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This Southern-Style Peach Pie is a classic summer dessert made with juicy peaches, brown sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and a buttery homemade double-crust pie dough woven into a beautiful lattice top. A timeless peach pie recipe for holidays, potlucks, and family desserts.
Traditional Peach Pie Recipe for Summer Baking
Peaches are one of my favorite fruits to cook and bake with. Their sweet flavor makes them perfect for dessert recipes like my peach cobbler cheesecake, stunning peach and pecan bundt cake, and blueberry peach crisp.
But there's nothing quite as classic as a good old-fashioned peach pie. But don't mistake tradition for boring - this Southern-style recipe lets the peaches' natural flavor shine, giving you a burst of summer in every bite.
Just like with my cherry peach pie, I macerate the sliced peaches with brown sugar and tapioca starch before adding the filling to the pie crust. This draws out the juices in the fruit and gives the filling a jammy texture.
Paired with a buttery lattice crust, this is the kind of Southern-style dessert that's always a fan favorite. Take it to your next cookout or potluck and watch it disappear in no time!
Why You'll Love The Old-Fashioned Peach Pie
Peach pie is often associated with Southern baking because peaches thrive in Southern states such as Georgia, often called the "Peach State."
Traditional American peach pies typically feature a flaky double crust filled with fresh peaches, sugar, and a thickener such as flour, cornstarch, or tapioca. Here are some important highlights of my peach pie recipe:
- Buttery, flaky crust: I use a traditional all-butter pie crust for my homemade peach pie recipe. It's made in the food processor and I promise it's not fussy or hard to make!
- Pure peach flavor: I keep the filling simple, pairing the ripe peaches with brown sugar and a bit of vanilla to let their natural flavor shine through.
- Jammy filling: Macerating the fruit before adding it to the crust gives the filling a jammy, not watery, texture that holds up well to slicing.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can bake the pie up to 1 day ahead, or you can assemble and freeze the unbaked pie for up to 2 months.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe consists of 2 components (an all-butter pie crust and the peach pie filling). Please note that this is the recipe overview. For complete recipe instructions and the ingredient list, scroll down to the full printable recipe card below.
1) Pie Crust Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Fluff or sift the flour first, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour and result in a tougher crust.
- Granulated sugar: Just a bit adds a light sweetness to the crust.
- Salt: You'll need just a pinch.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure this cold and cut into cubes.
- Ice water: Not just cold water from your faucet, but actual ice water. This helps keep the butter cold so it doesn't melt while you're working with the dough.
Tip: If you do not wish to make a traditional pie crust, you can use two sheets of store-bought refrigerated pie dough instead.
2) Filling and Assembly Ingredients
- Peeled and sliced peaches: You can use fresh or frozen sliced peaches, but I prefer to use fresh peaches when they are in season. Look for peaches that are ripe but still firm, not too soft.
- Light brown sugar: Peaches and brown sugar are one of my favorite combinations - it's a flavor pairing you can find in my other Southern-style dessert: peach upside-down cake. While granulated sugar will work, you will lose the rich depth of flavor that the brown sugar adds to this peach pie filling.
- Tapioca starch: To thicken the filling. If you can't find tapioca starch, use cornstarch, but reduce the amount to about 2 ½ tablespoons. Cornstarch will also give the filling more of an opaque look, rather than the shinier filling you see in these photos.
- Lemon juice: I always use and recommend freshly-squeezed!
- Vanilla extract: You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Butter: Keep this cold and cut it into ¼-inch cubes.
- Egg wash: I make it by whisking 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of milk or water in a small bowl. This will give the baked crust a beautiful, glossy finish and golden color.
- Coarse sugar: This is optional but I like to add a sprinkle of coarse sugar to the crust before baking for a beautiful look and bit of sweet, crunchy texture.
How to Make My Peach Pie (Step-by-Step Photos)
This is a recipe overview. Scroll down to find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the full printable recipe card below.
- Make the pie dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together just a couple of times. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
- Add the liquid: Slowly add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
- Chill: Form the dough into a ball, then divide it into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Make the filling: Place peaches in a large bowl and gently stir in the brown sugar, tapioca starch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. This draws out the juices and activates the starch.
- Roll the bottom crust: Roll one half of the pie dough on a floured surface until you get a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer into a 9-inch pie plate and trim any excess dough around the edges.
- Add the filling: Pour the peach filling into the crust. Top with the small cubes of butter, dotting them evenly over the filling.
- Make the top crust: Roll the second disk of pie dough into another 12-inch circle. Cut into ½-inch wide strips and arrange these into a lattice over the filling.
- Seal and crimp: Trim the edges and seal, crimping all of the way around. I like to use thin strips of the dough to create braids that I incorporate into the lattice, but that is optional!
- Finish and bake: Whisk the egg and milk, then brush this over the crust and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Leaving the pie in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35-45 more minutes.
- Cool and serve: When the pie is golden and the filling is bubbly, move to a wire rack to cool for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving. Enjoy as-is or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
The pie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored, wrapped, in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
The assembled but unbaked peach pie can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place the assembled pie on a sheet pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours, until frozen through. Wrap tightly before storing in the freezer. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
The baked and cooled pie can be stored, loosely covered, at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm slices in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes if desired.
FAQs
Yes! Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt, then use a pastry cutter/dough blender to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Use a fork to slowly mix in the ice water, adding just enough water so the dough holds together when pressed in your palm. Form into a ball, wrap, and chill as directed in the recipe card.
Yes! Traditional pie dough was made by hand using a pastry cutter or two knives to work the butter into the flour. The food processor is simply a modern shortcut.
No - I love the look of a lattice top, but I know not everyone wants to take the time to make one. You can roll the top crust out and use it to cover the filling as-is. If you do this, make sure to cut several slits into the top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
Old-Fashioned Peach Pie with a Flaky Lattice Crust (Summer Dessert)
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
For the Double-Crust Pie Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling:
- 7 cups peeled and sliced peaches fresh or frozen
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- 2 tablespoons butter cold and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
Make the Pie Dough (Food Processor Method)
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse once or twice to combine.
- Add cold butter cubes and pulse 8-10 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter throughout.
- Drizzle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition, until the dough just comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, press into a ball, and divide into two disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the Filling
- In a large bowl, toss the peach slices with light brown sugar, tapioca starch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out juices and activate the starch.
Assemble the Pie
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- On a floured work surface, roll out one dough disk into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle and fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish. Trim any excess.
- Pour the peach filling into the crust and dot with diced butter.
- Roll out the second dough disk and cut into ½-inch-wide (1.25 cm) strips. Arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling. Trim and crimp edges to seal.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Brush the lattice and edges with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake the Pie
- Place the pie on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch drips.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 35-45 minutes more, until golden and bubbling.
- If the crust is browning too quickly before the pie is done baking, cover lightly with foil or a pie crust shield.
Cool and Serve
- Let the pie cool completely at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.
- Serve as-is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Alternate Pie Crust Method
- If you do not have a food processor, you can make the crust by hand. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a dough blender/pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Gradually add the ice water, stirring with a fork, until the dough is shaggy and holds together when squeezed in your palm. Form into a ball, wrap, and chill according to the directions above.
Storage
- Baked: Store the baked and cooled peach pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Unbaked: Tightly wrap assembled pie and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
Make Ahead
- The pie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance (or frozen up to 3 months). The whole pie can be baked 1 day ahead and loosely covered until ready to serve. Warm slices in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes if you like it served warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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