Perfect Peach Pie
This perfect peach pie — combining fresh peaches with a hint of orange zest and warm cinnamon flavors — won’t turn into a runny, soggy mess! Encased in a crisp, buttery homemade crust that stays deliciously flaky, this pie is sure to impress. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate end-of-summer dessert.
Ingredients
- Pie dough (click here for my homemade Flaky Pie Crust recipe)
- 3 – 3.5 lbs peaches (about one 3L basket)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Demerara sugar or granulated sugar (for sprinkling; optional)
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp water
Equipment
Instructions
Preparing the Pie Dough
- Prepare my homemade Flaky Pie Crust recipe. Set both disks of dough in the refrigerator to chill.
Preparing the Peach Filling
- Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel peaches. Alternatively, blanch peaches in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds (to loosen the skin) and peel off using a paring knife or your fingers. Cut peaches into ½" wedges.3 – 3.5 lbs peaches
- In a large bowl, combine peach wedges and sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Set peaches aside to macerate, at room temperature, for 1 hour, gently stirring them every 15 minutes.¾ cup granulated sugar
- Pour peaches (and exuded liquid) into a colander set over a small frying pan. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for juices to drain into the pan.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400℉. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it in the center rack of the oven.
- Pour the drained peaches back into the large bowl. Set aside.
- Set the frying pan over medium-high heat and cook juices until only about ⅓ to ½ cup of thick peach liquid remains. (The liquid will bubble up and foam — this is okay! To check quantity and thickness, simply remove pan from heat for bubbles to subside.)
- Off heat, whisk in orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Add in chilled butter and swirl it around until fully melted and combined. Whisk in cornstarch until no lumps remain. Set peach liquid mixture aside while rolling out the pie crust. (Do not add liquid back to peach wedges just yet!)2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice½ tsp orange zest1 tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp kosher salt2 Tbsp unsalted butter¼ cup cornstarch
Assembling and Baking the Pie
- Meanwhile, remove both disks of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator and set them on the counter to warm slightly (this will make them easier to roll out). When rolling, the dough should be chilled, but pliable.
- Prepare an egg wash by whisking together 1 egg with 1 Tbsp of water until the mixture is homogeneous. Set aside.
- Place one disk of pie dough on a well-floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle about 12" in diameter. Keep rotating the dough to prevent sticking. Pinch any cracks together with your fingers.
- Carefully transfer rolled-out dough onto 9" pie dish. Gently press dough into bottom and side edges of dish to form the crust. Do not trim the edges of the dough. Set the entire pie plate in the fridge to chill while working with the second disk of dough.
- Working quickly (but carefully), repeat Step 11 with second disk of dough. If using full piece of dough as top layer, leave as is. However, if desired, cut dough into 1" strips — I recommend using a ruler as a guide and a large knife or pizza cutter — to create a lattice pattern.
- At the last minute, into the large bowl with the peach wedges, pour in the peach liquid mixture. With a spoon or rubber spatula, stir until well combined.
- Remove the prepared pie dish from the refrigerator. Pour peach filling into the bottom crust. Carefully drape the second half of the dough over the filled pie and cut small slits in the top dough to allow steam to escape while baking. Alternatively, if creating a lattice pattern, weave strips of dough over the filled pie, as desired.
- Using your fingers and/or a fork, roll and crimp the edges of the pie, as desired, trimming any excess dough as necessary. You can be as simple or as fancy as you would like!
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Optionally, sprinkle the top with a little Demerara or granulated sugar.
- Set the pie onto the lined (and hot!) sheet pan in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375℉. Bake pie for an additional 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is thick and bubbly (which will be visible if creating a lattice pattern).Pro Tip: If at any time during the baking process, the crust is becoming too dark, set a piece of aluminum foil over the top to prevent burning.
- Remove the pie from the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely (at least 4 hours), otherwise the filling may become runny (the filling will thicken and set as it cools).
Notes
- Tips for Using Fresh Peaches: As with many fruit desserts, the flavor and sweetness of your pie will depend on the flavor and sweetness of your peaches. I recommend getting peaches that are ripe but slightly firm. (You can always taste a piece of peach for sweetness.)
- Quantity of Sugar: In this recipe, I use ¾ cup of granulated sugar, which I have found to be just the right amount of sweetness. Keep in mind that, when working with peaches, the added sugar not only provides sweetness to the final pie, but also helps bring out the peaches' flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 3305kcal | Carbohydrates: 501g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 137g | Saturated Fat: 69g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 429mg | Sodium: 2047mg | Potassium: 2291mg | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 300g | Vitamin A: 8335IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 16mg