Perfect Peach and Raspberry Crumble

Nothing says summer potluck like a fruit crumble! And no fruit says summer like fresh peaches! Peaches are so seasonal and their peak is so short, I furiously work, trying to get the most out of their fleeting time each year! They are so versatile. Their sweet, tart, fruity and floral flavors can be found in a multitude of desserts and savory dishes.

I love both the flavor and color combo of peaches with raspberries! I top the fruits with a crispy, crumbly topping that is a perfect contrast to the juicy, bubbly fruit!

This dessert requires practically zero skill! It is so easy to whip up, but looks so impressive!

Here’s what you need for the fruit filling:

Here’s what you need for the crumble topping:

Make the filling.

The peaches will only halve beautifully if you use freestone varieties. These are what are available later in the summer. It’s currently the very end of July and freestone peaches are available everywhere. If you are making this in May or even June, chances are all the peaches will still be clingstone. If that is the case, you could swap out frozen peaches instead.

Prepare the peaches.

First, run a knife along the peach’s natural seam. Twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate them. Then, you should be able to pry the pit out with your fingers. If it resists, run a paring knife between the pit and the flesh of the peach to help loosen it up.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel each half, then slice the peach halves and cut the slices into smaller, bite sized pieces.

Toss the peaches into a large bowl with the granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Give it a big stir, then add the fresh raspberries. Stir gently just to incorporate them.

Make the crumble topping.

Start by adding the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and lemon zest to a separate bowl. Stir this very well to combine. Pay attention to the lemon zest in particular here. It loves to clump together. Make sure it is evenly dispersed throughout.

Most of the crumbles I have made in my life have called for cutting in cold butter. With these recipes, my topping never came out exactly the way I was expecting. I always ended up with some amount of dry topping that the butter didn’t touch as it melted. Plus it is a lot of work!

Melting the butter and adding it to the topping creates a perfect, even, golden brown crumble! And you don’t have to work up a sweat cutting the cold butter!

Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into the bowl. I find that hands work best for mixing the butter into the dry ingredients. Squeeze and stir, making little clumps of topping until there are no bits of dry flour or oats left.

Assemble the crumble.

Pour the filling in a buttered, 9 x 14 inch glass baking pan.

Grab big handfuls of topping and sprinkle it all over the fruit filling. Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. The topping should be golden brown and the fruit will be bubbly.

Try to let it rest for a half hour (if you can) so the sauce can thicken up a bit.

As you can see, I completely jumped the gun on dishing it out and did not let it rest! It is completely runny! To be honest, I wanted to hurry and finish up with the photos so I could eat that entire bowl! And I would do it again! It may look a little messy, but it was soooo good!

Top this sweet, tart, fruity and crisp dessert with vanilla ice cream or some fresh whipped cream and dig in!

Other recipes to try:

• Peaches and Cream Cheesecake
• Raspberries and Cream Tarte
• Perfectly Peachy Peach Sauce