Easy Bourbon Peach Pie Filling

This peach pie filling could not be easier to make; big on flavor from Chai Spice Blend, Vanilla Sugar and bourbon, this filling is just as good in a pie as it is straight out of the pan with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s freezable too, and you can even make it with frozen peaches, so you can make this year round whenever you want a taste of summer.

Taste	Texture
Peach vanilla spice	Tender

Active time	Total time	Yield	Difficulty
15 minutes	25 minutes	6 cups	Easy

this …

Peaches are a big deal in Colorado here. A fresh Palisade peach rivals the juiciness of the best ones from Georgia. Food desert though we are, these peaches are incredible! Even though it’s not been a good year for Palisade Peaches due to unfriendly weather, this is a great recipe to keep around for sunnier peach years. Your house will smell amazing with the vanilla soaked flowery scent of peaches!

Keys to Success

Why You Should Make a Batch of Peach Pie Filling

1. Freezable: Peach season isn’t very long, but you can freeze this filling! Got fresh peaches? Make this filling and preserve summer.
2. Frozen Peaches Work Just as Well: Frozen peaches are almost as good as fresh here. If it’s been a bad year for peaches or it’s January 17th and you just want a sunny pie to drive away the winter doldrums, this filling has your back.
3. So. Much. Flavor.: I always tell my kids to flavor food like you mean it, and you’ll taste that here with the complementary flavors of chai, vanilla, and bourbon. Instead of being loaded down with sugar, this filling uses these ingredients to unlock the natural flavors in the peaches themselves. It’s my philosophy that your fruit fillings should taste like the fruit itself, so anything you add there should be a supporting character to the fruit’s top billing.

What Kind of Bourbon Should I Use for Peach Pie Filling?

• What’s affordable: Since you’re not drinking this, buy something that makes sense to you. If there are little bottles available of a lesser known spirit, I will often pick them up. Classic Jim Beam is fine for my baking purposes, especially since you can get a tiny $2 bottle, which is perfect for this recipe.
• What you like: I am not an alcohol afficionado, but a casual scroll through any good liquor store will show you a dizzying collection of fun sounding bourbons. You pick what you like, especially if you’re less philistine than myself, who does not drink cocktails and only consumes alcohol in baked goods and medicinally.

How to Make Make-Ahead Peach Pie Filling

1. Prep the Peaches: If you’re using fresh peaches, peel them with a serrated peeler

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   . Cut around the stone in about 10-12 vertical slices depending on the size of your fruit and then cut the other direction around the stone to chop the peaches. If you’re using frozen fruit, chop the peaches into chunks that are about 1″ in size.
2. Cook the Peaches: Add all the peaches to a skillet and sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla sugar.  Mix the arrowroot

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   starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small cup.  Keep the cup near the stove. Place the fruit over medium heat on the stove.  Stir the peaches occasionally until all the sugar dissolves and the juices start to boil. Cook for a few minutes until the peaches are mostly tender. If it looks like the peaches are sticking in this process, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan. The water will evaporate but not before it helps the peaches cook without scorching the juices.
3. Thicken the Juices: Once the peaches are tender, reduce the heat to low and sprinkle over the starch slurry. Stir the fruit just until the juices start to thicken, about 1-2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the bourbon if using.
4. Use or Store: The filling is ready to use immediately, though you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze it in a plastic bag with all the air removed for up to 3 months.

Secret Tricks for Making Peach Filling

1. Peel, Don’t Boil: I much prefer the peeler to the messy method of cutting an x in the bottom of the peaches and dropping them in boiling water for a few seconds. The serrated edge grips the slippy skin without bruising the fruit. Additionally, you won’t have to try to chop fruit that’s already For real, a Kuhn Rikon serrated peeler

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   will change your life where mangos or peaches are concerned. I’m giving you an excuse to treat yourself to a new fun tool!
2. No Butter, Please: It’s really hard to let the fruit boil in its own juice without putting any butter in the pan, but it’s important to keep dairy out of the filling if you want to freeze it. That’s because dairy can get slimy in freezing in the presence of acidic fruits like peaches. You can always of course add butter to a peach filling when you bake the whole pie.
3. Don’t Skip the Chai: Plain cinnamon is great in this filling if that’s all you have, but I’m going to encourage you to make up a fresh batch of chai spice blend. The combination of sweet spices really bring out the best in the peach flavor. Best yet, chai spice blend only takes about 5 minutes to make, and you will find excuses to add it to EVERYTHING. My Chai Spiced Maple Candied Pecans alone will have you singing the praises of this easy cinnamon spice blend!

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