Grandma’s Sheet Pan Peach Crisp

Forget peach pie this summer. Yes, it’s delicious, but making the dough and then rolling it and fidgeting with it to get it in the pie pan can be an exercise in extreme patience. That’s why I lean on my grandma’s tricks to get delicious baked goods on the table in less than 60 minutes, from start to finish. Her sheet-pan peach crisp is a good example of her genius. Working smarter, not harder, she quickly sliced fresh juicy peaches, topped them with the easiest crunchy topping and baked it on a sheet pan until the kitchen smelled like a bakery. Here’s how you can make it too.

Ironically my grandma was excellent at making pie crusts. I remember watching her fling flour around, using her hands to work the cold butter into it “just so,” all while smoking a cigarette, which hung precariously out of the corner of her mouth. She told me that smoking was bad (as she puffed away) in the same breath she shared her magical baking shortcuts. One of those shortcuts was to skip the fussy pie dough altogether and make your dessert on a sheet pan. It was the ‘80s. Little did she know that making food on a sheet pan would eventually become a “thing.”

My grandmother also liked to play cards with “the ladies.” That didn’t leave extra time in the kitchen, so when she made her sheet pan desserts for them, she also skipped unnecessary prep, like removing the skin from peaches. She did this to save time, but she also said the skin was flavorful and sweet so why get rid of it? She was a smart lady! That’s why, for this recipe, I keep the skins on, which makes prepping them for this crisp fast and easy.

How to Make My Grandma’s Sheet-Pan Peach Crisp

Pick the ripest freestone peaches for the crisp. They’ll be sweet and juicy, which is the perfect platform for the crisp. Pit the peaches then cut each half into ¼-inch (ish, because who’s really measuring) slices. Add them to a bowl along with some brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and toss to combine. Dump that into a rimmed baking sheet (I like to use my jelly roll pan) coated with butter or nonstick cooking spray, then make the topping. Combine rolled oats, a bit of salt, some brown sugar, chopped pecans, all-purpose flour, and melted butter in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork until big clumps form. Scatter clumped pieces over the top of the peaches, then bake at 350°F until the topping is golden, about 45 to 50 minutes.

How to Serve My Grandma’s Sheet-Pan Peach Crisp

The only worthy topping for this crisp is vanilla ice cream. Since there’s a 50/50 distribution of peaches to crisp, you’ll need that creamy, cold experience for the moisture and general joy it brings. I suggest serving it warm, right out of the oven. Any leftovers can be refrigerated; just be sure to consume them within 3 days. If you need to freeze it, divide it into individual portions and wrap in parchment paper. Place in a zip-top freezer bag and enjoy within 3 months.