Henry James famously said, ““Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; For me, those are always the two most beautiful words in the English language. “I am inclined to agree, with the forewarning to come mid summer, the word “baked peaches” can be a second closest. Can you think of any other 1-ingredient recipe that’s incredibly delicious? Okay, 4 ingredients if You include olive oil, salt, and honey, but those pantry staples don’t count nearly as much. And then you maybe Raise the bar using this easy baked peach recipe in a scoop of melted water vanilla ice cream… But that is purely a personal decision.
The point is, if you’ve never baked peaches before, now is the time. And if you don’t own a grill, then yes: you can certainly get the same effect by placing these babies under the chicken coop for a minute or two. Just stock up on the peaches (or nectarines, or apricots) that talk to you at the market, then watch this easy baked peach recipe that will teach you exactly what to do with them.
The best peaches to bake
Sources say that the best peaches for baking are Freestone peaches – their firmness will stay firm and won’t break on the grill. Don’t sweat it, though, if you have a different variety—I usually bake whatever stone fruit I happen to have around my kitchen, and although some peaches can bake up, they don’t look good. aesthetic, but they all taste very good. It’s important that they’re firm enough to keep on the grill, but ripe enough to come out of the pit when you open them up.
How to bake peaches
This easy baked peach recipe comes together in 10 minutes — here’s how:
Heat the grill to medium
You need to get your grill hot enough for the peaches to have a good burn, but not so hot that they burn or even, badly, become mushy. If you are baking peaches after grilled salty foodremember for the grill in the middle (we won’t be using sausage flavoring here, my friend.)
Prepare your peaches
As mentioned above, your peaches should be firm but ripe. Take a peeler and cut the peaches along their seams, all the way around. Then, screw the halves out of the hole, using a paring knife as needed to completely remove the hole.
Brush it all with EVOO
This is an important step in keeping peaches from sticking to the grill, especially since they naturally release sugar as they cook. I also like to add a little salt at this step — that extra salt makes the final dish flavorful.
Toss them on the grill
Place peaches on top of grilled skin. Resist the urge to move them around — you want to give them a good noise (about 3-4 minutes) so they’ll come off cleanly when you flip them over. After a few more minutes on the other side, they were ready to roll. I tend to err on the undercooked aspects of cooking, because I want them to be relatable rather than mushy. If the peach falls, no more sweat. Mostly, you just want some solid baking signs that show you’ve given them time to develop that smoky flavor.
At this point, you can drizzle your baked peaches with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle with fresh basil or mint, if you’d like.
Use this easy baked peach recipe with cream — or nothing at all
My favorite way to end a summer dinner party? Bring a plate of half-baked peaches on the table with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, for everyone to eat. Xoi Xeo, delicious, nothing like it.
Scroll to see the easy baked peach recipe and remember to tag us at @camillestyles so we can see if you give them a try!
