaches can be very juicy, and I have a few things to say on the matter. The short of it is: no. That peach liquid contains tons of flavor, and I don't see any reason why that flavor shouldn't be in the pie.
The most important technique to avoid a soggy crust has nothing to do with the amount of liquid and everything to do with baking the pie well. This means putting a cold pie crust in a very hot oven, and baking it for long enough for the thickener to become activated. For more on this, check out the section below and this guide to Baking a Double Crust Fruit Pie. The directions you'll need for this pie are also listed in the recipe card below.
The second way to avoid a soggy crust to not use overripe fruit. Use fruit that is just ripe. Overripe stone fruit is excessively juicy and turns too soft in the oven after a long bake.
How to Tell When It's Done
It’s important to make sure that the pie is cooked long enough to reach a high enough temperature to activate the cornstarch.
There are a few ways to tell when your pie is done.
- The first is by visual: look for the pastry to be golden and the pie to be puffed up nearly all the way through. It puffs up because the fruit has reached the temperature needed for it to "boil." As it cools, it will deflate.
- Look for the filling to be bubbling from the middle of the pie. The bubbling doesn't need to be rapid; look for at least one bubble in the center while checking the pie.
- The most foolproof way to ensure your pie is baked properly is to use an instant-read thermometer. I always use one to check the temperature of each and every pie that I bake. You want the internal temperature to be above 200ºF for a peach pie.
Serving and Storing
Serve the baked pie just slightly warm or at room temperature. It can be served as-is, but may I please recommend serving it with Fresh Peach Ice Cream? It's an unreal double-peach combination.
If the pie is sliced when it's hot, or even warm, it will be runny. The longer it sits, the thicker the filling will become.
A baked peach pie can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 1 day. If you are storing it longer, cover it and place it in a refrigerator. It can always be reheated later to take the chill off and to crisp up the pastry.
More Fruit Pie Recipes
- Sweet Cherry Pie
- Apple Crumble Pie
- Butterscotch Pear Pie
- Blueberry Hand Pies
- Ginger Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
More Peach Recipes
I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Peach Pie, please leave a comment and a star rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, too!
PrintFull Recipe
Perfect Peach Pie
This classic peach pie features ripe, fresh peaches tucked and baked inside a flaky, buttery double pie crust.
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:60
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-10
- Category: Sweet Pie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Double Pie Crust:
- 2–¾ cups (330 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (14 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
- 18 tablespoons (250 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1” pieces
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup – ½ cup (80-120 grams) ice water
For Peach Pie Filling:
- 3 pounds (about 7-9) peaches, peeled (optional), pitted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Egg wash
- Coarse or turbinado sugar (optional)
Instructions
Make Pie Crust by Hand: (see here for instructions for making it in a food processor)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt.
- Toss in the butter and coat with flour. Using your fingers, squeeze and work the butter into the flour. Continue until most of the butter looks shaggy. Some larger pieces can remain, up to the size of a marble.
- Add the vinegar to the water, then drip in ¾ of it the mixture throughout the dough, and toss together with your fingers. If there is enough water, the dough should easily squeeze together with your hands. Drip in more water as needed. Add just enough water to bring the dough together.
- Using your hands, gently bring the dough together as one cohesive mass. Transfer the pastry to a work surface and divide it into two pieces, each about 12 ounces. Shape each into a rough disk shape.
- Place each disk in a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Using a rolling pin, roll the wrapped dough out until it stretches to the edges of the plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Make the Filling and Assemble the Pie:
- Roll out the pastry: Roll out one pie pastry into an 11″ circle. Fit the pastry in a 9” pie plate, making sure to press the pastry into the edges. Roll out the second pastry to a 10” circle. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and place an oven rack in the lowest part of the oven.
- Cut the peaches into a mix of wedges and bite-sized pieces. Add the peaches to a large bowl, along with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and nutmeg. Toss to combine, then add in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Place the peach pie filling and all the juices inside of the pastry lined pie plate. Arrange the peaches in the pie crust to eliminate any gaps between the fruit.
- Place the top pie crust over the peaches, crimping the edges as desired. Cut a few slits in the crust to help the steam escape while it is baking.
- Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 25 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 400ºF. If the crust is browning, cover the outer edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield, leaving the middle of the crust exposed. Bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and the temperature of the middle of the pie reaches above 200ºF.
Notes
Have a question or looking for tips? The text written above the recipe is always a great first place to start! This Classic Peach Pie was developed with love, and I always include loads of explanations, tips, step-by-step photos and technical advice shared before the recipe.
Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup, and then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Everyday Pie is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Donna
This was my first attempt at a peach pie. The pie was delicious and the best pie dough I have ever made. I made a lattice top and my only problem was that the juice ran under the pie so some of it was a little bit burnt under the pie. How do I prevent this from happening?
Kelli Avila
I'd suggest making taller edges next time. How did you shape them?