Peach Pie

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Delicious peach pie with a flaky homemade pie crust and a sweet fresh peach filling.

Serve with a scoop of fresh whipped cream (how to make whipped cream tutorial here) or vanilla bean ice cream for the ultimate summer treat!

Growing up, we had a few peach trees in our backyard that always produced a lot of peaches. We’d eat peaches almost every meal whether they were just cut up on the side or creatively integrated into dinner. We added them to oatmeal or smoothies in the morning and peach milkshakes at night (or after school). 

The first thing we planted when we moved into our home was peach trees! While they haven’t begun producing yet, my husband did find a local peach truck last summer. We stocked up and used those peaches in everything. I couldn’t wait for it to open up again this summer and add peaches into more recipes (like this fruit salad recipe)

Peach pie recipe

So when I found out there was a new cookbook being released this summer sharing all kinds of peach recipes, I had to get my hands on it. Jessica and Stephen Rose wrote “The Peach Truck Cookbook” and it has 100 recipes using peaches (affiliate link). If you aren’t familiar, Jessica and Stephen are the owners of the loved Nashville-based “The Peach Truck” where they sell fresh Georgia peaches.

It’s a gorgeous book with fresh and (of course) peach-filled recipes. And the very first recipe I tried? This peach pie. It’s one of the best pies I’ve ever eaten and of course I had to share it with you all.

Preparing the peaches

For unripe peaches: Using a paring knife, score a small “X” in the bottom of the peach and then place the peach in boiling water for about 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the boiling water and place it in a large bowl filled with ice and cold water. As soon as the peach is cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove the softened skin (it should slide off pretty easily).

For ripe peaches: Place the peach in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the boiling water and place it in a large bowl filled with ice and cold water. As soon as the peach is cool enough to handle, gently peel off the softened skin with your fingers (should slide right off). 

Once the peaches have been peeled, cut in half around the pit and gently twist them to separate the two halves. Remove the pit and slice the peaches into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Crust tips

• Chill the shortening: this pie crust calls for shortening and I recommend popping it in the fridge a day before making the pie. Colder ingredients = better pie crust (I even like to chill the flour!)
• Keep everything as cold as possible: grab ingredients RIGHT out of the fridge, handle as little as possible, and get them back in the fridge as quick as possible. This ensures a gorgeous flaky and flavorful crust.
• Handle/touch the dough as little as possible: I use cheap (not sticky) plastic wrap to help shape and knead the dough together into a ball. The less you touch, the more flaky the crust will be and the less it will shrink when being baked.
• Rustic is in: embrace mistakes or a less than perfect pie crust — it’s the style these days! Plus it will still taste great 🙂 
• Practice makes perfect: the more pie crusts you make the better you’ll get!

Secret pie crust ingredient

Jessica’s family swears by a little apple cider vinegar in the pie crust. It tenderizes the crust, making it easier to work with (and flakier) and truly makes the pie crust “sing.” While it may seem odd, don’t skip this ingredient!

Peach pie filling tips

• Use ripe, fresh peaches for best results. The better the peaches, the better the pie will taste!
• For the filling we really want the peach flavor to shine through, so there aren’t a whole lot of extra ingredients. I do like to use vanilla bean paste (you can see the flecks of vanilla in some of these photos) which I think adds the perfect accenting flavor to the peaches. The other flavor addition: a little fresh lemon juice!
• Gently stir to keep the peaches from breaking down
• To ensure the peach pie thickens up nicely we want to make sure the thickener is evenly dispersed throughout. To make sure it is, combine all the dry ingredients together BEFORE tossing them with the peaches. Also remember how important it is to give the pie time to sufficiently cool and subsequently thicken — it takes a surprisingly long time.

Peach pie lattice pie crust

Elise from Simply Recipes has broken down the process (with step-by-step photos) of making the perfect lattice crust. While it might seem intimidating, it’s so easy to do!

Once the lattice crust is in place, you can crimp the edges by pinching the crust with your thumb and pointer finger and using your pointer finger from your other hand to form an indent (see photo above).

You also might want a pie shield (affiliate link) to keep the edges from getting too dark. You can make your own pie shield by following this tutorial.

More delicious fruit filled desserts:

• Lemon Bars reader favorite
• Strawberry Shortcake with biscuits
• Fruit Pizza Cheesecake Tart
• Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie quick and easy
• Fruit Tart with sugar cookie base

5 from 6 votes

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Peach Pie

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Chilling time

4 hrs

Total Time

5 hrs 35 mins

 

Delicious peach pie with a flaky homemade pie crust and a sweet fresh peach filling.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Peach Pie

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 565 kcal

Ingredients

Crust

• 3 cups white all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
• 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups (COLD) vegetable shortening
• 5 tablespoons ice water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 4 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced (about 12 cups)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Number 1 tip: keep EVERYTHING as cold as possible. Chill crust ingredients (yes even the flour!) before starting, keep the peaches/filling as cold as possible right up until going into the oven.

2. CRUST: To make the crust, sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles large peas. Whisk together the ice water, vinegar, and egg in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined. Divide the dough in half; flatten each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. OVEN PREP: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. CRUST CONT.: Roll out one dough disk on a lightly floured surface to a round about 1/4 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the other dough disk to a round about 1/4 inch thick. Place the round of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Cut it into 2-1/2 inch-wide strips. Chill the dough while preparing the filling.

5. FILLING: Prepare the peaches (Note 1) To make the filling, place the prepared peaches in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and gently toss to combine. In a separate bowl stir together the 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. Add to the peaches and gently toss to combine.

6. ASSEMBLY: Spoon the filling into the dough-lined pie plate. Arrange the pastry strips on the top of the pie in a lattice. Fold the edges under and crimp. Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash lightly over the top crust. Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Chill pie for 20 minutes.

7. BAKE: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place it on the bottom rack of the oven (this is to catch any filling that bubbles over). Bake the pie on the center rack for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 to 50 minutes more, until golden brown and bubbling, shielding the pie with a sheet of foil after 20 minutes if the crust is getting too brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2-4 hours or until thickened and set, before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

For unripe peaches: Using a paring knife, score a small "X" in the bottom of the peach and then place the peach in boiling water for about 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the boiling water and place it in a large bowl filled with ice and cold water. As soon as the peach is cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove the softened skin (it should slide off pretty easily).

For ripe peaches: Place the peach in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the boiling water and place it in a large bowl filled with ice and cold water. As soon as the peach is cool enough to handle, gently peel off the softened skin with your fingers (should slide right off). 

Once the peaches have been peeled, cut in half around the pit and gently twist them to separate the two halves. Remove the pit and slice the peaches into 1/2 inch thick slices.