Pioneer Woman Homemade Peach Pie

This lattice-topped Pioneer Woman homemade peach pie is made with fresh peaches macerated in sugar, a cornstarch-thickened filling spiced with cardamom and ginger, and a flaky all-butter double crust finished with turbinado sugar. It takes about 30 minutes to prep and over an hour to bake, plus 4 hours to cool.

The filling technique here is smarter than most peach pie recipes. You macerate the peaches in sugar for a full hour to draw out their juices, then drain off the liquid and cook it on the stove with cornstarch until thick. That pre-thickened syrup goes back over the fruit before it hits the crust, so the filling sets properly in the oven instead of turning into a soupy mess that makes the bottom crust soggy.

Mashing a cup of the drained peaches and folding them back into the filling is the other key step. Those mashed pieces fill the gaps between the sliced fruit so you don’t get air pockets that collapse after baking. Every slice holds together with an even distribution of peach from top to bottom. Let the finished pie cool a full 4 hours at room temperature before cutting. The cornstarch needs that time to set completely.

Pioneer Woman Homemade Peach Pie

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Pies & Tarts

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:1 hour Rest time:5 hours Total time:6 hours 30 minutesServings:10 servingsCalories:362 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

This Pioneer Woman homemade peach pie fills a flaky all-butter lattice crust with cardamom and ginger spiced peaches thickened on the stove for a perfectly set slice.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 recipe all-butter pie crust (2 crusts)
  
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Combine the peaches with the granulated and brown sugars in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to draw out the juices.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the lower third rack to preheat.
   
3. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round. Fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, press against the sides, and trim the excess. Cover and refrigerate.
   
4. Roll out the second piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Cut into sixteen strips about 3/4-inch wide. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate.
   
5. Drain the peaches, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Discard the rest. Scoop out 1 cup of the drained peaches and mash with a fork in a separate bowl.
   
6. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cardamom, salt, and ginger. Gradually whisk in the reserved peach juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.
7. Reduce to medium-low and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
8. Whisk in the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Fold in the sliced peaches and the mashed peaches. Pour the filling into the chilled crust.
   
9. Arrange 8 dough strips in parallel rows over the filling. Weave the remaining 8 strips over and under to form a lattice. Trim the ends and press them against the bottom crust. Crimp the edges.
   
10. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the lattice and edges with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
    
11. Bake on the preheated baking sheet until the crust is set and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pan and reduce the oven to 375°F. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, 45 to 55 minutes more. Tent with foil if the crust darkens too quickly.
    
12. Cool completely at room temperature before slicing, about 4 hours.

Keywords:Pioneer Woman Homemade Peach Pie

FAQs

Why macerate the peaches before baking?

Sitting in sugar for an hour draws out excess juice that would otherwise make the crust soggy. You drain that liquid off, thicken it separately on the stove, and add it back concentrated. The filling sets evenly in the oven instead of releasing a flood of water.

What do I serve it with?

A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream while the pie is still barely warm. For a dessert table, the Peach Pistachio Galette next to it gives guests a rustier, free-form option with a cornmeal crust to compare. A bowl of the Peach Ice Cream alongside lets everyone go full peach with a frozen scoop against each warm slice.

Do I need to peel the peaches?

No. The long bake time softens the skins completely and they add a rosy blush to the filling. Peeling is extra work for no real flavor benefit. If the texture bothers you, a paring knife works better than a vegetable peeler on soft fruit.

Why does the recipe mash some of the peaches?

Mashed peach fills the empty spaces between the sliced pieces. Without it, the filling bakes with air gaps that collapse as the pie cools, leaving a hollow space under the lattice. The mash acts as mortar between the bricks.

How do I keep the lattice from browning too fast?

If the crust starts darkening before the filling is done, tent the whole pie loosely with foil and keep baking. The turbinado sugar on top browns faster than plain dough, so check around the 55-minute mark. The filling needs to be visibly bubbling in the center before you pull it out.