Late summer and early fall in Connecticut means peak stone fruit season. Bushels of peaches call out to me. First to eat in hand or maybe sliced in a salad with fresh ricotta or slices of Parma ham. Then finally I cook them. No peach jam for me. I prefer to retain the fresh peach flavor, which is what happens in this ginger peach crumble.

The topping works for any combination of juicy fruits. The rolled oats give the topping chew and crunch.  Add some warm spices and you get a subtle spice cookie taste. I toss slices of unpeeled ripe peaches with some grated ginger, sugar and a little starch. Then sprinkle the mixture with the crumble topping.

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Here are the sliced peaches.

Sliced peaches

After mixing in the food processor, the topping comes together in clumps as you can see here.

This batch makes a nice even layer for a 10-inch round pan.

Crumble before baking

Although you can fire up your oven, I bake this crumble in our countertop toaster oven.  It’s fast, easy and doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

Serving the Ginger Peach Crumble

Ginger Peach Crumble

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ginger Peach Crumble

Ingredients

For the Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch salt

3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/3 cup rolled oats

For the Crumble

6– 8 ripe peaches, washed

1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 – 3 tablespoons light brown sugar*

Plain yogurt or ice cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch shallow casserole or 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, butter and spices in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for 30 to 45 seconds until well blended. Add the rolled oats and pulse until they are evenly distributed.
  3. Slice the peaches into fat pieces, you should have around 5 to 6 cups. Toss the fruit with the ginger, cornstarch and sugar. Pour into the prepared pan. Spoon the topping on top of the fruit.
  4. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the juices bubble out and the topping browns. (Expect to cook the crumble longer if you are using a 9-inch pan.)
  5. Serve warm with yogurt or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

*Use more (or less sugar) based on the sweetness of the fruit. Lacanto, a monk fruit-based sweetener can be used measure for measure in this recipe.

Add 1/4 cup pecan or walnut pieces for a more complex flavor.