Perfect Peach Pie Recipe

From the buttery flaky pie crust to the juicy cinnamon-spiced peach filling, there’s no doubt this will be the best peach pie you’ll ever eat. Taste testers and readers have loved this dessert recipe for years because each slice is bursting with peaches that hold their texture. I recommend a little fresh ginger for extra flavor, and don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!

If summertime were a pie, it would most certainly be this fresh peach pie. We’re taking advantage of the season’s abundant bounty of peaches and combining them with fresh ginger, warm cinnamon spice, and a hint of lemon to keep the flavor bright. After one taste, you’ll forget all other peach pies exist.

For more perfectly summery pies featuring ripe, in-season fruit, try my strawberry rhubarb pie, blueberry pie, blueberry peach pie, cherry pie, or triple berry pie next.

Here’s Exactly Why This Peach Pie Recipe Works

From-scratch pie can be hard work, so my team and I repeatedly tested this pie so the results are worth your time and effort. The recipe is exactly the same as the popular original a few years ago—flavorful and fresh—however, we updated the baking instructions so the filling sets even more. (Peaches are so juicy!) The baking instructions now resemble this blueberry pie.

In order for this recipe to work, you must (1) cut your peaches into chunks instead of slices, (2) avoid overly soft or bruised peaches, (3) embrace a bubbling-juicy-messy pie filling, and (4) let it cool completely in order for the filling to fully set up. This pie takes several hours, but I promise you: it’s worth it. Get ready for the most incredible, juicy-yet-sliceable peach pie experience:

Start With Pie Crust

You can use your favorite pie dough recipe, but I encourage you to try mine. To make perfect homemade pie crust, I use a mix of shortening and butter because the two ingredients work together to make an unbeatable texture. Butter adds flavor and flakiness, while shortening’s high melting point keeps the crust tender and workable. (Here’s my recipe for all butter pie crust if you’re interested in trying that one instead.)

Pie crust tips:

• Make the pie dough ahead of time because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before you can work with it.
• The recipe yields 2 crusts—one for the bottom and one for the top—which is what you need for this pie. If you don’t make pies often, you may want to review my tutorial for how to crimp and flute pie crust, too.
• You don’t need to par-bake the crust because this pie bakes for so long.
• Because there’s a little shortening in the dough, it holds shape well, and you can even braid it. See recipe Note below to replicate this design, and here’s my complete how to braid pie crust tutorial.

If you’re not up for the braiding challenge, you can simply lattice thick strips of pie dough. Now let’s talk about the peaches.

What Are the Best Peaches for Peach Pie?

The best fresh peaches for peach pie are the same I recommend for other peach recipes including peach cobbler, fresh peach cake, peach crisp, and peach bread. You want slightly firm (not hard) yellow peaches with zero bruises or soft spots. Your best bet is to purchase or pick about 10 firm peaches (about 3 pounds), then let them sit in a paper bag for 1–2 days to ripen. Some may have soft spots after this time, so that is why I suggest buying a couple more than you actually need.

If your peaches are soft, stringy, and mushy, your filling will taste soft, stringy, and mushy. Eat any overly soft peaches or save them for peach muffins. They are NOT ideal in pie.

Can I Use Frozen Peaches in Peach Pie?

Fresh peaches are best for peach pie, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.

#1 Success Tip: Use Chunks, Not Slices

Unlike apple pie where you peel and cut apples into slices, cut your peeled peaches into small (approx. 1-inch) chunks here. Because peaches are so juicy, slices bake into mush, while chunks retain more of their deliciously soft texture. The same tip applies for peach cobbler.

Success Tips for Peeling & Cutting Peaches

• Have a trusty peeler on hand. I like this OXO peeler because it’s flexible and easy to hold.
• You can place the peaches in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds to loosen the skin. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches and place them on a plate or in a bowl. The peel should easily come off. I learned this trick from Taste of Home, so read more over there!
• When I don’t use the boiling water trick, I just use my peeler and make sure to rinse it and my hands often with water because everything starts to get a little slippery from the juicy peaches.
• To easily cut peaches, use a sharp knife and, again, rinse it and your hands often to reduce slippage.

7 Ingredient Filling

Top Pie Crust

Add the top crust over your peach pie filling. You can fancily braid the dough as mentioned or:

• Lattice: Lattice is a popular and classic design for the top of your pies. I know many bakers gravitate towards this look, myself included, so I put together a detailed How to Lattice Pie Crust tutorial that would work with any fruit pie filling. Lattice is also a convenient choice because you can see when the pie filling is bubbling all over the surface, noting that it’s done baking.
• Other Designs: Feel free to check out other pie crust designs.
• Crumble: Or you could try this peach crumble pie. Note the slight variation in the filling to make up for a buttery, sweet, cinnamon-spiced topping.

Regardless of the design, be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust, too..

And don’t forget: An egg wash, made from 1 egg and a bit of milk, promises a crispier crust and helps develop that signature golden sheen. Without it, the pie top looks dull and lackluster. I also like topping the pie with coarse sugar for a sparkly crunch, but that’s completely optional.