Peach Raspberry Crisp

The stars of my Spring and Summertime baking this year have been peaches and raspberries. Raspberry turnovers, peach pie, chocolate raspberry scones, peach cinnamon rolls, it’s been a very fruitful year! They’re both tart, sweet, juicy, and perfect fruits for baking with. Plus, they perfectly pair together. I needed to create a dessert where they could shine together.

Since peaches are clearly the apple of Springtime, a peach and raspberry crisp seemed perfect. It’s quick and easy to throw together, which is important as the kitchen heats up while we creep towards Summer! The topping adds a perfectly spiced crunch to that flavorful, fragrant, juicy fruit base. Serve this peach and raspberry crisp at a barbecue, on a picnic, or during a cozy Summer evening.

FAQs and Science

Could the peaches in syrup be replaced with fresh peaches?

Absolutely they can! If fresh peaches are what you’ve got, by all means, use them. 

Can I use fresh raspberries over frozen?

You can! Just like with the peaches, if you have fresh over frozen, use the fresh berries.

This seems like a lot of topping, are you sure I should use it all?

It may seem like a lot now, but it gives you the perfect ratio of fruit to crumble. I highly recommend using it all.

What does the lemon do for the filling?

It brightens up the filling, and helps bring out the flavors in the peaches and raspberries more strongly! Don’t worry, you won’t actually be able to taste any lemon.

Could I use bottled lemon juice instead of a fresh lemon?

Typically, I’m very anti-lemon juice from a bottle. It’s just nowhere near as good as the freshly squeezed stuff, and you’ll never convince me otherwise. However, the lemon isn’t the star of the dish in this case. It’s an underlying supportive character, whose flavor isn’t really pronounced at all. So if you already own a bottle of lemon juice, then sure, use two Tablespoons of that instead.

What You’ll Need

• 8×8 inch baking dish
• Plastic wrap
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• 2 small mixing bowls, one heat safe
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Rubber spatula
• Whisk
• Fork
• Sieve
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Citrus reamer or press

The Process

Prepare the Topping

Begin by prepping the oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350F, on the convection setting if you can, placing the rack in the center of the oven. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with either butter or a nonstick baking spray, then set the dish aside.

Make the topping first. That way, the fruit won’t be sitting for too long before going into the oven. Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt inside of a medium mixing bowl.

Dig out a well in the center of the dry goods, using either the spatula or a large measuring cup. This will make it easier for the melted butter to reach the bottom, so every bit of the flour and oat mixture gets hydrated.

Heat the butter in a small heat-safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments or so, until it’s just melted. If the microwave isn’t an option for whatever reason, you could melt it in a small pot on the stove instead! As long as it’s melted, that’s what matters. Pour the melted butter into the center of the well in the dry goods. Use a fork or rubber spatula to mix the two together, so large chunks form. Cover the topping with plastic wrap, so it will stay fresh until you’re ready to use it.

Make the Filling

Now for the fruit! Grab a small mixing bowl and in it, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. In addition to making sure everything is evenly distributed, whisking the dry goods ahead of time in their own bowl allows the sugar crystals to break up any clumps of flour. It’s worth the extra 30 seconds it takes to stir together and the minimally dirty dish. Set the bowl aside. 

Pour the peaches into a sieve to drain out the syrup. I like to use the peach syrup to sweeten and flavor drinks, so it doesn’t go to waste!

Transfer them over to a cutting board and slice the peaches into ½-1 inch pieces, keeping them as consistent as you can. Place the pieces of peach into a large mixing bowl as you go, to give yourself enough space to comfortably chop.

Dump the frozen raspberries over the peaches, then give them a stir. Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon over the fruit, then give it another stir. The bit of lemon will brighten up the crisp, but you won’t be able to taste it at all.

Take the dry mixture and dump it over the fruit. Toss the two mixtures together to completely coat the fruit in the spiced sugar. The fruit mixture will be a bit of a murky color at this point, but that will change. When the crisp is in the hot oven and the starches cook, the crisp will develop a deep, rich, appetizing color.

Assemble and Bake

Transfer the coated fruit into the greased 8×8 baking dish. Use the rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom, to get as much of the spiced fruit mixture and juice into the pan as you can. Spread the fruit out evenly over the bottom.

Return your attention to the topping. Remove the plastic covering the bowl and sprinkle the large crumbles over the top of the dish. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, this is the perfect amount.

When all of the topping has been evenly distributed across the top of the fruit, place the crisp on the center rack of the heated oven. Bake it for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the topping is a beautiful golden brown and the peak of filling along the edges is bubbling.

Once it’s finished baking, allow the crisp to cool down to as close to room temperature as you have patience for. It’s delicious when it’s warm, I just don’t want you to burn yourself. Serve the crisp with vanilla ice cream in a dish, and enjoy! Any leftover peach raspberry crisp should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Peach Raspberry Crisp

Bake Time: 350F for 45-50 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Filling:

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 24 oz sliced peaches in syrup
• 10 oz frozen raspberries
• Juice of half a lemon

Directions:
For the Topping:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, on the convection setting if possible, positioning the rack in the center of the oven. Grease an 8×8 baking dish using either butter or a nonstick baking spray, then set it aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Using a measuring cup or spatula, dig out a well in the center of the dry goods.
3. In a small heat-safe bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until it’s just melted. Pour the melted butter into the center of the dry mixture and, using a rubber spatula or fork, stir the two together. You should be left with large chunks of crumble.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside for now.

The Filling:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Set the dry goods aside.
2. Drain the peaches of their syrup. Dump them onto a cutting board and, using a chef’s knife, slice them into ½-1 inch pieces. Transfer them over to a large mixing bowl as you go.
3. To that large mixing bowl, add in the frozen raspberries. Give them a stir. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and give the mixture another stir.
4. Dump the dry goods onto the fruit and thoroughly mix them together, so the fruit is completely coated in the dry mix.

Assemble and Bake

1. Toss the fruit mixture into the greased 8×8 pan. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and pour any residual juice over the fruit in the pan. Spread the mixture out evenly.
2. Uncover the topping and crumble it over the top of the fruit, as evenly as you can. Place it on the center rack of the hot oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Flip the pan halfway through baking.
3. Allow the crisp to cool down to somewhere between warm-room temperature. Scoop servings into a dish alongside vanilla ice cream, and enjoy! Store any leftover crisp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tips

• The peach and raspberry crisp can be made a day ahead of time to serve fresh! Follow the recipe as written, then when it cools completely, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Swap out the plastic for foil and warm the crisp in a 300F degree oven for 45 minutes, or until it’s warmed through, before serving. It needs to be fully baked initially so that the flour in the filling heats up and the starches activate to do their job.
• Don’t waste the peach syrup from the jar after draining the fruit! Use it instead to sweeten tea or lemonade.
• Place the 8×8 dish onto a larger rimmed baking sheet before placing it into the oven. That way, if the filling bubbles up and drips over the side, the baking sheet catches it rather than your oven.