Homemade Fresh Peach Pie Filling is delicious and easy to make! Learn how to make peach pie filling from scratch with only 6 ingredients!
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Homemade peach pie filling is better than anything you'll ever get from the store or from this can! This easy peach pie filling recipe is SO quick to make, and absolutely delicious.
If you have 30 minutes and basic ingredients like fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch - promise me you'l try this fresh peach pie filling!
I'm going to show you how to make peach pie filling that's so good you'll never want to eat the canned stuff again!
Why we love Fresh Peach Pie Filling:
- Easy to make: This recipe is SO simple to make. Even the most novice cook can nail this recipe!
- Better than canned peaches: Once you try this, you'll never go back to canned peach pie filling!
- Less sugar: Canned peach pie filling has so much added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. This is sweetened with the fresh peaches and just a touch of brown sugar!
Peach Pie Filling Recipe Ingredients
To make fresh peach pie filling you'll need:
- fresh or frozen peaches
- brown sugar
- cornstarch
- ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- salt
What are the Best Peaches for Fresh Peach Pie Filling? The best peaches for pie are just starting to ripen. They should be soft to the touch when you squeeze them, but not mushy.
How to Make Peach Pie Filling
Making peach pie filling from scratch is so easy!
- In a large nonstick sauté pan, stir together peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt.
- Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for 15-25 minutes or until the mixture thickens up.
- Let the peach mixture rest for a few minutes before using. Use it for your favorite recipe or even over ice cream and enjoy!
How do you thicken peach pie filling? This peach pie filling recipe will thicken on it's own because of the cornstarch. If your peach pie filling is still runny, it needs to be cooked for longer!
Fresh Peach Pie Filling Tips
Do I have to use ripe peaches? You don't have to use super ripe peaches for this recipe, but they should be somewhat ripe. The peaches should be soft to the touch and pliable when you press into the skin.
How to ripen peaches: If you need to ripen peaches quickly, put the in a brown paper bag and seal it over night.
Do I have to peel the peaches for peach pie? you should peel your peaches for peach pie filling. This is my favorite vegetable peeler.
Don't add extra liquid: If you decide to use frozen peaches, you’ll want to skip any added liquid as they will secrete enough liquid as they thaw. Fresh peaches are juicy enough, you don’t need added liquid for those either, but especially for frozen. If you feel your filling is just too thick for your liking, you can add a drizzle of water to thin it out.
What to do if your peach pie filling is too thick: If you feel that your mixture is too thick, add a bit of water to it. Only add a tablespoon or so at a time though as you don’t want to make your mixture too watery.
Fresh Peach Pie Filling Variations:
Peaches: Peaches are great for pairing with other fruits such as apples, cherries, blueberries, etc. Feel free to add them to the filling. Check out these Homemade Cranberry Pie Filling or Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling for other ideas!
Can I Use Fresh Peaches? Yes, you can use fresh peaches for peach pie filling! I use frozen organic peaches because they come already sliced and ready to go. Plus, they last longer than fresh peaches.
Can I use canned peaches? You can use canned peaches, but we don't recommend it. Make sure to really drain the canned peaces if you're using them for pie. Frozen or fresh work better!
Brown Sugar: Instead of brown sugar, you can use white sugar instead. You can also do half brown sugar and half white sugar if need be. This will not ruin the flavor of the recipe.
Cornstarch: You will need some sort of thickener in this recipe. Cornstarch helps give that delicious syrupy texture that you know any love with peach pie filling. You can try using xantham gum, but I'm not sure how it will work.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract really adds flavor to this recipe. You can use imitation vanilla extract if you'd like.
Cinnamon: Feel free to add ground ginger, ground nutmeg or even a little bit of cloves in addition to cinnamon.
Ways to Use Peach Pie Filling
This peach pie filling is so delicious you'll want to eat it right out of the pan! Here's how to enjoy it:
- In a bowl with a scoop of ice cream
- In a pie (try our Homemade Pie Crust!)
- Peach Cobbler for Two
- Peach Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches
- Peach pie bars! Sub the blueberry pie filling in this Blueberry Pie Bars Recipe
Storing & Freezing Peach Filling
This peach pie filling is perfect for storing!
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This peach pie filling can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the peach pie filling in a gallon ziplock bag. When you're ready to make peach cobbler you can defrost it and it will fit right in the baking dish!
Reheating: To reheat, simply warm in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Let the rest of the warming and baking happen when you cook the recipe the peach filling is for.
Canning: I have never tried canning this peach pie filling. I would look for a recipe specific to canning if that's something you'd want to do.
Homemade Peach Pie Filling Recipe FAQ
The best way to thicken peach pie filling is to cook it long enough, and to add a thickening agent like cornstarch. 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch should be enough to help thicken peach pie filling. If you over thicken it, you can always add a drizzle of water to thin it out.
You can used canned, fresh or frozen peaches to make peach pie filling, but fresh or frozen is best. If you're using canned peaches to make peach pie filling, thoroughly drain the can before cooking them. The extra juices in the can can lead to a runny filling.!
It's best to peel peaches for pie. Peaches with skin on them can make the pie filling bitter and leave a weird texture, making the pie difficult to eat.
More Dessert Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
Homemade Peach Pie Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen peaches peeled and sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large nonstick sauté pan, stir together peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt.
- Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for 15-25 minutes or until the mixture thickens up.
- Enjoy!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
This looks delicious. Peaches seem to be in season where I am too so I can try this recipe. Think it would also be food on crunchy toast!
Emily
This peach pie filling is so delicious! It tastes great in peach cobblers as well as peach pie!
Dannii
Oh yum! I love peaches, but I have never had peach pie before. I can't wait to try it.
Anjali
I love how easy this was to make, and it turned out great!! It really did taste like peach pie in a jar!
Kate
Ahh... this looks so incredibly good, beautiful flavours. I'm off to make a pie now!