10 peach desserts that make the most of peak summer fruit

These 12 peach dessert recipes capture the sweet aroma, juicy ripeness, and sunny flavor of one of summer’s best stone fruits.

The best part of summer is feasting on all the gorgeous fruit I’ve lugged home from the farmers market. Usually, I eat it straight from the colander over the kitchen sink or haphazardly toss it into a fruit salad. While I absolutely adore peaches, I can only eat so many at a time—and I’ve stained more than a few tops with dribbles of peach juice. All the more reason to turn those sweet, fragrant, juicy orbs into peach desserts I can share with friends and neighbors.

I pulled together some of our favorite peach dessert recipes, including cakes, cobblers, and sorbet. You’ll find a sumptuous upside-down cake, both a classic peach cobbler and one infused with saffron and honey, an earthy, nutty peach crisp, and a boozy peach cheesecake—all worth turning on your oven for. Whichever you choose, it’ll taste like the sunniest summer day.

01 of 10

Peach Crêpe Cake

I love it when a dessert recipe can deliver the textures, flavors, and oohs and aahs without all the extra labor—case in point, this fabulous crêpe roll. Instead of making, filling, and stacking 20 individual crêpes into a Lady M-style crêpe cake, use a large buttered nonstick rimmed baking sheet to create a single thin, even crêpe with lightly golden edges and a perfect, rollable texture. Roasted peach purée provides a more concentrated flavor and vibrant color without the excess liquid of fresh peaches. It’s best to assemble your crêpe roll a day ahead to allow the fruit and cream cheese fillings ample time to set, making it easier to cut clean slices.

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02 of 10

Freeform Peach Pie (Galette)

It’s a crime to bake gorgeous, ripe peak-summer peaches to a pulp simply to achieve golden- brown, fully crisp pie crust, which is sadly often the case with traditional double-crusted pies. To save beautiful, tender stonefruit from this fate, try the open-faced, freeform approach. The larger surface area maximizes evaporation, so the pie bakes faster. Cutting thicker slices and sprinkling the sugar on right before baking helps the fruit stay intact and keeps it from exuding its juices too soon. Tapioca provides a clear, glossy finish and thickens juices to prevent a soggy bottom.

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03 of 10

Classic Biscuit-Topped Peach Cobbler

A classic peach cobbler should be a snap to make and, above all else, taste like summer. To achieve this, start with ripe peaches and do as little to them as possible: cube them with the skin on, toss them in sugar, a little cornstarch, a pinch of salt, and some lemon juice to balance the sweetness. A touch of bourbon, almond extract, or a hint of nutmeg is optional. Brushing the biscuit topping with a simple syrup mid-bake creates a micro-thin crackly crust that boosts its texture and visual appeal.

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04 of 10

Easy Peach Upside Down Cake

Summer is the season to swap out pineapple for peaches in my favorite upside-down cake, which is both homey and visually stunning. Brown butter adds a richer, nuttier flavor that enhances the peaches, while cardamom lends warmth. The hand-mixed batter comes together easily, baking up into a tender, yet sturdy cake to support all that sumptuous fruit. For a clean release from the pan, let the cake cool briefly, then invert it onto a plate in one swift, steady motion.

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05 of 10

Saffron and Honey Peach Cobbler

Inspired by Persian and North African cuisine, this recipe uses saffron to lend floral, aromatic notes to a classic Southern dessert. Steeping the saffron in warm water allows its flavors and pigment compounds to distribute evenly throughout the luscious peach filling. Honey accentuates the natural sweetness of the fruit and the floral complexity of the saffron, while lemon juice adds brightness and balance. Cut the peaches into half-inch thick slices to ensure they cook at the same rate as the biscuit topping.

Get Recipe: Saffron and Honey Peach Cobbler

06 of 10

Peach Melba

Named after the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba, peach melba is the kind of dessert that looks fancy yet is so ridiculously easy to make that you’ll want to serve it at every summer dinner party. But because there are so few ingredients, using the best peaches and vanilla ice cream you can lay your hands on is essential. Scoring the bottom of the peaches before blanching will make them easier to peel. Lightly poaching them in a syrup of honey, lemon juice, and vanilla imparts a bright, floral note. Unless you happen upon some exquisite, fresh raspberries, the frozen variety will work perfectly for the sauce.

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07 of 10

Peach Crisp

On a blazing hot summer day, there are few dishes worth turning on the oven for. The combination of warm, sweet, jammy vanilla-scented peaches and an earthy, crunchy topping of whole-wheat flour, oats, and toasted pecans, topped with a generous scoop of good vanilla ice cream, definitely falls in the “worth it” category. To avoid the unpleasant texture of loose peach skins in the filling, quickly blanch the peaches to remove the skin before macerating the fruit in brown sugar and vanilla.

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08 of 10

Grilled Peaches and Pound Cake With Cider Vinegar Caramel Sauce

You really don’t need an excuse to make this dessert, but if you’ve already fired up the grill, then tossing on a few peach halves dipped in sugar and ready-made poundcake slices takes almost zero effort and yields the most delicious results. Think of it as a cheater’s shortcake. Spiking the caramel with some apple cider vinegar provides a bright hit of acidity to offset the sweetness of the peaches and cake.

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09 of 10

Easy Peach Sorbet

If you have great peaches, and even if you don’t, it’s not difficult to make delicious sorbet. The best thing about this recipe is that you can leave the skin on and blitz the diced peaches, acid—we recommend a bit of lime juice—sugar, and a tiny bit of salt to taste until smooth, then strain. No water, syrup, or other flavors needed. Now, how easy is that?

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10 of 10

Peach Tarte Tatin

If you’ve only had apple tarte Tatin, it’s time to give peaches the spotlight. Their floral sweetness pairs beautifully with bittersweet caramel and crisp, flaky puff pastry for a dessert that’s both rustic and elegant.

Get Recipe: Peach Tarte Tatin

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