Peach Crisp with Oat-Almond Streusel

Michigan peach season is short and worth building a dessert around while it lasts. This crisp keeps the fruit simple — just a little sugar and lemon to brighten it — and puts the effort into a streusel loaded with oats and sliced almonds for extra crunch. It’s the kind of dessert that goes straight from oven to table, still warm, with vanilla ice cream melting into the corners of the dish.

Ingredients

Filling

• 6-7 medium peaches, sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Streusel

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep the fruit. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a 9-inch baking dish, toss the sliced peaches with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon until evenly coated.

2. Make the streusel. In a separate bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, and salt. Add the cold butter and work it in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms clumps about the size of peas.

3. Assemble. Scatter the streusel evenly over the peaches, breaking up any large clumps but leaving some texture.

4. Bake. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Tent loosely with foil if the streusel browns too quickly.

5. Rest and serve. Let the crisp sit for at least 10 minutes before serving — this gives the filling time to thicken. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tips

• No need to peel the peaches unless you prefer to — the skins soften completely during baking and add a bit of color.
• If your peaches aren’t very sweet, taste a slice first and add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar to the filling.
• Make it ahead. The unbaked streusel keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, so you can assemble the whole dish shortly before baking.
• Leftovers reheat well in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes, or straight in the microwave if you don’t mind a softer topping.

Where to Find the Ingredients

Michigan peaches are grown mostly on the west side of the state, so around Washtenaw County they typically show up at farm stands and markets a little later in the summer rather than from a nearby u-pick orchard. Argus Farm Stop, which sources from 200+ Michigan farms, is a reliable place to check once peach season gets going, and vendors at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market typically carry them through August. Community Farm of Ann Arbor also grows peaches in their own biodynamic orchard for CSA members.

For everything else, browse the full farms directory or farmers markets page to find what’s freshest near you this week.