Love peach ice cream? It may be the most famous peach recipe, but here are others (along with ice cream, of course). If you don’t have time to make your own, enjoy a dish of delicious Peaches And Cream from Häagen-Dazs (shown above).
August 2007
Last Updated July 2017
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Peachy Recipes
Recipes To Celebrate National Peach Month
Ah, the succulent peach. So juicy, yet so ephemeral (peach season is way too short!). We recommend taking advantage of peach ripeness in August with these fruit-filled recipes. To learn more about the peach—which originated in China and has been cultivated since 1000 B.C.E.—read our article, Peachy Keen.
Peach Menu
Peach Cobbler (Or Mango Cobbler, When Peaches Aren’t In Season)
We start with our favorite peach dessert (other than our next entry, peach ice cream). A cobbler is is baked fruit topped biscuit dough, dropped by the spoonful. It provided a crusty element without having to roll out and drape a crust. The result looked like cobblestones, back in the day.
Here’s the difference between cobbler, crisp, crumble and other dishes of sliced, baked fruit.
You can make the recipe with other fruits as well. Choose whatever is in season: apples, berries, mangoes, pears, plums or nectarines. NOTE: If you prefer a dessert that is less sweet, remove a tablespoon of sugar from each of the ¼ cup measures.
Ingredients
- 10 ripe peaches*, peeled† and sliced into wedges
- ½ cup walnut or pecan halves (optional)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
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*To ripen your peaches or other fruit, place them in a brown paper bag and set them on the counter for a day or more. Check them daily: They can over-ripen quickly.
†As with tomatoes, you can peel stone fruit easily by blanching in a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Transfer into a pot of cold water. The skins will slip off easily.
For The Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted
butter, chilled and cut into small
pieces
- ¼ cup boiling water
- Cinnamon sugar: 3 tablespoons
white sugar and 2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon, combined
Preparation |
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Most peach varieties are freestone, available from May through October. The amount of red color varies by variety and is not an indication of ripeness or quality. Photo courtesy SXC.
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- PREHEAT oven to 425°F.
- COMBINE the peaches, nuts (optional), sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly and pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
- MAKE the topping while the fruit is baking. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Blend in butter with fingertips or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- STIR in the boiling water until just combined (do not over-mix). The crumbs will puffs up into a thick, dough-like topping.
- DROP spoonfuls of topping over the baked peaches. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top. Bake until topping is golden, about 15 minutes.
- SERVE warm from the oven or at room temperature. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you like, but it’s delicious plain!
Peaches And Cream Ice Cream
This rich and creamy recipe delivers a “peaches and cream” flavor rather than pure peach intensity. This is an extremely rich French custard recipe (or “French-style” ice cream), in the manner of Häagen-Daz, which includes eggs. (For more information on the different types of ice cream, read our Ice Cream Glossary.) The recipe can be used with any type of fruit, as long as you have 5 cups of purée. The proportions work for a 4-quart ice cream maker. When making ice cream, use very ripe fruit. Every time we see fresh peaches on sale because they’re so ripe that it’s their “last day,” we scoop them up and make ice cream. You can make the custard in advance and chill it for faster processing.
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks, beaten
- 3½ cups sugar
- 10 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped plus 3 peaches peeled and diced
(see directions above for easy peeling)
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Purée the 10 peaches in a food processor or blender, keeping the 3 cubed peaches aside. You need 5 cups of purée.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Stir in 5 cups of purée; blend well. Add the cream, milk, vanilla and salt; blend well.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (do not overfill your machine). Add the cubed peaches according to the instructions for inclusions.
Peaches and Cream Oat Muffins
Bake these muffins as a treat for brunch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup quick oats
- 2/3 plus 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup oat bran
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 1 cup peeled, chopped peaches, divided
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray 12 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon brown sugar; mix well and set aside.
- Stir together cream cheese and the reserved 1 tablespoon brown sugar. When well blended, fold in ¼ cup peaches.
- Add milk, oil, vanilla and egg to dry ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Lightly stir in remaining peaches and walnuts.
- Spoon 3/4 of the mixture into prepared muffin tins. Place a teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each then spoon remaining batter over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Makes 12 muffins. Recipe courtesy of EatCaliforniaFruit.com.
Flank Steak With Grilled Peach, Plum And Nectarine Salsa
Stone fruits make a delicious salsa. In addition to flank steak, you can use the salsa on chicken, fish or pork or with grilled shrimp or scallops.
Ingredients
- 1 peach, pitted
- 1 red plum, pitted
- 1 nectarine, pitted
- 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed
and seeded
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chipotle or ancho chile powder
Preparation
- Cut each piece of fruit into 8 slices. Place the fruit and jalapeño on a well-oiled grill over medium heat and cook for a few minutes on each side, to lightly brown.
- Let cool, then chop and place in a medium bowl with the onion, cilantro and lime juice. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Thoroughly tenderize the meat by pricking both sides with a meat tenderizer or fork.
- Stir together the garlic salt, cumin, oregano and chile powder in a small bowl, and rub onto both sides of the meat.
- Place on a grill over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until the meat is cooked to your liking. Let it stand for 5 minutes before thinly carving at an angle against the grain.
- Transfer the meat and juices to a platter. Serve with the grilled peach, plum and nectarine salsa.
Serves 6 to 8. Recipe courtesy of EatCaliforniaFruit.com.
Sweet Summer Fruit Bruschetta
This is a dessert bruschetta—a lighter, less sweet alternative to cake or pastry, and delicious with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 24 ¼-inch baguette slices
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped peaches
- ½ cup chopped plums
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped glazed walnuts
Preparation
- Lay the baguette slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Stir together the butter, 4 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the cinnamon, and spread on one side of each baguette slice.
- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbly and the bread is lightly browned on the edges.
- Stir together the remaining brown sugar, fruit and lime juice in a small bowl. Spoon equal amounts over the bread slices and sprinkle with walnuts.
Serves 8. Recipe courtesy EatCaliforniaFruit.com.
Chewy Peach Bites Or Bars
If you want a more traditional dessert, here’s a tasty oatmeal walnut bar with peaches and a delicious cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 large peach, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese (2, 3 ounce packages)
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Cream butter with sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk. Combine flour, soda, cinnamon and ginger and then mix in until smooth. Stir in oats, peaches and walnuts.
- Spread evenly into greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake in 350° F oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool.
- Beat the cream cheese with softened butter until blended. Beat in 1 cup of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over the top of the baked cake in the pan. Cut into small squares (“bites”) to serve. Or, if you prefer, cut larger portions.)
Makes 4 dozen bites, about 1-½ inches each.
Recipe courtesy EatCaliforniaFruit.com.
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