This 5-ingredient oven baked spring dessert is the kind of recipe you pull out when the peaches in your freezer are rock-hard, you don’t feel like fussing with a crust, and you still want something that tastes like you worked all afternoon. It’s a very simple, Midwestern-style fruit dump dessert: you scatter still-frozen raw peach slices straight into a glass casserole dish, cover them with a sweet, buttery topping made from basic pantry staples, and let the oven do the rest. The result lands somewhere between a cobbler and a crisp—juicy peaches under a golden, craggy top that begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Serve this warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or a dollop of Greek yogurt if you like a tangy contrast. A cup of hot coffee or black tea balances the sweetness nicely, while a chilled glass of Moscato or a light, slightly effervescent white wine makes it feel dinner-party ready. For brunch, pair small portions with a simple egg bake or a crisp green salad to keep things balanced.

Servings: 6

4 cups frozen raw peach slices (rock-hard, unthawed)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place an oven rack in the center position so the topping browns evenly.

Take out a 2-quart oven-safe glass casserole dish (about 8×8 inches or similar). Do not grease it; the butter in the topping will provide enough richness.

Dump the rock-hard frozen raw peach slices directly into the casserole dish and spread them into an even layer. It’s fine if they’re clumped or frosty; do not thaw first.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon until no streaks of flour remain and the cinnamon looks evenly distributed.

Pour the melted butter over the sugar-flour-cinnamon mixture. Stir with a spoon or spatula until you have a thick, slightly crumbly batter. It should be moist and clumpy, not pourable like cake batter.

Using your fingers or a spoon, scatter the buttery mixture evenly over the frozen peaches, covering as much of the surface as you can. It’s fine if a few peach pieces peek through; they’ll bubble up as they bake.

Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices. Transfer to the preheated oven.

Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the edges look crisp, and you can see peach juices bubbling up around the sides and through a few spots in the topping.

Remove from the oven and let the dessert rest on a cooling rack for at least 15–20 minutes. This pause allows the hot juices to thicken slightly so you get saucy peaches instead of a runny pool.

Spoon warm servings into bowls and, if you like, top with ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and rewarm gently in the oven or microwave before serving.

You can play with this simple base in several ways while keeping the 5-ingredient spirit. For extra texture, replace 1/4 cup of the flour with rolled oats or finely chopped nuts (pecans or almonds work well); just keep the total dry mix at 1 cup. If you prefer a slightly tart contrast, toss the frozen peaches with 1–2 teaspoons of lemon juice before adding the topping (this doesn’t count as a pantry staple in my house, but it’s a nice upgrade). To dial up the spice, swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or add a pinch of ground ginger or nutmeg to the dry mix. If your peaches are very tart, you can increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cups; if they’re quite sweet, reduce it to 3/4 cup. For a dairy-free version, use melted coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil instead of butter, knowing the topping will be slightly less rich and may brown a bit faster—check early. Food safety notes: Always bake from frozen as directed; starting with rock-hard frozen peaches is safe and ensures they release their juices gradually in the oven. Make sure the dessert is heated until the center is bubbling hot, which indicates the fruit has reached a safe, high temperature. Cool the dessert for at least 15 minutes before serving to avoid burns from the hot fruit syrup. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking and reheat only the portion you plan to eat. If the dessert has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour in a very warm kitchen), it’s safer to discard it rather than refrigerate.