Homemade Peach Pie Filling
With fresh peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon, this Homemade Peach Pie Filling is super flavorful and is ready for your next baking adventure!
A TASTY PIE FILLING RECIPE
Peaches are one of my go-to fruits, I absolutely cannot get enough of any and all things peach related. One recipe that I think that everyone needs in their food arsenal is a Homemade Peach Pie Filling. This recipe is super easy to make and oh so flavorful with the fresh peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon as the main stand out ingredients. This is great for more than just pies. You can use it in other desserts (like my Peaches and Cream Bars), as ice cream toppings in oatmeal and more. If you are a peach lover like I am then you absolutely have to make this Homemade Peach Pie Filling recipe!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This makes about 4 cups depending on how much you cook it down. To make a standard size pie, you will want about 4 cups of pie filling.
The best way that I have found to peel peaches is by first placing them into boiling water for about 20 seconds, removing and then immediately placing in an ice bath until they are cool to the touch. Then you can use a paring knife to easily remove the skin off or use a vegetable peeler. It should slide right off though.
With cornstarch! Cornstarch is a great thickener or you can use arrowroot as well. The goal is to make sure to continuously stir so the cornstarch gets totally incorporated and to give the heat time to help it thicken.
Yes. If using frozen, it will take longer for them to soften so keep that in mind because you are cooking them down from a frozen state. Canned peaches should be in 100% juice (not syrup) and the juice should be drained well. I don’t think you get the same flavor from canned peaches and they tend to break down too much.
I don’t recommend it for this particular recipe because it has cornstarch in it. However, this pie filling can be frozen for up to 3 months if that is an option for you.
You can still preserve this pie filling by substituting ClearJel (not a paid affiliate link) for the cornstarch. ClearJel is just a modified cornstarch that makes it safe for canning. You would use a little less than double the amount of ClearJel for cornstarch then follow proper canning procedures. Pectin cannot act as a substitute in pie fillings.
Let the filling cool and then place in an airtight container and this will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This can also be frozen in a freezer container where it will keep for up to 3 months. To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- butter – you can use unsalted or salted here. It is such a small amount of butter that the salt in salted butter won’t make much of a difference in overall taste.
- granulated sugar and light brown sugar – I really like the combination of the two sugars. A lot of recipes just use one or the other but I think using both really makes a difference in overall flavor.
- pure vanilla extract – this is just meant to give the pie filling a subtle background flavor that really brings out the natural flavor of the peaches.
- ground cinnamon – Use a cinnamon brand that you really enjoy here. I tend to lean towards stronger cinnamon like Saigon cinnamon (when you look for it in stores it will usually say “Cinnamon” and then underneath that “Saigon”) but as always, use what you enjoy or have on hand.
- peaches – see my FAQ above on how to best peel peaches. This recipe works best with fresh peaches.
- cornstarch – as I stated above, you can use arrowroot as well. I don’t recommend flour.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PEACH PIE FILLING:
Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add vanilla extract and cornstarch and whisk. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir once again.
Add the peaches. Stir and cook for about 10-12 minutes or so until the peaches cook down, soften and filling has thickened. Be patient here. If the peaches have fully softened and you haven’t noticed it thicken up yet, turn the heat up. This will activate that cornstarch to get it to thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and bake in a crust or let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Grilled Peaches
- Peach Cobbler
- Peach Cobbler Cake
- Fresh Peach Crisp
- Baked Peaches
- Peach Dumplings
- Peach Butter Swim Biscuits
- Fresh Peach Crisp
- No Churn Peach Ice Cream
- Peach Dumpling Bubble Up
Homemade Peach Pie Flling
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds fresh peaches (about 6), peeled and sliced (this recipe is for fresh peaches, not canned or frozen)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add vanilla extract and cornstarch and whisk.
- Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir once again then stir in the peaches.
- Stir regularly and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the peaches cook down, become soft, release their juices and the filling has thickened. Be patient here, it just takes time and you can't rush it. Don't walk away from the pot since it needs to be stirred regularly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and bake in a crust or let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- If the peaches have fully softened and you haven’t noticed it thicken up yet, turn the heat on high. This will activate that cornstarch to get it to thicken.
- This can be frozen, see how to do that above.
- This uses about 6 peaches (maybe only 5 if they are very large peaches) and produces about 4 cups worth of filling. Weighing the peaches will give you better accuracy.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Just made your recipe! Easy enough and turned out great for making a cobbler! Thanks! Jodi
I definitely will try this fresh peach pie recipe. I love fresh peach anything.
Hope you love it!
Just finished baking the peach pie! Added vanilla extract & peach extract to add a more peach flavor! Mmmm
Very easy and tastes better when cooking pie filling on the stove
Thanks so very much Paul!
I made this for the 2nd time, I modified it a bit. made it with liquids to have more like a chunky syrup for the topping for a duch baby…was delicious!
Very good and very easy. Highly recommend!
Recipe as very good and came out perfect.
Very tasty recipe. Comes out a bit darker with the brown sugar but, that’s not a problem. Will make again and again!!!
Great recipe! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Delish, and so easy even I can make it, just what I needed for all the ripe peaches on my tree, many thanks! Joe
easy and delish!
Delicious and that’s just the filling! I’m making the pie tomorrow! Thanks for a great easy recipe!
I was able to make this! It was easier than I expected. The result was delicious (I used it to make a streudel). I have an electric stove and started out on 3 for about 5 minutes then moved it up to 4 for a few minutes, then to 5 to finish it. It took less than twenty minutes. Definitely must watch it because it thickens quickly! Thank you for your recipe!
I used thawed, fresh, but previously frozen peaches, so the juices had already come out. The filling cooked up super fast for me. I felt it needed something to counter the sweetness and brighten it up a bit, so I added a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the thickened filling. Excellent recipe!
Easy to make and delicious! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing love it and how simple it was but mainly so delicious!!
Yay! Thanks so much Traci!
Excellent! Turned out great for me. We all loved the flavor!
Best peach pie filling I’ve ever had!! thanks for sharing your recipe!
It is delicious!!! Patience is required during the cooking, stir stir stir until it thickens
wowowoow
easy and delicious. thank you for sharing.
Made it today. Great!
it turned out yummy!! thanks for sharing
I just made it tonight and it’s so good. I will be making it again. I love peach pie and it was so quick and easy to do. Definitely delicious.
5 star
I saw that you told someone it’s ready to use without baking. So here’s my idea: I have a purchased graham cracker crust. I’ll put the filling into it while still hot. Then I’m going to put a meringue on it and bake until the meringue is ready. Any thoughts on that?
I suppose the alternate way is to bake a big meringue separately and set it on top once the filling has cooled.
Can this filling be added to a fully cooked pie shell and served as is, or does the filling require further baking?
Yep! It does not need to be cooked further. 🙂
my MIL always made her filling, placed wax paper in a pie pan, then poured the filling in the pan. She then put it the pans in the freezer to freeze. Once frozen, she would wrap tem in foil and stack for use layer. When she wanted to make a pie she would get a frozen filling, now in pie shape, make her crust and place the frozen filling in the crust and place the pie in the oven to bake. the frozen filling would thaw as it baked. best pie I ever ate and no fuss making or thawing a filling
I mixed the all the ingredients pre-peaches, I was looking at it and I was like “there is no ****ing way that is going to work there is no liquid there” I add the peaches, this turns into the most delicious pie filling I have ever tasted. Pure magic, 6/5 recipe.
Matt, you had me worried for a minute LOL! Glad it turned out good for ya!
I made this with Colorado Palisade peaches and we took it camping and used it in our pie irons over the campfire it was delicious and made the perfect camping desert.
Thanks so much Terri!!
thanks for noting you used Palisades Peaches. I am also and was concerned the extra juiciness and sweetness of this variety of peach might need some adjustment for the filling.
I made recipe to the letter except reduced it by 25%. I was making fruit tarts for a BBQ and didn’t need a full batch. It was perfect it was added to my keeper recipes. Everyone loved them. Thank you.
Turned out great! My only advice for those not used to making peach pie filling, don’t use a hard peach. They are not meant for peach pie. They won’t soften and your sugar will turn hard waiting for them to soften and they just will never soften enough.
Very good recipe. Made for a gorgeous pie. Thank you!
Thanks so very much Cena! So happy to hear you had success with this!
Delicious! Tastes just like how my Momma used to make. Thank you! We had deliciously soft and sweet peaches we got at the farmers market. I will second the other person who mentioned not using hard peaches. There are certain varieties that should never be used to make peach pie filling so make sure you are using soft, orange style peaches. I know they all have different names and varieties but that is important and if your pie filling isn’t turning out, then that is why.
After I melted the butter and added the cornstarch and vanilla, I mixed it into the peaches in a large bowl then put it back into the pot to cook down. This worked great.
I was gifted a bunch of perfectly ripe SC peaches. I used your recipe to make several batches of filling which I froze, and recently I thawed a package and made fried peach hand pies with it. The flavor was delightful, and the consistency was perfect for fried pies. The end product was amazing! Thank you!!!
I can’t wait to try this delicious peach recipe. Have waited a long time for one so clear and easy. I thank you. It’s sure to be a keeper Ruth
Hope you love it Ruth!
Just saved this to my recipe file! My peaches were a little hard and not quite so flavorful, so upon an internet suggestion, I added about 8 chopped, dried apricot halves to it. My husband said it was the best peach pie I’ve ever made. My new go to!
Yay! So glad you loved it!! I’ll have to try the apricot trick sometime!
This turned out really good. I worried about all the cornstarch but after some whisking and keeping it on the heat, it all settled down and came out the perfect thickness. Delicious!
This pie filling turned out perfect! Thanks so much!
The best peach pie filling! Thank you!
This is a great recipe. I did use frozen peaches, I just removed most of the water off them when they thawed. However, my issue was the remainder did not freeze well. I had to throw it out.
That’s why I suggest to only use fresh peaches if you are wanting to freeze them for later use (see my FAQ above about freezing) 🙂
Made a peach pie yeterday using this recipe! Is delicious and easy to make. Next time, as I am not fan of cinnamon, I will only use 1/2 tsp. Question, as I like my pie a bit more tart, should I cut back on the sugar or will that ruin the consistancy?
This recipe has good flavor
First time try!
Tastes great, now to bake it in a pie!
Thank you !
I used this recipe for the first time last weekend and it is phenomenal. I made a peach pie that day and pie filling and put those in the freezer for the holidays! Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
Has anyone tried canning this, if so how’d it do?
Rhonda, this can be preserved with some changes. Please see my FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) above on how to do that. 🙂
Great filling recipe very tasty.
This stuff is AMAZING!! Had my doubts while making it..but…YUMMY!
Turned out perfectly!!!! I recommend making it…TODAY!
I’m so glad you gave it a try! Thank you so much Basha!
I was a little concerned when my sugars turned to hard crumbles after I added the vanilla but I kept on and had faith because I have never had one of your recipes fail. I added the peaches and magically the hard sugar pieces melted and then when I added the cornstarch it turned into a lovely thick glaze. My only fail is my Arizona peaches are hard as rocks and tasteless like most fruit here. Next time I will use frozen peaches!
Oh…. I topped it with a Dutch Butter Crumble and served with vanilla ice cream. Delicious!!.
Don’t feel bad about yucky peaches, they seem to be bad in most places. I picked up Georgia peaches last week and even they were tasteless. It must’ve been a rough season for peach farmers!
I have had a couple of good boxes of peaches from Costco. I just bought some last week and within a day they were perfect for making peach pies. They were $10.99 for a 4 lb. box. I got some from Kroger before, but they weren’t flavorful. I am not sure how long Costco will have the peaches, but I just bought some on 9/7/23. They were big and so tasty!
I am about 3 hours from the nearest Costco. I’m crying! I’d love to get my hands on some good peaches!
I had the same problem with the hard clumps but they all melted so you have to be patient and continue whisking. My peaches are really hard too and not a good eating peach, they have to be cooked. It’s a very old tree and just the type of peach it is. In fact it’s referred to as a rock peach. And like yours, not very flavorful. I’m having to cook it a lot longer and add water occasionally because of that. You wouldn’t have these issues with a softer, more ripe peach. I think the next time I may cook these types of peaches for a while first before adding the other ingredients. Great and tasty recipe.
This was exceptionally great!
Thanks so much Matt!