Homemade peach pie filling with fresh (or frozen) peaches and warm cinnamon. Easy, flavorful, and freezer-friendly. Perfect for pies, crisps, and desserts!
We all have our classic pie filling recipes (I see you cherry pie filling!) and I had to make one with fresh summer peaches before they all disappear for the season! It's a cooked peach pie filling, so that when it's baked into a pie it's much more predictable with NO dreaded soggy bottoms.
I love this pie filling recipe because I can make it with fresh or frozen peaches. I had to adapt it quite a bit from my Homemade Apple Pie Filling. The spices needed to be a little different along with the amount of fruit used since peaches produce a LOT of juice when cooked.
Why cook it before baking? It helps prevent soggy bottoms on pies and runny filling! I time it so that I make the peach pie filling first and let it cool while I make my pie crust.
Jump to:
🍑 What Makes a Great Peach Pie Filling?
- Set - not gummy , but thick enough to hold a shape when sliced.
- Taste - you can taste the peaches the most and they aren't overpowered by the spices.
- Cooked - so that the pie sets properly when cool, preventing a soggy bottomed pie crust.
- Peaches - not overripe as they turn to mush when cooked. Sliced on the thicker side helps to prevent that.
Pro Tip: This filling is pre-cooked to make sure the starches are fully activated when baking in a pie. As long as you cut the peaches thick enough, they'll do just fine being baked into a pie crust or cobbler!
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Peaches - I generally use yellow flesh peaches, white flesh, or even nectarines, they are lovely as well. Slightly underripe peaches will release less juice but can still be used. Frozen peaches may have a different texture when cooked as they are usually a little underripe from the store when frozen sometimes.
- Brown Sugar - so nice in the pie! Adds caramel notes.
- Lemon - brightens up the pie filling a little and brings out the flavor of the peaches.
- Cornstarch - I use this instead of flour or tapioca. Why? It doesn't dilute the peach flavor as much or cloud the filling like flour would. Tapioca can also leave little chunks. Be sure to use ClearJel if planning on canning the filling for safety!
- If you don't like nutmeg or allspice, feel free to omit them or use a spice like cloves. Best to start with a pinch then add more if wanted.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥣 Choose Your Thickener
- Cornstarch Peach Pie Filling - clear set and quick to make.
- Pros: Pantry staple, easy access, clear gel. Cons: can get a little cloudy if undercooked, not approved for canning.
- Tapioca (minute/quick) Peach Pie Filling - also clear set
- Pros: stable with acid, holds shape at room temp. Cons: visible bits unless ground or soaked, crunchy when undercooked.
- Flour-Thickened Filling
- Pros: pretty forgiving, exact amounts aren't as important. Cons: needs twice as much as cornstarch to work, opaque, potential floury taste, dilutes peach flavor.
- Instant ClearJel (for canning or ultra-clean set)
- Pros: best clarity/stability, only thickener approved for canning. Cons: not readily available in some stores, usually have to order.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Wash and prep peaches if using fresh. Skip to Step 3 if using pre-peeled, sliced frozen peaches.
TIP: The easiest way for me to peel them is to slice the peaches in half, peel around the bottom (top left image), then peel the top(top right image).
- Step 2. Slice the peaches into about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) slices. They should equal about 2.5 pounds once peeled and pitted, a little over 6 cups sliced.
- Step 3. Combine the sliced peaches with the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the peaches are super juicy and softened.
- Step 4. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and cornstarch. Use 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch if the peaches are underripe and not very juicy, use 4 Tablespoons if the peaches are ripe and juicy.
- The mixture will be pretty thick, you can remove a Tablespoon or two of peach juice from the pot to mix into it to thin it out. Pour into the pan with the peach pie filling and stir at a simmer for another minute or two, stirring until thickened.
- Step 5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Step 6. Cool completely to room temp before putting into a raw pie shell or freezing. We love to use old fashioned all butter pie dough or cream cheese pie crust.
📌 Troubleshooting
- Runny after baking: if the center didn't bubble, return to oven or cool fully to set. It usually thickens after cooling. Increase cornstarch by 10-15% next time.
- Gummy/opaque: over-starched or under-cooked flour.
- Too sweet/tart: adjust sugar or lemon at the end, a little salt or lemon zest enhances the peach flavor.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
- Freezer container/bag: freeze 5 or 6 cup portions, thaw in fridge before use.
- Freeze-in-pie-pan method: line a 9" pan with foil, pour filling in, freeze solid. Pop out and bag it up to freeze it, it can fit into a prepared pie crust later when ready to bake. This is one of my favorite ways to do it since I can just bake it from frozen later.
Pro Tip: Leave headspace in containers when freezing, starch gels expand slightly as they freeze.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
No, the heat distribution can be a bit uneven using cornstarch/flour and sometimes doesn't kill all of the bacteria. Use instant ClearJel instead for safe canning!
You don't have to, you can mix together everything (including the lemon juice and cornstarch) and then freeze, making sure to thaw, cook, and cool it before using in a pie.
For a pie, yes for best results. For a tart or galette, no.
Yes, just make sure they are completely drained and reduce the sugar by half.
Yes. Toss peaches with sugar, spices, lemon juice and cornstarch (no butter); fill crust and bake until center bubbles, 50-60 minutes.
375 ℉ for 45-55 min should do it!
🍴Serving Ideas
- On top of cheesecake, (or in cheesecake brownies)
- In ice cream (in place of cherry pie filling)
- Peach cobbler or crisp
- In Peaches and Cream Oatmeal
- Galettes or hand pies
- In place of strawberries in Strawberries and Cream Bars, and more!
🥧 More Delicious Pie Recipes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Homemade Peach Pie Filling (Fresh or Frozen)
Ingredients
- 3 lb peaches (2.5 lb once peeled/pitted)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash and prep 3 lb peaches if using fresh. Skip to Step 4 if using pre-peeled, sliced frozen peaches. TIP: The easiest way for me to peel them is to slice them in half, peel around the bottom, then peel the top.
- Slice peaches into about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) slices. See note 1. They should equal about 2.5 pounds once peeled and pitted, a little over 6 cups sliced.
- Comine the sliced peaches with 1 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons salted butter, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon allspice, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the peaches are super juicy and softened.
- In a small bowl combine the 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and 3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch. (Use 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch if the peaches are underripe and not very juicy, use 4 Tablespoons if the peaches are ripe and juicy.). It will be pretty thick, you can remove a Tablespoon or two of peach juice from the pot to mix into it to thin it out. Pour into the pan with the peach pie filling and stir at a simmer for another minute or two, stirring until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Cool completely to room temp before putting into a raw pie shell or freezing. See note 2 & note 3.
Notes
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- Freezer container/bag: freeze 5-cup portions; thaw in fridge before use
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- Freeze-in-pie-pan method: line a 9" pan with foil, pour filling, freeze solid; pop out and bag-drops right into crust later.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Janey says
This turned out pretty good.
Thanks🙂
Amelia says
Was this written with AI? This recipe needed proofreading before publishing.
Sara says
Ha! Nope, AI is usually more correct than I am. It's just me here, and I am a nurse, not an editor. I'm understaffed with 4 kids and do this in my limited free time. Feel free to name any corrections you deem necessary, I'm always open to helpful advice Amelia.
Sara says
I love the brown sugar and butter in this recipe. They really help the peach flavor shine! I've made it with really ripe and some unripe peaches and it turned out great both times. Frozen ones were fine but definitely not as amazing as the fresh peaches!