Peach season is the best season! So, what makes it even better is putting all of those juicy peaches into a no-bake peach pie. We took a very unofficial family poll yesterday and all of us decided that there is truly no better fruit than a perfectly ripe, juicy peach at the end of summer! Nothing else compares.

What about peach cobbler

We’ve been searching high and low for a no-bake peach pie. Why cook a perfectly fresh and juicy peach? I would much rather eat them raw and prefer the flavor that way. Well, turns out everyone on the internet really just wants peach cobbler. Don’t get me wrong – I think I’ve already made peach cobbler three times this year, but I wanted something a little different.

We made our own peach pie recipe

So, we created our own recipe for no-bake peach pie! Are we professional chefs? Heavens no, but this one is so easy it literally all just came together perfectly. We decided to pull from our most popular recipe on the blog, Copycat Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding.

The banana pudding recipe is so simple, but it is definitely a crowd favorite and had a couple elements we thought would pair well with fresh peaches. We knew the fresh flavors would make the peach pop.

We used the same base – vanilla pudding and heavy whipping cream. It is so creamy and delicious we knew it would make excellent pie filling.

Peach pie crust

One of the wonderful parts of the banana pudding recipe is Nilla wafers. I thought it would be fun to try to make the pie crust with Nilla wafers, but Brooke wanted to try it with graham crackers – so we tried both and guess what? Both are amazing!

In this recipe, we are going to suggest graham crackers, but if you have Nilla wafers, or just love them, feel free to use them. They add the perfect amount of crunchy texture.

As for what to mix in to make the crust, we also tried both coconut oil and butter. It is totally a preference type of thing because they both did a great job getting the blended up graham cracker pieces to come together nicely. So again, if you prefer butter, use it. If you love coconut oil, it works just as well.

Honestly, this crust is so easy (and no bake) there is no need to even think of buying pre-made from the store. Just don’t do it. It won’t have the same yummy consistency as the ground up graham crackers and you will be missing out.

How to get started

First up in this recipe, you are going to make the pudding filling. This part is so simple because you will use instant pudding. The catch here is that you mix in both ice cold water and sweetened condensed milk. I like to make sure my water is truly ice cold by putting crushed ice in the bottom of the measuring cup and then filling with water and letting it barely melt before mixing it in.

You will mix the ice water with the sweetened condensed milk first. This is key to getting a nice pudding consistency. After mixing for about two minutes, add the vanilla instant pudding mix.

I know there are purists out there who will turn their nose up at a pudding mix. I used to be the same! I’ve tried this recipe making a homemade pudding vs. instant and I like the taste of the instant better. Not sure what that says about me, but it’s one of the things that makes this recipe so simple and easy.

You will want to chill the pudding in the mixture for about an hour – it won’t hurt if you want to keep it in there longer, I just usually want to make it quickly.

Let’s add some whipped cream

Next up, you are going to whip up heavy whipping cream. We have tried lots and lots of brands and our two favorites are the kind you can get at Costco and the Trader Joe’s heavy whipping cream. Both taste denser and creamier than other brands.

After you’ve picked out your heavy whipping cream, pop your metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will make your cream whip up even faster. It’s a fun trick.

When whipping the cream, we like to wait until it starts to thicken up, then add a bit of powdered sugar and vanilla. Then you can just sit down and eat the entire bowl. Haha oh just me? Ok never mind.

Time for peaches

The peaches are the star of the show in this dessert. Make sure you buy the good ones! If you are local to Utah, peach season hits its peak in August and September. We also have an area called Brigham City that is known for growing the most delicious peaches. It’s about an hour drive from Salt Lake and completely worth it during peach season.

We like to wait until they are tender to the touch for this recipe. They need to be more sweet than tart to be at perfect peak peachiness.

How many peaches do you need for this recipe? It completely depends on the size, but I would say add more than you think you need.

My rookie mistake

In making this pie for the first time, I decided to try and be artsy and placed sliced peaches in a beautiful design on top of the cream filling and it looked gorgeous. But as I was eating it, I immediately knew the problem – not enough peaches!

You want an almost even ratio of peaches to cream filling in this dessert. That means when it comes to the peaches, pile them as high as you can!

We also tried variations with other fruit mixed in with peaches, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They were all very good and totally work if you run out of peaches.

When are peaches ripe?

We usually just go by touch when feeling peaches for ripeness. If they are somewhat tender when you squeeze, they should be ripe. We also love this guide from Parlee Farms on when you can tell if your peaches are ripe. Did you know if they have a slight yellow color they are ripe and if there is any green on the peach, they need to stay on the tree a bit longer?

Lesson learned

My lesson learned with this no-bake peach pie recipe is that beauty does not matter! It’s what is on the inside that counts. So pour on the peaches and pile them high, then sprinkle with a tiny bit of cinnamon and voila – you will have a new end of summer recipe tradition.

We hope you enjoy it! Let us know if you try it and what you think.