Healthy Peach Crisp with Oats (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
A simple summer dessert with juicy peaches and a crisp golden oat walnut topping that’s naturally sweetened and full of real flavor. (Easy, adaptable for gluten and dairy free diet).
Every summer I end up making this peach crisp at least a few times because it’s one of those desserts that doesn’t need much to taste good. Ripe peaches do most of the work. The oat walnut topping turns golden and crisp in the oven, while a little arrowroot thickens the fruit juices without making the filling heavy. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but just as welcome at a summer gathering.
If you’re looking for another easy way to use ripe peaches, my Blueberry Peach Oatmeal Cookies are another favorite option made with many of the same wholesome ingredients.
Unlike many traditional peach crisps, this version is made with simple whole-food ingredients like rolled oats, walnuts, maple sugar, and arrowroot starch instead of relying on lots of refined sugar or flour. It can be made gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats and a gluten-free flour blend, while dairy-free options work just as well. Whether you have fresh summer peaches, frozen slices tucked away in the freezer, or even canned peaches in the pantry, this recipe delivers the same comforting peach crisp with a crisp oat walnut topping every time.
When ripe peaches are in season, they don’t need much, just a handful of good ingredients that bring out their natural sweetness.
Why You’ll Love This Peach Crisp
This isn’t the sweetest peach crisp you’ll ever make, and that’s exactly the point. The peaches stay front and center, while the crisp oat walnut topping adds just enough sweetness, crunch, and warmth to complement their natural flavor.
- A crisp oat walnut topping. Rolled oats and chopped walnuts bake into a golden topping that’s crunchy around the edges with tender, buttery crumbs in every bite.
- Naturally sweetened. Maple sugar gives the topping a subtle caramel flavor without overpowering the fruit.
- Works with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches. No need to wait for peak peach season to enjoy it.
- Made with simple whole-food ingredients. No complicated ingredients or overly processed mixes.
- Easy to adapt. Make it gluten-free with certified gluten-free oats and flour, or dairy-free with coconut oil or your favorite plant-based butter.
- Perfect for a weeknight treat, entertaining or meal prep. It comes together quickly and tastes just as good the next day.
Why I Use These Ingredients
Every ingredient has a purpose. Rather than adding more, I prefer choosing ingredients that improve flavor, texture, or nutrition.
| Ingredient | Why I use it | Easy substitutions |
|---|
| Peaches | Fresh peaches give the best flavor, but frozen and canned peaches work beautifully too. Leave the skins on for colour & fibre. | Nectarines, apricots, or a mix of peaches and plums. Or add some blueberries. |
| Rolled oats | Create the hearty, crisp topping while adding fiber and texture. | Certified gluten-free rolled oats. Quick oats work in a pinch but create a softer topping. |
| Flour | Thickens the fruit juices and binds the crunchy topping together. | All-purpose, GF blend, or oat + rice flour mix. Almond flour also works. |
| Walnuts | Add crunch, richness, and healthy fats that pair naturally with peaches. | Pecans, sliced almonds, or simply leave them out. |
| Arrowroot starch | Thickens the peach juices without making the filling heavy or cloudy. | Cornstarch or tapioca starch. |
| Maple sugar | Adds a gentle caramel sweetness that lets the peaches remain the star. | Coconut sugar or light brown sugar. |
| Butter | Fat helps the topping brown and become crisp. | nut butter / coconut oil or vegan butter work too. |
| Cinnamon, cardamom | Enhance the natural sweetness and bring all the flavors together. | A pinch of nutmeg also works well. |
See all measurements in the recipe card:
How To Make Healthy Peach Crisp
This recipe comes together in about 15 minutes before baking.
Step 1. Prepare
- Heat oven to 360 °F (182 °C).
- Choose your baking dish. I’m using a square 9″ non-stick baking dish, ceramic coated, so no need to grease it or use parchment paper.
Step 2. Make the oat walnut topping
- Grate frozen butter into the flour. Or use the fast food processor method (add the cold butter and the flour to the bowl of a food processor and pulse the mixture until you have a chunky / crumb like mixture).
- Stir in oats, walnuts, maple sugar, salt, mix gently to combine.
Step 3. Prepare the peaches
Slice the peaches and toss them with arrowroot starch, maple sugar, spices and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to your baking dish.
Step 4. Assemble
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches without pressing it down. Just tap the pan a few times if needed. Keeping it loose creates the best crisp texture.
Step 5. Bake
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the peach juices are bubbling around the edges. Depending on your baking dish and peaches (frozen or fresh), this usually takes about 35 to 45 minutes.
Step 6. Cool slightly And Serve
Let the crisp rest for 10–15 minutes before serving. This gives the filling time to thicken while keeping the fruit juicy. Spoon warm crumble into bowls with vanilla ice cream, coconut whip, or yogurt.
Variations & Tips
- Very soft peaches release more juice and may require an extra teaspoon of arrowroot starch.
- Frozen peaches: Use straight from the bag, add 1 extra Tbsp arrowroot, bake 5–10 min longer.
- Canned peaches: If they’re packed in syrup, rinse lightly to reduce the sweetness. Drain well, reduce sugar to 2 Tbsp.
- Nut free: Skip walnuts and add 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds + 1 Tbsp flax seeds or some coconut flakes for crunch (atention for tree nut allergies).
- Low-sugar / sugar-free: Replace maple sugar with monk-fruit blend; peaches supply plenty of natural sweetness.
- Steel-cut oats: Pre-toast ½ cup steel-cut oats in a dry pan 3 min, let cool, then swap for half the rolled oats. They stay pleasantly chewy.
- For the crispiest topping: Leave a few larger crumbs instead of mixing the topping until smooth. Bake until the filling bubbles around the edges, not just until the topping looks golden.
Storage & Meal-prep
| Method | How long | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | 1 day | Cover once fully cooled. |
| Fridge | 3 days | Re-crisp in preheated 350 °F oven for 10 min. |
| Freezer (un-baked) | – | not recommended, freeze separately the topping and sliced peaches, assemble when ready to bake. |
| Freezer (baked) | 3 months | Freeze it fully baked with the topping, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat at 350 °F for 15 min, if you want it warm. |
FAQs
Because the topping contains rolled oats, this recipe is technically a peach crisp. However, many people use the terms crisp and crumble interchangeably, especially for baked fruit desserts with a crumb topping.
I don’t recommend preparing the peach filling ahead, it will release more juice the longer it sits. However you can make ahead the topping (refrigerate or freeze) and freeze sliced peaches in a bag. When ready to bake, it’s easier to assemble everything.
Butter must be cold and you need enough dry ingredients. If it still looks pale, broil for 1 min at the end. To too much liquid filling or not enough baking time migh also cause that.
Swap in the same weight of almond flour (or other nut flour) plus 2 Tbsp shredded coconut.
More Fruit Crisps & Crumbles
If you enjoy simple desserts made with seasonal fruit and whole-food ingredients, here are a few more recipes to try:
- Healthy Strawberry Crisp – an early summer dessert.
- Apple-Blueberry Crisp – perfect during blueberry season / early-harvest of apples.
- Blackberry-Apple Crisp – for late summer to early fall transition.
- Apple & Plum Crisp – easy fall variation once peach season ends.
Find these and more in my Gluten-Free Summer Desserts collection.
Tried This Peach Crisp Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Tap ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to rate it or leave a quick comment below! your feedback helps other readers (and keeps me creating new treats).
Have extra peaches? Use them to make my Creamy Peach Vinaigrette – a fresh, dairy-free dressing that’s delicious on salads, grilled chicken, or grain bowls.
Healthy Peach Crisp with Oats (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
Peach Filling
- 6-7 medium fresh peaches - frozen and canned also work
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ to 2 tbsp arrowroot flour - or other starchy flour
- ¼ cup maple sugar - or your favorite sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cardamom
Oat Crumble Topping
- 1 cup rolled oats - I used gluten free
- ⅓ cup flour - see notes
- 6 tbsp frozen butter - see notes
- ½ cup crushed walnuts - or pecans
- ⅓ cup maple sugar - or your favorite granulated sweetener
- pinch salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 360 degrees F (182 C) and prepare your baking dish. I'm using a square 9" non-stick baking dish, ceramic coated, so no need to grease it.
Step 1. Make The Oat Crumble Topping First
- Place you butter in the freezer for at least 1 hour before starting. Then, if you’re doing it by hand, use a grater: in a bowl, rub the frozen butter against the smaller grating surface on a box grater. Toss the frozen shreds of butter with flour until all pieces are coated.
- To the butter and flour mixture, add the rest of ingredients and mix to combine with a spatula this time. Place the oat crumb topping in the fridge while you make the rest.
Step 2. Prepare the peach filling
- Rinse the peaches and pat dry, cut into wedges. I do not peeled them and the peach crisp turned just fine!
- Add sliced peaches to the baking dish. Add lemon juice, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom.
- Gently stir until coated. I'm using the same baking dish for mixing the ingredients. Spread the peach filling in an even layer.
Step 3. Assemble the peach crisp
- Sprinkle the crumbly oat topping over peaches. Tap the pan a few times if needed. Keeping it loose creates the best crisp texture.
Step 4. Bake
- Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, and fruit is bubbling on the edges.
Serve
- Once it’s crisp and golden remove from oven and let it cool. Serve warm, cold or room temperature.
What You Need
Notes
- Flour: use one plain type or a mix (refined and whole grain). Finer (starchier) flours will yield a more golden brown surface. Whole grain flours are healthier but they will change the texture and flavor a bit. You can use oat flour combined with a finer flour for a healthier peach crisp.
- Gluten free peach crisp: use a gluten free flour mix or your favorite store-bought brand, I used my own gluten free flour mix.
- Dairy free peach crumble: as fat use nut butter (~1/3 cup) vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Make ahead: I do not recommend preparing and refrigerating the crisp, unbaked, as the filling will release even more juice the longer it sits. Prepate only the topping in advance (refrigerate or freeze).
- Pan: I used a 9×9 inch square pan , a 11×7 inch rectangular pan also would work. For a 9×13 pan – increase ingredients by 50%. You could also divide the recipe into individual ramekins. Just adjust the baking time until the peach filling bubbles up around the sides.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven or air fryer for the crispiest topping.Freezing
Freeze baked peach crisp for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
If You’re Tired of Conflicting Nutrition Advice + Want a Simpler Approach To Healthy Eating
Join My Newsletter 👇
I share insights on food quality, gut health, health coaching tips beyond nutrition, and whole-food recipes that support long-term health, without strict rules or complicated meal plans.
Plus, you’ll get access to exclusive resources I don’t always share on the website.
More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
©HealthyTasteOfLife. Content and photographs are copyright protected and need prior permission to use. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to other websites and any social media is strictly prohibited. Sharing and using the link of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated!
I was looking for an easy healthy peach dessert, I have plenty of fresh peaches this year… and this is exactly what I wanted: lots of fruit, minimal sugar, and less flour and starch. Delicious!!!
I’m glad you found it delicious! Enjoy!