Cherry peach crumble is the ultimate comfort dessert with cinnamon spiced juicy peaches, sweet cherries, and a buttery oatmeal topping that’s golden and crisp. You can use canned peaches and cherries when they're out of season, or use fresh fruit during the summer months. Either way, it's super easy to make and tastes delicious with a scoop of ice cream or even yoghurt if you're after a summery breakfast meal prep.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Juicy Cherries: The sweet and slightly tart cherries make this cherry peach crumble a standout dessert alongside Cherry Ripe Balls and Cherry Ripe Slice.
Zesty Twist: The orange zest adds a pop of fresh citrus flavour, perfectly complementing the warm spices. For more zesty options, check out Lemon Shortbread or Orange Cranberry Shortbread.
Summer Dessert Staple: Made with fresh or canned peaches and cherries, it’s an easy, versatile dish that screams summer like a Pavlova or a Mousse.
Double Duty Breakfast: This crumble isn’t just a dessert, it's a slight twist on a Baked Oatmeal with Cherries or even an Orange Poppyseed Baked Oats.
Ingredients and substitutions
Peaches. Peaches add natural sweetness and juiciness to the cherry peach crumble; fresh, frozen, or canned peaches all work well.
Cherries. Sweet or tart cherries bring balance and a rich pop of colour; swap with berries or use frozen or canned if unavailable.
Orange juice and zest. The orange juice adds brightness, while the zest enhances the citrusy flavour.
Cinnamon. Warm and aromatic, cinnamon complements the fruits perfectly and gives a Christmassy touch.
Caster sugar. Adds just the right amount of sweetness to the filling. Caster sugar is preferred as the texture is very fine so it is absorbed by the fruity liquids better than alternatives.
Flour and Rolled Oats. Form the base of the crumble (or crisp I think it's called if there's oats). Substitute with flour of choice and remove rolled oats for Gluten Free. You could also use quick oats for a finer texture.
Butter. Provides richness and helps bind the crumble topping; plant-based butter/margarine or even oil would work as a dairy-free alternative.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make cherry peach crumble
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the peaches, cherries, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and caster sugar. Mix gently until the fruit is evenly coated, then transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
If using canned fruits, drain the juices. You don't need to be overly strict with this, but it'll help keep the base of the crumble from becoming soggy.
Don't worry if you break some of the fruit and don't stress if the mixture is runny because of the orange juice as this will thicken while it bakes.
Step 2: In another bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, butter, and additional orange zest using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Step 3: Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit filling in the baking dish, ensuring the fruit is completely covered.
Step 4: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Step 6: Allow the cherry peach crumble to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy it warm on its own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt as a summer Breakfast Recipe
Top Tip
Keep the butter cold: When making the crumble topping, ensure your butter is cold. Cold butter helps create a crumbly, golden topping rather than a greasy one.
Customize your sweetness: If your peaches or cherries are very sweet, you can reduce or skip the sugar in the fruit mixture. For example, canned peaches or cherries in syrup (in comparison to juice) will be a lot sweeter.
Preparing ahead of time
You can easily prepare this cherry peach crumble ahead of time. Assemble the fruit filling and the crumble topping separately, keeping them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you're ready to bake, layer the filling and topping in your dish and bake as directed. This ensures the topping stays crisp and the fruit doesn’t make it soggy.
Storing and Reheating
Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. The crumble is just as delicious cold, but if you prefer it warm you can reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or add to an oven-safe dish and reheat for 10-15 minutes at 180°C (350°F) which helps retain the crispness
Freezing
Before baking. To freeze the whole dish, assemble but don’t bake it. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
If freezing the whole dish, use a disposable aluminum tray for easy storage and cleanup.
After baking. If freezing leftovers, portion them into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 180°C (350°F) until warmed through, or defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as desired.
To keep the topping crisp after freezing, add a handful of fresh crumble mix over the top before reheating in the oven.
Meal Prep Tip
This crumble works great for meal prep—make it in small ramekins, freeze, and bake single servings as needed.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Yes, frozen cherries and peaches work perfectly! Just thaw them slightly and drain any excess liquid before using.
Absolutely! Fresh peaches can be peeled, sliced, and used as a substitute. You may need to add a little extra sugar if they’re not very sweet.
It’s not necessary, but peeling them creates a smoother texture in the filling. You can blanch them briefly to make peeling easier.
Other delicious sweet breakfasts you might like
Gingerbread Granola
Or, you can have a browse through my Breakfast Category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Cherry Peach Crumble
Ingredients
Filling
- 800 g (3 ½ cups) (2 tins) peaches in juice, drained (See Note 1)
- 300 g (2 cups) cherries pitted (See Note 2)
- 1 (approx. 60ml juice + 2 tablespoon zest) orange juice & zest
- 15 g (1 tbsp) cinnamon
- 30 g (2 tbsp) caster sugar See Note 3
Crumble
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) flour
- 180 g (2 cups) rolled oats subs Note 4
- 170 g (¾ cup) butter cold (See Note 5)
- ½ (approx. 1 tablespoon zest) orange
Instructions
- Mix peaches, cherries, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl. Gently coat the fruit and transfer it to a baking dish.
- If using canned fruit, lightly drain the juice to avoid a soggy base. Don’t worry if the mixture seems runny; it will thicken as it bakes.
- Combine flour, oatmeal, butter, and extra orange zest in another bowl using your fingers or a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form.
- Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit, ensuring full coverage.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–40 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit bubbles. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Serve warm on its own or with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt for a summer treat.
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