Brown Butter Strawberry Peach Pie features a nutty brown butter crust with fresh summer fruit.
The crust gets its depth from butter that’s been browned until golden and nutty, then frozen and worked into the dough just like regular cold butter. The filling brings together fresh strawberries and peaches with lemon zest and juice for brightness, all tucked under a lattice top that gets a sparkly turbinado sugar finish. It’s a pie that looks impressive but follows a straightforward process, as long as you respect the chilling steps and give the filling time to set after baking.
This is a make-ahead dessert in the best sense. You can brown the butter and prep the dough a day or two before you plan to bake, and the pie itself needs at least four hours to cool and firm up before slicing. That cooling window isn’t optional, it’s what keeps the filling from turning into soup when you cut into it. The reward is a slice that holds its shape, with fruit that tastes like peak summer and a crust that doesn’t taste like every other pie you’ve had.
What You Need for Brown Butter Strawberry Peach Pie
The ingredient list here splits cleanly into crust and filling, with a few key players doing most of the work.
- Unsalted butter – browned until nutty and golden, then frozen solid before mixing into the dough for flavor and flakiness.
- All-purpose flour – provides structure in the crust without making it tough when handled gently.
- Apple cider vinegar – keeps the gluten relaxed so the dough stays tender and easy to roll.
- Fresh peaches – sliced thin, they soften into a jammy texture that balances the strawberries.
- Fresh strawberries – hulled and quartered, they hold their shape better than peaches and add bright color.
- Cornstarch – thickens the fruit juices so the filling sets cleanly instead of pooling under the crust.
- Lemon juice and zest – cut through the sweetness and bring out the fruit’s natural brightness.
- Turbinado sugar – optional but recommended for a crunchy, sparkly finish on the lattice.
Tips for the Ultimate Brown Butter Pie Crust
- Watch the butter closely while it browns. You want medium brown solids and a nutty aroma, not dark specks or a burnt smell. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells toasted and the foam subsides.
- Freeze the browned butter until it’s firm enough to cube, at least an hour. If it’s even slightly soft when you mix it into the flour, the dough will turn greasy and won’t hold its structure.
- Add the ice water slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Stop as soon as the dough clumps around the paddle and feels moist but not sticky. Too much water makes the crust tough.
- If the dough warms up while you’re rolling, slide it back into the fridge for ten minutes. Warm dough tears, shrinks, and bakes up dense instead of flaky.
How to Assemble and Bake the Pie
STEP 1: Brown the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, scraping the solids as they form. Pour it onto parchment paper in a shallow bowl and freeze until completely solid, about an hour.
STEP 2: Cube the frozen brown butter and toss it back in the freezer. Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer, add the butter cubes, and mix on low until the mixture looks like coarse sand with pea-sized pieces, about 3 minutes.
STEP 3: Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on low. Stop when the dough clumps around the paddle and feels moist but not sticky, usually 10 to 15 tablespoons. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap them in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.
STEP 4: Roll one chilled disc on a floured surface into a 12-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer it to a 9-inch metal pie pan and chill. Roll the second disc to the same thickness, cut it into 1-inch strips, and chill the strips on a parchment-lined tray.
STEP 5: Toss the strawberries, peaches, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the pie shell, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl to prevent a soggy crust.
STEP 6: Arrange the chilled lattice strips over the filling, weaving them horizontally and vertically. Trim the excess dough, tuck the bottom crust over the lattice edges, and crimp with your knuckles. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
STEP 7: Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F without opening the oven and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. Cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.
STEP 8: Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 4 hours at room temperature before slicing. The filling needs this time to thicken and set completely.
Serving and Pairing Ideas for Strawberry Peach Pie
Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into the fruit filling. Lightly sweetened whipped cream or a drizzle of heavy cream offers a simple, rich contrast. Pair slices with iced tea or cold brew coffee for a summer afternoon dessert spread, or bring the pie to a backyard gathering where it pairs beautifully with casual outdoor meals.
Strawberry Peach Pie FAQs
Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh strawberries and peaches?
Frozen fruit releases more liquid as it bakes, which can make the filling runny even with extra cornstarch. If you use frozen, thaw it completely, drain off the excess juice, and add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling before baking.
How do I know when the pie is fully baked?
The crust should be deep golden brown on top and around the edges, and you should see thick fruit juices bubbling up through the lattice. If the filling looks watery or the crust is pale, give it another 10 minutes and check again.
Is it possible to make the brown butter crust ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the dough up to two days ahead and keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge, or freeze it for up to a month. Thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight before rolling it out.
What’s the best way to prevent a soggy bottom crust?
Use a metal pie pan instead of glass or ceramic, which conducts heat better and crisps the bottom crust faster. Also, leave the excess fruit liquid in the bowl when you pour the filling into the shell, and bake on the lowest oven rack.
Do I have to use turbinado sugar on top?
No, but it adds a nice crunch and sparkle that regular granulated sugar doesn’t give you. If you skip it, the pie will still taste great, it just won’t have that bakery-style finish on the lattice.
Keeping Your Pie Fresh
Store the cooled pie loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to two days. If you need to keep it longer, refrigerate it for up to four days, but let it come back to room temperature or warm it gently in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes before serving so the crust doesn’t taste stale.
The pie doesn’t freeze well once baked because the fruit filling gets watery when thawed. However, you can freeze the unbaked assembled pie tightly wrapped for up to a month and bake it straight from frozen, adding 15 to 20 extra minutes to the baking time. This make-ahead option is ideal if you want to prepare the pie days in advance and bake it fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Brown Butter Strawberry Peach Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Line a shallow bowl with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the butter to a stainless steel pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter solids become medium brown and it smells nutty. Transfer the butter to the prepared bowl and freeze for about 1 hour, until it is firm.
- Take the firm, frozen butter out of the bowl, discard the parchment, and cut the butter into cubes. Return the cubes to the freezer until needed.
- In a stand mixer bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add in the cubed, cold brown butter. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix until the butter pieces are pea-sized and the mixture is coarse and sandy, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the water and vinegar into a cup, add ice, and stir to chill. Measure out the cold liquid by tablespoons as needed.
- With the mixer running on low, add the cold liquid about a tablespoon at a time. Mix just until the dough clumps together around the paddle and feels moist but not sticky, which usually takes 10 to 15 tablespoons of liquid. Stop mixing once the right texture is reached.
- Divide the pie dough into two pieces. Wrap each in plastic wrap and shape into flat round discs. Refrigerate both for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Take one disc of dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Lightly dust the dough and rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the dough from the center outward, rotating as you go, until it forms a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a 9-inch metal pie pan and chill in the fridge while you work on the top crust.
- Roll the other disc of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut it into 1-inch wide strips and place the strips on a parchment-lined baking tray. Chill these lattice strips in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl, gently mix the sliced peaches, quartered strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, both amounts of cornstarch, and salt. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, being careful to leave any extra liquid behind in the bowl.
- Arrange the chilled dough strips over the filling, weaving them to make a lattice pattern. Lay some strips horizontally and others vertically for the design.
- Trim the excess dough at the edge of the pie, fold the bottom crust over the lattice edges, and crimp with your knuckles to seal.
- Brush the top crust and lattice with the whisked egg. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes. Then, without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, tent it with foil.
- Let the baked pie cool completely on a wire rack for at least 4 hours at room temperature before slicing and serving.
