Peach Pie Recipe: How to make the world's best peach pie

An Easy and GREAT Peach Pie Recipe!

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Want to make the best peach pie you've ever had, with a crumbly topping and a sweet deep peach flavor, and don't want to spend all day in the kitchen combing the Internet or studying overly complicated recipes? This pie is so easy and has stood the test of time; read the comments near the bottom of the page.  What makes it different from other peach pies is: it's mostly peaches, not crust or sugar; and the combination of spices is superb!  And it doesn't matter if you're not a chef or have never made a pie before! Following these illustrated directions ANYONE can cook a perfect peach pie! Take this pie to a Fourth of July picnic and be the hit of the party!

And for those of you who like the combination of peaches with blueberries,see this page for peach-blueberry pie!

Ingredients and Equipment

(per 9 inch deep dish pie)

• One 9 inch pie crust (see this page for the world's easiest flour pie crust recipe and directions!) OR.. if you are like me, you will DEFINITELY prefer a graham cracker pie crust (again, in England, this would be made from "Digestive" biscuits!) - if you haven't tried the graham cracker crust - I highly recommend it. 
• 5 cups of Peaches - fresh or frozen (without syrup) (3 cups if you like a thin pie, 4 cups if you like it a little higher!)
• 7 Tablespoons corn starch (for those of you in the British Isles, you know it as "corn flour").  You may also use an equivalent amount of flaked tapioca instead - the tapioca balls don't dissolve well.
• 3 Tablespoons water (or peach or apple juice)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Spices:
  1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Sweetener:
  • 1/2 cup granulated (ordinary table) Sugar and
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
    OR
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, (Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, works in pie recipes, but not by itself.  The pie turns out heavy and with much less flavor).
• One 9 inch deep-dish Pie Plate - (grocery stores sell both disposable pie pans and glass pans. Get the deep type!

And now, choose the topping you prefer:

• Crumb topping (my preference, again):
  • 1/4 cup sugar (OR 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, )
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• Dough topping:
  See the pie crust recipe and double it to make extra to roll out as a topping to cover the pie.

Step 1  - Make the pie crust

Never made a crust, either?  Fear  not, they are really simple.  Click here for instructions about making a flour pie crust. It will open in a new window, so just close the new window to return here. I prefer peach pie in a graham cracker crust; click on the link for directions. .Now is also a good time to get the oven preheating to 375 F.

Step 3 -Wash the fruit and sort!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in a colander of plain cold water.

Then you need to pick out and remove any bits of stems, leaves and soft or mushy fruit. It is easiest to do this in a large bowl of water and gently run your hands through the fruit as they float.  With your fingers slightly apart, you will easily feel any soft or mushy fruit get caught in your fingers.

Then just drain off the water!

 

 

Step 4 - Peeling the Peaches

Peaches and nectarines should be peeled, as their skins can be tough / chewy in jam.  Peaches have such thin skins, you really don't need to peel them.

For those you want to peel, here's a great trick that works with many fruits and vegetables with skins (like tomatoes): just dip the fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. 

Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and put into a large bowl or pot of cold water and ice.

The skins will easily slide off now IF the peaches are ripe! The more unripe they are, the longer you will need to heat them.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Step 5 - Cut up the peaches

Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, or quarters or slices, as you prefer! Remove pits!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6 - Mix the dry filling ingredients.

Combine the 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar (or sugar/Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, blend), 7 Tablespoons of corn starch in a bowl  and mix well!  Most people like 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and/or 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, mixed in, also.

 

Step 7  - Mix in the liquids

Add the 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and 3 Tablespoons of water (or grape juice) and stir it up. If you use Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, , it will be pretty gloppy, rather than drier crumbs, but it still works the same!

 

 

 

Step 8 - Add the peaches to the pie crust

Add the peaches to the pie crust.  Just pour them in!  There's lots of air space and it will cook down, so don't worry if they mound up about an inch (2.5 cm) above the edge of the plate.

 

 

 

Step 9 - Pour the liquid mix into the pie

Just pour the mixture of sugar, juice, etc. into the pie all over the peaches. If it is a gloppy liquid, don't worry, just pour it somewhat evenly over the top. But it doesn't take perfection; it will smooth itself out in the oven. 

 

 

 

Step 10 - Make and add your topping

If you want the crumb topping, just mix

 - 1/4 cup sugar (OR 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, )

- 1/2 cup flour

 - 1/4 cup cold butter or margarine.

Do not melt the butter, just dice it into the sugar and flour as you mix them together. in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the pie. The dough dicer/blender, shown above in the box, is ideal for making a perfect crumb topping. A fork or potato masher is your next best bet.

If you want to the dough topping instead, roll out a circular section of dough that you made in step 1, to 1/8 inch thick, then place it over the pie.  Seal it against the edges with the pie crust, and make decorative slits with a knife. 

 

Step 11 - Put the pie in the oven!

Cook the pie at 400 F (or 205 Celsius) for 1 hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 12 - Remove when the pie is golden and pie is bubbling

Check to see if it is bubbling and crust is golden brown. If if not, check every 3 or 4 minutes until it is.

 

 

 

 

Step 13 - Enjoy!

Set the pie on a rack to cool and enjoy! Here is a slice of the finished pie! Serve warm with ice cream.  Refrigerate after it is cooled. It easily lasts a week in the fridge (that is, if there is no one there to eat it. Most of the time, people eat it all within a day!)

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips

• If you use frozen peaches, it helps to sprinkle 3 tablespoons of corn starch in pie crust/pan just before you add the peaches!  That helps to suck up any additional liquid, so the pie won't be runny.
• Making a Peach pie for Passover:
  Comments from a visitor on March 24, 2012: "I'm going to bake it for this year's big Passover feast on April 6 (2012). Because of Passover's restrictions against using wheat and corn, I can't use either flour or cornstarch or graham crackers.
  I'll use potato starch instead of corn starch, and will use Passover matzoh cake meal (very, very, finely ground matzoh) instead of flour.
  For the crust, I'm going to try using Passover macaroons. Maybe coconut macaroons smashed up and then mixed with coconut oil instead of butter. (Passover has no restriction against using butter, but I've been substituting coconut oil instead of butter in all my daily cooking year round, just for nutritional health reasons.) I'm thinking it will be delicious. Here's hoping. -Carolyn"

Comments and feedback

Here's what some visitors had to say:

• A visitor writes on July 2, 2015: "Still baking your  Grandma's pie recipe and share it with my customers ! Love it!"