Peach Crumble Pie
Peach crumble pie is a comforting summer-into-autumn dessert with a tender pastry base, a spiced fresh-peach filling, and a golden crumbled topping baked right on top. It comes together with simple pantry staples, and the recipe is easy to make dairy-free: swap in almond milk and vegan butter and the whole pie is plant-based. This is one of my favourite pies to bake, and it turns out absolutely amazing every time.
In my last recipes, I was boasting about how the weather is finally cool enough for me to turn on the oven and get back to more lengthy bakes. The celebration for that is still not over, as I realised I really missed all the pies and bakes I couldn’t approach during summer. My enthusiasm is probably paying off, as all the recipes I have tried so far have turned out great, so today I decided to go for something a little more challenging, still on the dessert side. Here is one of my favourite recipes, one of the best pies ever, and to my great pleasure it turned out absolutely amazing.
I must confess I get excited when it comes to preparing pies. I have always loved to knead the dough with my bare hands; it makes me feel that I get into real contact with all the ingredients. And in case you are wondering whether things can get even better, believe me, they can: this pie is easily made completely vegan. Many non-vegan friends ask me how I can follow a vegan diet without eating all the delicious desserts that contain milk, and I think this is something more people should know. We don’t live in a world where no eggs and no dairy means no cakes and no pies, and none of the deliciousness is lost in the process.
What you’ll need for this peach crumble pie
The ingredient list looks long, but it splits neatly into three parts: the pastry, the peach filling, and the crumble topping. Here is what each one does.
- Peaches are the star. You will need eight ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced. Ripe, fragrant fruit gives the most flavour and the juiciest filling.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and a little sugar form the tender crust. The baking powder gives it a soft, slightly biscuity lift rather than a hard shortcrust.
- Milk and butter bring the dough together. Use almond milk and vegan butter to keep the whole pie plant-based, or dairy versions if that is what you have on hand.
- Coconut sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice season the peaches. The lemon keeps the fruit bright and stops it from tasting flat.
- Cornstarch is the key to a filling that sets. It thickens the peach juices as the pie bakes so the slices hold together instead of running.
- Oats, chia seeds and almond flour go into the crumble topping for texture and that lovely golden, craggy finish.
How to get the dough consistency right
I said this pie might be a little challenging, and that is because getting the right consistency of the dough is essential for crumble pies. Over time I perfected the recipe so that it turns out perfect, and I really think I nailed it. The trick is to stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until it comes together into a soft dough. Overworking it develops the gluten and makes the crust tough, so stop mixing as soon as there are no dry pockets of flour left.
Divide the dough in two: one half is rolled out for the bottom crust, and the other becomes the crumble on top. Roll the base on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin so it does not stick, then transfer it gently to your pie pan. Kneading and rolling the dough by hand really is part of the pleasure of this bake.
Building the filling and the crumble topping
For the filling, add the sliced peaches to a large bowl, then tip in the coconut sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt and mix so every slice is coated. This is where the cornstarch starts doing its job, ready to thicken the juices in the oven.
For the topping, mix the reserved dough with the oats, chia seeds and almond flour. In this recipe the crumble is made by passing that mixture through a meat grinder, which gives you those short, even strands that scatter beautifully over the fruit. If you don’t have a grinder, you can rub the mixture between your fingers into a rough, pea-sized crumble instead; the goal is small, loose clumps rather than one solid sheet. Cover the base with the peach filling, then scatter the crumble over the top.
Baking and knowing when it’s done
Bake the pie in an oven preheated to 200 C for about 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden. The visual cues matter more than the clock: look for a crust and crumble that have turned a warm golden brown, and for the peach juices to be bubbling gently at the edges. That bubbling tells you the cornstarch has activated and the filling will set as it cools. Let the pie rest before slicing so the filling firms up rather than sliding off the plate.
Making it vegan
This pie is built to be dairy-free without losing anything. Use almond milk in place of regular milk and vegan butter in place of dairy butter, and the whole thing is plant-based. If you like making your own, a homemade nut milk works well here too. I often say the taste of veganised recipes can be even better than the originals, and this pie is a good example. If you are new to this way of baking, my vegan diet guide has plenty of pointers to get you started.
Storing and serving your pie
Peach crumble pie keeps well for three to four days covered in the fridge. Let it cool completely before storing so condensation doesn’t soften the crumble, and warm individual slices in the oven for a few minutes to bring back that crisp top. It also freezes nicely once baked and fully cooled; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Serve it slightly warm with a scoop of vegan ice cream or a spoonful of coconut cream. If you fall for the fresh-peach-and-cinnamon combination, you will love my peach cobbler and my light peach sponge cake too. For more baked-fruit ideas along the same lines, my collection of fruit crumbles is full of options.
If you bake this peach crumble pie, I would love to know how your crust and crumble turned out, so please rate the recipe and leave a comment below telling me whether you kept it vegan or made any tweaks of your own.
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Peach Crumble Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 6 Tbsp milk use almond milk for vegan version
- 6 Tbsp butter softened; use vegan butter for vegan version
- 4 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the peach filling:
- 8 peaches peeled, pitted and sliced
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
For the topping:
- 1 Tbsp oats
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp almond flour
Instructions
- For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In another small bowl, combine the almond milk, butter, water, and lemon juice.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until combined.
- Divide the dough in two.
- Roll out one half of the dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, into a circle.
- Transfer the circle to the pie pan.
- For the filling:
- In a large bowl, add the sliced peaches. Add the rest of the peach filling ingredients to the bowl and mix to incorporate. Set aside.
- Make the top crumble by mixing the remaining dough with topping ingredients, and add the mixture to the meat grinder.
- Cover the pie crust bottom with the peach filling and top with crumbled mixture.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is easily made fully vegan. The recipe card lists milk and butter as the base, with an inline note to use almond milk and vegan butter for the vegan version. Swap both and every ingredient in the pie is plant-based, so the whole dessert is dairy-free and egg-free.
The recipe is written for eight fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced, which give the best flavour and a juicy filling. You can use frozen peaches, but thaw and drain them well first, since the extra liquid can make the filling runny. If you use canned peaches, drain them thoroughly and consider a touch more cornstarch to compensate.
The cornstarch in the filling is what sets the peach juices as the pie bakes. Make sure you have mixed the cornstarch evenly through the sliced peaches, and bake until the juices are bubbling at the edges, which is the sign the cornstarch has activated. Letting the pie cool before slicing also lets the filling firm up instead of running.
Getting the dough consistency right is the key to a good crumble pie. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until the dough comes together, and stop as soon as there are no dry patches of flour left. Overworking the dough develops the gluten and makes the crust tough rather than tender.
The recipe passes the reserved dough mixed with oats, chia seeds and almond flour through a meat grinder to make even crumble strands. If you don’t have one, rub the mixture between your fingers into rough, pea-sized clumps instead. The aim is small, loose pieces that scatter over the fruit, not one solid sheet.
Cool the pie completely, then keep it covered in the fridge for three to four days. Warm individual slices in the oven for a few minutes to crisp the crumble topping back up. Baked and fully cooled, the pie also freezes well; thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
This is TOTALLY one of my favorite crumble pie recipes out there, so good!