This past weekend, we gathered the whole family to celebrate Father’s Day with my 85-year-old dad. I was in charge of dessert, and I’d planned a classic peach crisp. But, as any seasoned home cook knows, things don’t always go according to plan…

I didn’t have quite enough peaches to feed my big crew, so I improvised with a couple of green apples—and let me tell you, it worked beautifully. The apples added a perfect tart balance to the juicy sweetness of the peaches. Add a buttery cinnamon oat topping (and a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling indulgent), and it was gone before I even had seconds.

It’s the kind of dessert that wouldn’t be out of place in one of my Lake Minnetonka Cozy Mysteries—a little nostalgic, a little comforting, and maybe just tempting enough to get someone talking… 😉

Scroll down for the recipe and give it a try. It might just become a new summer favorite in your house too!

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Perfect Peach & Apple Crisp
Father’s Day Edition

This warm, buttery crisp combines juicy peaches and tart green apples with a cinnamon oat streusel and crunchy pecans. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for maximum cozy points.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45–50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 8–12

Ingredients

Filling:

• 5 cups sliced peaches (fresh—peeled or unpeeled)
• 2 green apples, thinly sliced
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup rolled oats
• Optional: 1 cup chopped or halved pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix the filling ingredients. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
3. In another bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two forks until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans.
4. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
6. Let cool slightly before serving warm (with ice cream, if you know what’s good).

Notes

• You can prep the topping up to two days in advance and store in the fridge.
• Baked crisp freezes beautifully—just thaw overnight and warm in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
• Fresh peaches are best, but frozen (thawed and blotted dry) will work. Canned peaches tend to be too soft.

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Looking for a little mystery with your dessert?
Secrets Buried, the first book in my Lake Minnetonka Cozy Mysteries series, is inspired by the towns around this very lake. You can grab it free right here:
👉Secrets Buried

Happy reading—and happy baking!
❤️ Lyssa