Whether you are out camping or have a hankering for peach crisp at home, this Dutch oven peach crisp with almonds is easy to whip up indoors or out with plenty of the crunchy crisp topping everyone loves.
Find more of my cast iron campfire Dutch oven recipes.
I am a sucker for fruit desserts. As much as I love chocolate, I’ll take a slice of apple pie or berry cobbler over a chocolate cake. So when summer fruits are in season, my family and I easily go through a couple pounds of strawberries, blueberries, peaches and nectarines a week. And don’t forget the melons, too.
Summer time also means camping time or just general spending more time outdoors. We go to the beach, the park, the pool, you name it and enjoy more hiking, biking, swimming and general frolicking.
And being outdoors more, means cooking outdoors. And that’s where I really shine, easy recipes to cook outdoors, like this campfire Dutch oven peach crisp with almonds.
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Recipe highlights
- Simple: A fruit crisp is one of the easiest desserts to throw together. It’s not as complicated a pie, but has all the fruity flavor you crave from one. You can use practically any fresh fruit that is in season, like summer strawberry rhubarb crisp to a fall apple rhubarb crisp. In August, peaches are in abundance and I they are truly the perfect fruit!
- Dutch Oven: Think of a Dutch oven as a small oven. You can cook with it as you cook in a regular pot on your stove at home. It is also incredibly easy to bake with one, too. From dutch oven berry cobbler to a blueberry clafoutis, it is easy to bake desserts in a dutch oven!
- Flavor: If you never had a crisp, you have two layers: the fruit filling and the topping. The filling is soft and sweet and fruity, not jam sweet but compliment the fruit sweet. But really, it’s all about the crisp. I love the crunchy sweet topping on crisp!
Ingredients you need
- Peaches: You can use fresh or frozen peaches for this recipe. If you are using fresh peaches, I prefer to peel them as the skin can separate while baking and you don’t want to fish out peach peels. If you are camping, throw a bag of frozen peach slices in your cooler and it will thaw by the time you need to bake with it. Please do NOT use canned peaches. Canned peaches are poached in a sugary syrup and filled with preservatives. They will turn to mush when baked in a fruit crisp and will be way too sweet, in my honest and humble opinion.
- Lemon: A little lemon juice keeps your fruit from oxidizing and browning. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice. I also like to add lemon zest to the crisp, so I prefer using a fresh lemon.
- Almond slices: You can also use chopped pistachios, walnuts, pecans or omit if you do not want nuts.
- Butter: I use cold unsalted butter for the crisp topping. For a non-dairy alternative, you can use coconut butter.
- Pantry staples: Granulated sugar, cornstarch, old fashion oatmeal, all purpose flour, light brown sugar and salt.
- Seasonings: Ground cinnamon and ground ginger
Step-by-step directions
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- Prep the coals. In a coal chimney, light up 22 briquettes.
- Make the filling. Peel and remove seed from peaches. Cut in slices and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix in lemon juice, granulated sugar, lemon zest and cornstarch with the peaches and set aside.
- Make the topping. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, using your fingers to pinch and rub the dry ingredients in with the butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Assemble crisp. Transfer peach mixture and all of the juices into a 10-inch Dutch oven and spread out evenly.
- Add toppings. Sprinkle oatmeal topping over the peaches and cover completely.
- Bake. Cover the pot and set 8 coals underneath the Dutch oven and 14 coals on the lid. Bake for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Remove top from the Dutch oven and let crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving
Recipe tips and FAQs
This peach crisp can easily be baked in your kitchen oven as it can be baked over a campfire. You can bake it in a cast iron skillet or any oven safe baking dish. Again, simply pour in the peach mixture, sprinkle over the topping and bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes.
If you want to try more unique crisp recipes, try my quince crisp and even an apple grape crisp. And if you love peach desserts like I do, then you must try my peach blueberry cobbler and this homemade peach blueberry pie.
And if you didn’t know, I have a camping cookbook out that is perfect for whenever you cook outdoors, whether you’re camping, at the beach, park or lake house: The Camp & Cabin Cookbook (Countryman Press 2018).
I have 100 recipes that are all prepared outdoors and over fire using multiple techniques, including the beloved Dutch oven. Learn more about my camp cookbook!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Cover and store any leftover fruit crisp on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days. Fruit desserts will keep longer in the refrigerator, up to 4-5 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
To reheat any fruit crisp, take it out of the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving. Then reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Presto, warm fruit is ready to enjoy!
The answer is based on personal preference. I personally, like to have the peaches peeled when I use them in baked goods. Many times the peel separates from the fruit and you are fishing out peach peels from your peach crisp.
Some people swear by NOT peeling their peaches when making a crisp or any other baked peach dessert. I leave it up to you and your own personal preferences.
If you do use fresh peaches, and you are peeling the peaches, I recommend using a serrated peeler because it grabs the edges of the peach skin beautifully. Ripe peaches are also easier to peel so look for firm yet ripe peaches to use in this peach crisp.
Once you get a corner pulled up, it easily separates from the rest of the fruit. Some people blanch their peaches in hot water, like you do for tomatoes, to help remove the peel. Choose whichever method works better for you.
And when you are camping, you can easily place a frozen bag of peach slices in the cooler. It works both as an ice pack in the cooler, and as it thaws, they are easy and ready to throw together in a crisp.
But do NOT use canned peaches, please, for this Dutch oven peach crisp. Canned peaches are poached in a sugary syrup and filled with preservatives. They will turn to mush when baked in a fruit crisp and will be way too sweet, in my honest and humble opinion.
Campfire Dutch Oven Peach Crisp with Almonds
Ingredients
- 7 large peaches approximately 3-pounds
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Grated zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup old-fashion oatmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond slices
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- In a chimney, light up 22 briquettes.
- Peel and remove seed from peaches. Cut in slices and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix in lemon juice, granulated sugar, lemon zest and cornstarch with the peaches and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, using your fingers to pinch and rub the dry ingredients in with the butter untill coarse crumbs form.
- Transfer peach mixture and all of the juices into a 10-inch Dutch oven and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle oatmeal topping over the peaches and cover completely.
- Cover the pot and set 8 coals underneath the Dutch oven and 14 coals on the lid.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.
- Remove top from the Dutch oven and let crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Just beautiful. Dessert or breakfast!
Oooooh yes! Crisp for breakfast is perfect!!
I’m going stone fruit tasting today – just saying!!!! We love crisps in our house.
Lucky you! That sounds like my kind of fun!