Peach raspberry almond crumble pie

I’m so excited to share the recipe for this pie!! This pie has sweet, juicy peaches, tart raspberries, and a rich, nutty frangipane-like almond crumble on top. Such a great flavor combo!

Not gonna lie, I tried making this twice before landing on this recipe. Both times, the pie turned out soggier than I’d hoped. I’m used to making apple pies, so I didn’t anticipate how hard it would be to make a peach pie with the right texture.

The first time, I used super ripe peaches, sliced my peaches too thin and didn’t pre-cook my filling. Rookie mistakes. The second time, I used firm peaches and cut my slices thicker and even pre-cooked my peach juices with cornstarch. But I didn’t add enough cornstarch (only 4 tablespoons) and when I added the lemon juice, I stirred too vigorously, breaking up all the bonds the cornstarch had formed with the peach juices. After these flops, I must’ve read 2 dozen articles and peach pie baking forums before coming up with this recipe. See baking tips and how to veganize this pie below.

It was totally worth it. This pie is a keeper. It’s a perfect way to celebrate delicious summer stone fruit and berries. If you prefer, you could try different combos, like plum, blackberry, and pistachio. I bet that would be divine. Whatever you do, serve it warm with some creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients – filling

• 6 firm but ripe peaches (no bruising)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tapioca flour / starch
• 6 ounce pack of raspberries

Ingredients – crumble

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or vegan butter

Ingredients – pie

• 1 frozen pie shell
• Egg wash (whipped egg + 1 tablespoon water) OR 3 tablespoons non dairy milk + 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup

Instructions

1. Cut each peach into 8 pieces. Each chunk should be about 3/4 inch thick. Place peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Gently toss together until sugar and salt are well distributed. Place peaches in a colander over a saucepan. Let sit for 45 minutes. The peaches will macerate and release their juices into the saucepan.
2. Place your saucepan with juices on the stove over medium heat. Bring peach juice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until mixture resembles a thick syrup, then remove from stove and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. When peach syrup is cool, gently stir in lemon juice and tapioca starch until no lumps remain, then gently stir in peach slices. Let sit for 30 minutes. This will help soften the tapioca starch and help it absorb the juices, so your pie filling thickens well and doesn’t leave your crust soggy.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing a large, sturdy cookie sheet in the oven on the center rack. Note: Do this only if you’re using the flimsy aluminum pie tin that comes with your pie crust. If so, You’ll place your pie crust on the preheated sheet so it bakes well and doesn’t get soggy.
5. Remove pie crust from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
6. Line pie crust with parchment paper or foil and place pie weights or beans on top. Bake for 15 minutes on preheated cookie sheet. (Skip if you’re baking your pie in a sturdy metal or glass pie tin.)
7. While your crust is blind baking, make your crumble. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup softened butter. Stir or mix with your hands until you have coarse chunks.
8. Remove pre-baked crust from oven. Brush crust with egg wash or vegan substitute (3 tablespoons non dairy milk + 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup). Gently spoon peach filling into pie crust, then top with raspberries. Sprinkle on almond crumble and place pie in the oven on preheated cookie sheet.
9. Bake pie for 20 minutes at 400, then lower heat to 350 and bake for another 35-45 minutes or until juices are bubbling. When the juices are bubbling, turn off the heat and remove your pie from the oven. Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tips for avoiding a soggy pie

• Make sure you pick firm, unbruised peaches.
• Cut your peaches into larger slices (6-8 per peach) so they hold their shape better when you bake them.
• Macerate your peaches for at least 45 minutes so they release their juices. This will allow you to pre-cook the juices, thicken them up, and reduce the volume of liquid in your pie. Use white sugar instead of brown for maximum maceration.
• If you don’t have a glass or heavy metal pie pan and need to use the aluminum tin your frozen pie crust cake in, bake your pie on a preheated cookie sheet (the thicker/sturdier, the better). This is because thin aluminum pie tins don’t conduct heat very well. The preheated cookie sheet will help your crust set.
• Pre-bake or blind bake your crust for 15 minutes before filling.
• Use tapioca starch to thicken your pie filling instead of flour or cornstarch. I tried making this pie with cornstarch twice before trying tapioca starch. Just trust me on this one. You can find it on Amazon or at most Asian grocery stores. It may also be called tapioca flour.
• Cool your pie throughly before serving to allow it to set. This is probably the hardest part! If it’s just a couple hours before you plan to serve it, you can leave it out. No need to put it in the fridge.

How to veganize this pie

• Use a vegan pie crust! Marie Callender’s and Mrs. Smith’s make frozen vegan pie crusts that are pretty easy to use.
• Use vegan butter for the almond crumble. I like Miyoko’s unsalted buttery sticks.
• Serve with coconut whipped cream or vegan vanilla ice cream
• Brush your pie crust with 3 tablespoons of non dairy milk + 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup instead of an egg wash.