Say hello to peach season with these juicy and sweet caramelized peaches! Each half is seared to perfection with golden brown charred edges and topped with a scoop of ice cream and homemade toasted oat crumble. They make the ultimate summertime treat!
This may be my new favorite summer dessert! The simplicity of the recipe plus the deliciousness of ripe juicy peaches makes for a treat everyone will love. The warm sweet peaches pair perfectly with cold vanilla ice cream but then we take it a step further and add an easy oat crumble on top for an added crunch and hint of cinnamon flavor. It's like a peach cobbler but without all the fuss.
Check out my peach cobbler skillet or my baked cinnamon apples for more easy recipes to make this summer. If you're not a peach fan, try my caramelized pears!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Fresh and juicy buttery peaches
- Perfectly caramelized edges
- Made in 15 minutes or less
- Topped with a generous scoop of ice cream
- Great for small gatherings
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Fresh peaches - The star of the caramelized peaches recipe! Pick ripe peaches that are still slightly firm but have some give to them when you give them a gently squeeze. If you're planning to wait a few days to make this recipe, grab slightly underripe peaches so they're perfect when it's time to slice into them. This recipe will also work with other fresh fruit like pears, apples, apricots, or plums.
- Unsalted butter - This is melted and used to caramelize the peach halves. Substitute with coconut oil, ghee, or vegan butter if needed.
- Brown sugar - Melted into the butter to give the peaches a caramelized taste. Swap with coconut sugar if desired.
- Rolled oats - Used to make the oat crumble. Make sure to use rolled oats and not steel cut oats.
- Oat flour - This is also used in the oat crumble. All purpose flour or gluten free 1 : 1 will work as well.
- Ice cream - I used vanilla ice cream to keep it classic but any flavor that sounds good to you will work. Butter pecan or a toffee nut would be amazing or you can use homemade ice cream if you're feeling fancy!
How To Make Caramelized Peaches
This recipe is beyond easy to make. All you need is a frying pan, preferably a cast iron skillet.
Step 1 : Slice peaches in half. Use a sharp paring knife to cut each peach in half. Remove the pit from the center.
Step 2 : Melt butter with the sugar. Heat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning until the butter is completely melted and turns a soft brown color.
Step 3 : Add the peaches. Once the butter mixture begins to bubble, place each peach half, flesh side down, into the pan. Place the lid on top of the pan so the peaches stay nice and juicy.
Allow the peaches to simmer in the butter mixture until the edges have caramelized. You can gently flip one over to check the doneness of the peaches. There may be some hot spots on your burner so I recommend moving them around the pan after 2 minutes.
Once the skillet peaches are done, transfer them to a plate to cool down slightly while you prepare the oat crumble.
Step 4 : Make the oat crumble. In the same pan, add the oats, oat flour, cinnamon, and another 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix the oat mixture together in the pan with a spatula and allow the oats to cook until small clumps begin to form. Remove the pan from the heat. The oats will get firmer and become crispy like granola as they cool down.
Step 5 : Top with ice cream. Serve each peach half with a scoop of ice cream on top followed by a little bit of the toasted oat crumble. If serving these for a crowd, serve the peaches on dessert plates with a spoon.
Expert Tips
- Use slightly firm peaches if you can. They will be easier to handle in the skillet and the heat from the skillet will soften them even more and bring out their juices.
- Move the peaches around in the skillet after a few minutes to prevent them from burning. Some burners have hot spots and you wouldn't want one peach to sit there and get overcooked.
- Watch the heat of the butter mixture carefully. Butter can go from a light brown color to a dark black color quickly if the heat is too high. Start with a medium heat and only turn it up to medium-high heat if the butter is not bubbling after a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and they are delicious! The juices from the peach combined with simmering butter and sugar create a luscious caramelized peach.
A cast iron skillet it best to emulate the grill marks typically produced on grilled peaches. Because the peaches are cooked on the stove, you will want to add some butter or oil along with any sweetener or spices you want to give them something to cook in. Cut the peaches in half and place the flesh side down in the pan to cook.
Most juicy fruits will work for this recipe. My favorites are pears or apples.
For more fruity treats, check out my:
More From The Fit Peach
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Recipe
Caramelized Peaches
Ingredients
- 3 ripe peaches
- 3 tablespoon butter - divided, substitute with coconut oil or vegan butter if needed
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar - or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon rolled oats
- 3 tablespoon oat flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- vanilla ice cream - optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry the peaches and then slice each one in half lengthwise and remove the pits.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon butter with the brown sugar and vanilla over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent the butter from burning. Continue to cook until the butter mixture begins to simmer.
- Once the butter is simmering, place each peach half in the skillet, cut side down. Place the lid on the skillet and allow the peaches to cook for 3 - 5 minutes until the edges are caramelized. Move the peaches around the skillet after a few minutes to prevent them from burning if your stove has “hot spots”.
- Transfer the peaches to a serving dish or baking pan to cool down slightly before serving.
- In the same skillet, add the rolled oats, oat flour, and cinnamon along with the other 1 tablespoon butter. Stir to combine until the oats begin to develop into small clusters. Remove the heat and allow the oats to cool for 5 minutes. They will get even crispier as they cool down.
- When ready to serve, place a scoop of ice cream on top of each peach half and top with a sprinkle of the oat mixture and enjoy!
Please review your calorie count. 129 kcal isn’t possible with sugar, oats, peaches and butter. The recipe is great, but off by at least 100.