This boozy peach crisp is a perfect no-fuss summer dessert, packed with ripe local peaches and a delightfully crunchy oat topping.

Peaches and bourbon were meant to be together. The vanilla-scented sweetness of the bourbon perfectly contrasts the bright acidity of the peaches, and the sweet and salty oat topping brings it all together.

I am not usually one for fruit desserts (if there’s chocolate or caramel or peanut butter on the dessert menu I will, without a doubt, veer in that direction versus the fruity option).

But. However. That said.

Every so often I surprise myself by making a fruit dessert that really hits the spot.

This is one of those desserts.

Complete with sticky sweet bourbon-spiked peaches and topped with a sweet and salty and, most importantly, crunchy topping of buttery oats and brown sugar, this skillet peach crisp is a thing of beauty.

The topping here is actually virtually identical to my dulce de leche crumb bars, if you can believe it. Talk about a versatile recipe!

What makes it a crisp and not a cobbler or a crumble, you ask? Well, cobblers are typically topped with dollops of biscuit-like dough. Crumbles and crisps are very similar, but crisps typically contain oats in the topping (which amps up the crunch factor) and crumbles usually don’t. I say that although the only other crisp/crumble/cobbler I’ve ever posted contains oats and yet I still called that one a crumble, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

Being that it’s just two of us, I used one of these adorable 6 1/2-inch cast iron skillets, which made a generous 4 servings.

For a larger batch, use a 9 or 10 inch skillet or even a 9-inch cake pan if you prefer, simply double the recipe below. The process will be identical, just increase the baking time a bit to account for the extra volume.

The little bit of cornstarch turns all of the luscious peach juices into a glorious thick and gooey filling. I know a lot of crisp recipes skip this completely, but I really can’t stand a runny filling.

Also be sure you let your crisp sit for a good 20-30 minutes before diving in; this will help the filling set up even more.

While I stuck to peaches, I think this recipe would also be fabulous with a handful of blackberries or raspberries thrown in there too!

Also, if you happened to miss out on the tail end of peach season, I think this recipe would be absolutely fabulous with apples or pears.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Skillet Bourbon Peach Crisp

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

The full recipe will fit perfectly in a 6 1/2-inch cast iron skillet as shown. If you’re using a 9 or 10 inch skillet, simply double the recipe and increase the baking time to 45 to 55 minutes.

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Ingredients:

For Crumb Topping:

• 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 56g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats

For Filling:

• 1 pound ripe peaches (about 3 medium), pitted and sliced into wedges
• 2 teaspoons bourbon
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 6 or 7-inch cast iron skillet (for a larger 9 or 10-inch skillet, simply double all the ingredients).
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut butter into chunks and add to bowl with flour; work in with a couple of forks or cool hands (rubbing the pieces of butter in the flour to break them up) until flour is evenly moistened, and squeezing a bit of dough between your fingers will hold its shape. Add oats and mix until evenly incorporated, breaking into coarse crumbles. Refrigerate briefly while you prepare the filling.
4. In a bowl, toss peach wedges with bourbon. Sprinkle over sugar, cornstarch and salt and toss to coat. Dump into prepared skillet, smoothing and arranging peaches into an even layer. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top, breaking larger pieces into chickpea-sized crumbles. It’s ok if it domes a little bit in the middle, the peaches will cook down in the oven.
5. Place skillet on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow). You may want to line it in foil too just in case.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes (up to 55 minutes for a larger skillet) or until crumbles are golden brown and peach juices are bubbling up through the crumbles at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes to allow the filling to thicken before serving.

All images and text ©Lindsay Landis / Love & Olive Oil

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