Make the most of peach season with these sweet peach dessert recipes for peach cobbler, peach pie, peach crisp, and more!
Celebrate Summer with These Peach Dessert Recipes
Peaches are certainly synonymous with summer. To me, those sweet, juicy fruits garner images of hot summer days. And when I’ve got lots of peaches, my mind immediately turns to ideas of how to turn them into dessert!
These are some of my favorite peach dessert recipes. There are, of course, cobblers, but I’ve also got some cookies, bars, and more on this list. I hope you’ll find a new favorite way to enjoy your summer peaches!
How to Choose Peaches for Baking
For most baking purposes, look for peaches that are ripe without being overly ripe. Give the peach a gentle squeeze. It should be soft but not mushy. Of course, you’ll also want peaches that don’t have bruises or other blemishes on their skins.
Yellow peaches are most commonly used for baking, and they’re the ones you’re most likely to find in your grocery store. The flesh of those peaches is yellow with a reddish area around the pit.
How to Ripen Peaches
If your peaches aren’t quite ready for baking, you can place them in a paper bag. Loosely close the bag and check on them periodically to monitor their ripeness.
How to Peel Peaches
If you need to peel your peaches, you can do this simply with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. However, you can also cut a small X on the bottom of the peaches and place them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to a bowl of ice water, and those peels should come right off after a couple of minutes.
For many recipes, you don’t necessarily need to peel peaches before baking. In recipes like cobblers and crisps, the skins should soften enough during baking that you can just leave them and save yourself some prep time.
Baking with Fresh vs Frozen Peaches
In most cases, fresh peaches will give you the best results in peach desserts unless the recipe was specifically designed to be made with frozen peaches. However, you can use frozen peaches in place of fresh ones if they’re out of season or if that’s just your preference. You usually won’t need to thaw them first, but check your recipe’s notes to see if there are specific suggestions.
Just keep in mind that frozen peaches will have a higher moisture content than fresh peaches. That can lead to a different texture and even some sogginess. Learn more: Fresh vs Frozen Fruits in Baking
Below, I’ve gathered some of my favorite peach dessert recipes. If you love peaches, then I hope you’ll be in peach dessert heaven with these recipes!
Best Peach Desserts to Make This Summer
Don't let summer pass you by without trying these amazing peach dessert recipes! From cobbler to cookies to pie and a whole lot of deliciousness in between, you're sure to find a summertime favorite!
Maybe it's my Southern roots, but I can't think of peach desserts and not have cobbler at the top of the list. This Ginger Pecan Peach Cobbler is a bit of a twist on the traditional with the addition of a little fresh ginger, some pecans, and a brown sugar biscuit topping.
For an easy-to-serve peach pie option, try these Peach Hand Pies. No slicing and serving necessary; just set out a plate of these little guys and watch them disappear!
Peaches don't usually lend themselves well to cookies, but these Peach Drop Cookies prove that it absolutely works. These are super soft cookies that are such a surprise in the cookie department!
In case you aren't familiar with the term, a buckle is a bit like a cross between a cake and a cobbler or crumble. This Peach and Nectarine Buckle is such a simple dessert that's great all day long, from brunch to dessert.
This quick and easy crisp is one of THE best ways to get a homemade peach dessert without any fuss. It's just the kind of recipe you'll find yourself making over and over every summer!
These Peach Crumble Bars are super quick to make and have such lovely flavor. These get bonus points for being nicely portable. They're great for taking to backyard gatherings all summer long!
Don't you love when two desserts combine into one super dessert? That's what happens here with this Peach Cobbler Coffee Cake, where coffee cake meets peach cobbler. This is one of those anytime sweets that I love. Serve it for a sweet morning treat, an afternoon snack, or a simple dessert.
While these Peach Shortbread Cookies don't feature fresh peaches, they are made with peach preserves. For those of you who turn some of your summer peaches into preserves every summer, you'll have another way to enjoy them. Store-bought preserves work perfectly well, too, of course. In fact, I usually have some on-hand at any given time just waiting to be baked into something delicious like these cookies!
For a special treat for two, you can't go wrong with these individual peach crumbles. They're the perfect use for those last couple of peaches you have in your kitchen. What a lovely treat to share with your favorite peach lover!
Blackberry Peach Cobbler is one of my favorite summer cobblers. It's a little different from a traditional cobbler in that it's sturdy enough to be cut into squares for serving. Try this one with different berries, too, for some variety.
2 Comments on “Peach Desserts to Make This Summer”
Jennifer, you must have read my mind! I was thinking about a peach dessert for this weekend, I come here, and right away see a wonderful list of beautiful peach desserts! One of my very favorite flavors. Love the idea of peach preserves in the shortbread cookies. Every one of these looks amazing! I’m going to go with the peach cobbler coffee cake, served straight from the oven with French vanilla ice cream. Simple but I know I will get raves! Once again, thank you for such great recipes.
Thank you, Marla! It’s the time of year to enjoy peaches as much as you can. I adore that coffee cake, and I hope you will, too! 🙂