Peach Pecan Pie

If you’re a big fan of stone fruit season, peach pecan pie is for you. It features fresh, juicy peaches nestled in a creamy, custardy filling with a crumbly pecan topping. Peaches and pecans are southern recipe staples, and this peach and pecan pie tastes like summertime. Use a prebaked pie crust (or make your own) and canned or frozen peaches if you don’t have fresh ones available—any way you slice it, this pie is delicious. Peach desserts like this are lovely to share at parties and cookouts, but it’s also a simple enough recipe to make for the family as an after-dinner treat.

Peach Pecan Pie Ingredients

• Pie crust dough: You need only a single crust for this pie, whether a homemade pie crust or a quality premade pie crust brand.
• Peaches: For the very best peach flavor, use in-season fresh peaches in this pie. If unavailable, use drained canned peaches or frozen sliced peaches. Thaw and drain the frozen peaches first.
• Peach preserves: A few tablespoons of jarred preserves add concentrated peach flavor to the filling.
• Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream to create a custard-like texture in the baked peach and pecan pie filling.
• Egg yolks: You need only egg yolks for this custard filling. A few kitchen tools can help you neatly separate eggs. Save the egg whites for all kinds of meringue desserts.
• Sugar: Sweeten the sour cream filling and the topping with granulated sugar.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is a thickener in the pie filling and binds the crumble topping together.
• Vanilla extract: Always use the best vanilla extract in baked goods; it tastes better than imitation vanilla. Or, use that vodka or bourbon-based homemade vanilla extract you made last Christmas.
• Topping: The topping includes flour, brown sugar, sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon and butter. Chop nuts easily with tools like a pastry blender or food processor. The recipe works with many types of cinnamon, including mild Ceylon and bolder Vietnamese varieties.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pie crust

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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the single-crust pie dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Use a knife or scissors to trim the crust to a 1/2-inch beyond the rim of the pie plate, then flute the edges.

Step 2: Add the filling layers

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Combine the sliced peaches and peach preserves in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, flour and vanilla extract. Spoon this filling over the peaches. Bake the pie for 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Blend the sour cream filling ingredients well to make a uniform mixture with no lumps. Smooth the peach filling before covering it with the cream layer.

Step 3: Prepare the topping

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While the pie is baking, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl.

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Cut the cold butter into the mixture until it’s coarse and crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the partially baked pie and return it to the oven.

Editor’s Tip: The crumble topping should be sprinkled evenly over the entire surface of the pie so that there are crunchy bits of pecan in every bite.

Step 4: Finish baking

Bake the pie for another 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the topping is golden brown. If the crust edges are browning too quickly, cover them with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cool the pie completely on a wire rack for about three hours before slicing and serving.

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Peach Pecan Pie Variations

• Try a cream cheese filling: Substitute cream cheese for the sour cream in the filling. Completely soften the cream cheese so that it blends easily without lumps.
• Add berries: Replace some sliced peaches with sliced strawberries, blackberries or raspberries. If using frozen berries, thaw and drain them before adding them to the filling.
• Make a gluten-free version: Make our gluten-free pie pastry for the pie’s bottom crust. Replace the flour in the filling and topping with one of our preferred gluten-free flour blends.
• Eliminate the dairy: Silken tofu is a good nondairy substitute for the sour cream in this pie. One brand to try that holds up well in baked goods is Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream.

How to Store Peach Pecan Pie

This peach pie with sour cream should be refrigerated to protect the quality and flavor of the dairy and fruit ingredients. Allow the pie to cool completely, then cover it with food wrap or transfer it to a sealed dessert carrier and place it in the fridge.

How long does peach pecan pie last?

A sour cream peach pecan pie lasts up to five days when stored in the refrigerator. Keep it tightly covered to prevent moisture loss.

Can you freeze peach pecan pie?

While we love to freeze pies whenever possible for an easy dessert down the road, we don’t recommend freezing peach and pecan pie. This pie has a custard filling, which will become soggy and runny if frozen and later thawed. Instead, store peach pecan pie in the fridge and enjoy it within a week of baking.

Peach Pecan Pie Tips

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Can you use frozen peaches for peach pecan pie?

Yes, you can use frozen peaches to make a peach pecan pie. Because excess moisture can prevent the custard filling from setting, we recommend thawing the peaches in a strainer, then draining off and discarding the excess liquid. You can then use the fruit in this pie recipe.

How should you serve peach pecan pie?

A luscious peach pecan pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream is divine. For extra peachiness, serve slices with a scoop of peach ice cream or peach frozen yogurt. Other ice creams to try include butter pecan, raspberry and coconut. Or, keep dessert simple by serving slices of peach pie with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or bourbon whipped cream.