The Best Peach Pie (Secret Ingredient) - Damn, Spicy! (2024)

The Best Peach Piehas a deliciously gooey peach filling made with fresh peaches,a buttery pie crust, a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top, and a secret ingredient that brings out all the sweet and warm summery flavor of peaches: paprika!

Forget all the other peach pie recipes: this one gives you the perfect texture and flavor!

The Best Peach Pie

You guys know I love my fruit pies gooey, I don’t do runny or soupy.

So with this peach pie you get exactly that: a deliciously gooey filling with cubed fresh peaches and a gorgeous jello-like shine as a bonus point!

Of course, I also like to sneak in that secret ingredient that makes you wonder wether you should trust me and or not. In this case, it’s paprika and I’ll explain why you should trust me with it in the “ingredient” paragraph down below.

Why this recipe works:

• Gooey, not soupy or liquid. This peach pie has the perfect filling with the consistency similar to that of jello but looser and a delicious glossy look that makes it so satisfying to eat and look at!
• Secret ingredient. The filling is sweet with just a hint of tartness and is enhanced by paprika ⎯ the secret ingredient! No, you cannot taste the paprika per se but it gives this pie that “OMG what did you put in it?!” factor.
• Pie crust. I used myHomemade Pie Crustfor this pie which makes 2 crusts: one for the bottom and one for the lattice top layer. It’s buttery, golden brown, and shiny!
• Easy. Anyone can make this peach pie and wow their friends & family!
• Make ahead. Make the pie crust ahead of time and bake when you’re ready!

Ingredients

Pie crust. I used myHomemade All-Butter Pie Crustfor the crust. It makes 2 so you’ll have one for the bottom of the pie and one for the lattice top (or whatever decoration you want to do). I recommend making the pie dough a day ahead of time (or more) because it speeds up the whole process. Of course, you’re welcome to use your own pie crust if you’d like!

Peaches. Use fresh yellow peaches for this pie. Yellow peaches have a sweeter and softer texture compared to other types of peaches. Make sure they’re ripe but not overly soft or bruised as they may be too mushy. Peel them and cut them into cubes instead of slicing them to get a satisfying and aesthetically pleasing textured filling.

Lemon juice or lime juicefor that hint of tartness that every good fruit pie needs. I recommend using freshly-squeezed.

Sugar. Use white granulated sugar.

Tapioca starch. Enter my go-to starch for fruit pies. I use tapioca starch to get that perfectly gooey filling with a similar consistency to that of jello but looser and a perfect glossy look. With this recipe you won’t risk your pie coming out runny or too dry and it will slice beautifully. Ditch the cornstarch, tapioca is so much better for peach pies!

Vanilla extract. I use this extract as a base.

Paprika. The secret ingredient! I use smoked paprika (but regular will also work) to enhance the warm and summery flavor of peaches and add a note of coziness to it. No, you won’t be able to taste the paprika, it’s just there to boost the flavor. And the red speckles are visually interesting though people will probably think it’s cinnamon, should we tell ’em?! If you’re not feeling brave, you can use just that: good old cinnamon.

Butter. Add tiny cubes of unsalted butter into the holes left by the lattice pie crust on top to prevent the filling from bubbling over. Did you know that fat naturally disrupts the formation of bubbles? It also adds extra flavor so it’s overall a great addition!

Egg and milk for the egg wash to get that gorgeous shiny golden brown crust!

How to make peach pie step-by-step

STEP ONE: Make the pie crust following myHomemade Pie Crustrecipe or use your favorite pie crust recipe. This step can be done 1 or more days ahead of time, if desired.

STEP TWO: Peel and cut the peaches into 1-inch cubes for a textured filling. I don’t recommend slicing as peaches are very soft and juicy and fillings with sliced peaches can easily turn out mushy.

STEP THREE: Make the peach filling. In a large bowl, add the cubed peaches, lemon or lime juice, sugar, tapioca starch, vanilla extract, and smoked or regular paprika (or cinnamon). Stir until combined.

STEP FOUR:Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

STEP FIVE: Prepare the pie. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the chilled discs of pie dough into a12-inch (30 cm) circle to fit a 9-inch (22 cm) pie dish and place it into the pie plate, then add in the peach filling making sure you pour in all extra liquid that’s in the bowl.

STEP SIX: Make the lattice crust for the top layer. Remove the second disc of pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a12-inch (30 cm) circle. Use a knife to cut out 6 strips about 2-inches wide (about 5 cm) each. Lay the strips of pie dough over and under one another, pulling back strips as needed to weave then cut off any extra dough from the ends of the strips. Press them into the bottom layer of the crust and flute or crimp the edges.

STEP SEVEN: Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk until combined and smooth then brush the pie crust with your prepared egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Add the small butter cubes on top of the peach pie filling, right in the holes left by the top crust.

STEP EIGHT: Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 40-50 minutes or until the pie filling begins to bubble. Usually, once the filling is bubbling you want to let it cook for another 3-5 minutes then remove the pie from the oven. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie with a layer of aluminum foil. Allow the pie cool down to room temperature (about 2-3 hours), serve, and enjoy!

Can I use frozen or canned peaches?

I got a few questions mentioning frozen and canned options so here’s what I recommend!

Frozen peaches: yes, you can use frozen peaches but make sure you thaw them and blot them dry (discard any extra liquid) before you use them or they will release too much liquid and your pie won’t set correctly.

Canned peaches: no, sorry, I don’t recommend canned peaches because they already have a very soft texture to begin with and it might just turn mushy once baked.

How to store or freeze peach pie

Storing: store peach pie covered at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you want to store it for longer than that, store it covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days.

Freezing: you can freeze your fully baked peach pie for up to 2-3 months and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, however, I will be honest and say that, while lots of people do it, I don’t personally like freezing pies because I always find the crust to be a bit on the soggier side after being frozen and thawed. I’ll leave it up to you (:!

Can you make peach pie ahead of time?

Yes and there are 2 ways you can do that. You can either make the crust ahead of time and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Then, when you’re ready to prepare your peach pie, you can follow the recipe starting with step 2.

Or you can make and bake the pie 1 day ahead of time, allow it to cool down completely, cover it, store it at room temperature and serve it the next day.

Should you reheat peach pie?

This is up to you! Peach pie can be enjoyed at room temperature, chilled, or it can be reheated it if you like the cozy flavor of warm peach pie. There’s 3 methods for reheating fruit pies:

Oven: reheat it in a preheated oven at 300F (150C) covered with a layer of aluminum foil to keep it from over-browning and reheat for 15-20 minutes. Best method.

Microwave: reheat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through. Microwaving may turn the crust chewy so I only recommend this method if you’re in a rush.

Stovetop: reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat covered with a lid for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. This is a great methodif you want to crisp up the bottom of your pie.

HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you’ll love this Fresh Peach Pie Recipeas much as I do!

PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘

More pie recipes you’ll love:

• The Best Cherry Pie You’ll Eat
• Gooey Apple Slab Pie With Icing
• Small Pumpkin Pie