So it’s Labor Day weekend and we deserve to celebrate the unofficial end of summer with a bang.
And by bang I mean hot-out-of-the-oven vanilla bean peach crisp topped with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. That’s cool, right?
While I still can’t believe summer is practically over, I’m totally ready for fall. Fall is not only my favorite weather season, but it also brings Oktoberfest beers, pumpkin everything, blustery days of football-watching and chili-making, and—this year—a few family vacations and good friends’ weddings that Brad and I have been looking forward to all year. Bring it on!
….But not before we eat our body weight in summer peaches loaded up with cinnamon-y streusel topping and vanilla ice cream. Let’s do that first.
This vanilla bean peach crisp is the perfect summer dessert. It highlights the perfect end-of-summer peaches I managed to snag in the best way imaginable (with butter and brown sugar and vanilla bean, obviously). The peaches are so incredibly soft and sweet, with incredible vanilla flavor, and the topping is so crunchy and cinnamon-y – it’s the perfect textural balance. And of course, no fruit pie or crisp is complete without a giant scoop (or three) of high-quality vanilla ice cream. It just provides that over-the-top cool, creamy element and the flavor brings out the vanilla bean hints in the peach filling so well. I’m obsessed, you guys. Also, it’s a fact that peach crisp is not only a great dessert, but also a totally appropriate breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. Peach crisp = fruit = healthy = all-day eating. You heard it here first. I can’t imagine a better way to say good-bye to an incredible summer!
Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the long weekend with lots of sunshine and relaxation (or, if you’re us, college football + lots of beers). Oh, and a staggering amount of peach crisp. Make it a part of your weekend!
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- Seeds from ½ vanilla bean, scraped
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 2 pounds peaches (about 5 medium-sized fruits), halved, pitted, and cut into skinny slices
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Butter an 8x8 inch pan about three-quarters of the way up the sides.
- First, cut your butter into small chunks (see Note below). Return to the refrigerator while you combine the rest of the streusel topping ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl.
- Once dry ingredients are fully combined, use a pastry cutter or your hands to blend the butter into the dry ingredients (you could also use a food processor to do this). The butter is completely blended when large clumps form and there is no loose flour and sugar; this takes a few minutes of blending. Crumble the clumps into small kidney bean-sized pieces, then refrigerate the streusel while you make the filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and salt. Add the sliced pieces and mix until peaches are coated.
- Add the peach filling to the prepared pan, then top evenly with the streusel topping. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, until peaches are bubbly and the streusel topping is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for about 30-45 minutes, then serve immediately with vanilla ice cream!
- To keep butter chunks cold, I usually cut the butter first, then put the cubes in the refrigerator to stay cold while I prepare the other ingredients. Then, when you are ready to mix in the butter, take it out of the fridge and mix immediately.
- For this recipe, your peaches should be ripe but still firm, not totally falling apart.
Looking for more summer-y desserts?
Almond Streusel-Topped Blueberry Galette
Mexican Dark Chocolate S’mores Bars
