Classic Peach Pie Recipe

The pure, sweet flavor of ripe peaches sing in this iconic dessert—perfect on its own or even better served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

By
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal was the author of the Pie of the Week and Sweet Technique columns for Serious Eats. From 2017–2021, she ran a restaurant called The Nightingale in Vinalhaven, Maine.
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Updated October 22, 2023
A slice of classic peach pie, served with a scoop of ice cream perched on top.

Serious Eats / Lauren Weisenthal

Why It Works

  • Peeling the peaches (an optional step) results in a pie filling with the best flavor and texture.
  • Tossing the sliced peaches with cornstarch (or tapioca starch) thickens the juices exuded by the fruit as it bakes.
  • Thoroughly chilling the pie dough before and after filling and assembly keeps the crust crisp and not overly greasy.
  • Sprinkling sugar over the pie before baking lightly caramelizes the top crust.

Local peaches are truly perfection—they're juicy, sweet, and amazingly fragrant. Few things beat the taste of a perfect sun-ripened peach, with the possible exception of buttery peach pie, especially when served with ice cream.

When selecting peaches for pie, choose those with darker-hued skin and bright yellow-orange flesh. These peaches are generically known as "yellow peaches", and Reliance and Sweet Scarlet are the most well-known varieties. They have the best balance of acidity and sweetness for pie, as opposed to "white peach" varieties which tend to skew more sweet and mellow (these are great raw, a little too sweet for baking). For the perfect pie filling, be sure to buy peaches at the peak of ripeness; the skin should easily bruise with the lightest amount of pressure.

The skin is easily rubbed off of a blanched and cooled peach.

Serious Eats / Lauren Weisenthal

Many bakers prefer to remove the skins from peaches when using them for pie filling, as some find the skin's texture unpleasant and are put off by its slightly bitter flavor. If you plan to remove the skins, it is imperative that the peaches be completely ripe—if they are not, the skins will not come off easily. (See the notes section below for specific instructions.)

What are you waiting for? Grab some peaches and let's make pie! Serve it up at a late summer barbecue or afternoon picnic.

August 2011

Recipe Details

Classic Peach Pie Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 45 mins
Active 30 mins
Chilling Time 20 mins
Total 75 mins
Serves 8 to 10 servings
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Ingredients

  • One recipe easy pie dough, one half shaped and chilled in a pie plate, the other rolled out flat and chilled on a floured sheet pan

  • 4 pounds fresh, ripe yellow peaches, (peeled, if desired; see note), pitted, and cut into 1/8ths

  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch or small-grain instant tapioca

  • Zest of 1 lime

  • Egg wash (1 large egg and 1 large pinch of salt, beaten)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine peach slices, sugar, cornstarch or tapioca, and lime zest. Toss the mixture until the peaches are evenly coated, then pour into the prepared, chilled pie shell.

  2. Cover the fruit with the prepared, chilled top crust, shape as desired. Chill the shaped pie for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

  3. Brush the top of the chilled pie with egg wash just before baking. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through. After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating again halfway through. Bake until the top is golden brown the the filling is bubbling all over.

Special Equipment

9-inch pie plate

Notes

To remove peach skins, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and set up a large bowl of cold water and ice next to the stove. Using tongs, add the peaches to the boiling water three or four at a time and allow them to boil for 30-40 seconds, fully submerged. Then, lift the peaches out of the hot water and plunge them into the ice water bath. Allow them to sit completely submerged in the ice water for 1 minute. Once the peaches are cool, the skins will rub right off the peach flesh, and they're ready for baking.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
416Calories
16gFat
67gCarbs
5gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories416
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g20%
Saturated Fat 5g26%
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 245mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 67g24%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 34g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 12mg61%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 402mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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