It’s peach season! I seriously look forward to this every year. While I love just having a ripe, juicy peach on its own, I decided to jazz it up a bit and make my first dessert for the blog – these grilled peaches with bourbon caramel and maple pecans!
I grew up in the east Bay Area, a little over an hour outside San Francisco, and it’s amazing how rural it can get so quickly. In fact, fruit picking was a fun summertime weekend event for the family when I was a kid! The town of Brentwood nearby is known for amazing fruits and vegetables and we’d go spend a day picking cherries, strawberries, peaches and more. My aunt would even drive all the way from Los Angeles and back in one day just to get some fresh fruit from Brentwood for her famous preserves and jams. She swore it was worth the trip for the sweetness of the fruit. So when I was thinking about what dessert I wanted to post first, I of course had to use some juicy Brentwood peaches.
I’m not much of a sweets person, but when I can find a dessert that is easy to make and light enough that it won’t give me a stomach ache, then I’m in! This recipe definitely meets that criteria as it keeps the fruit the center of attention with some delicious and simple toppings to make it a bit decadent.
It all starts with grilling the peaches, which gives them a bit of smokiness and makes them even more tender. If you don’t have a barbecue, a grill pan is a great option. Or you could simply sauté them in a pan, but I personally like the char marks you get from the grill.
Then you make the caramel sauce, which can scare some people, but trust me it’s actually very easy. Simply caramelize some sugar and water in a pan until it looks like a dark amber color. Then you carefully add heavy cream and butter – this is the fun part because the mixture gets super bubbly! Finish it with some vanilla and bourbon (this makes for a great boozy adult dessert, but you could leave that out for the kiddos if need be).
The last bit is to make the pecans by toasting them in a pan with maple and cinnamon, and then you’re ready to assemble! The grilled peaches get topped with creamy vanilla frozen yogurt, the decadent caramel sauce, and the maple cinnamon pecans for crunch. The combination of peach, vanilla, maple, cinnamon, bourbon and caramel is so mouthwatering! It’s rich but not overly sweet since the peach holds it all together – the perfect dessert for a hot summer day.
If you’re in the Bay Area and can make it to Brentwood for peaches, I highly recommend it. While you’re there, you might as well stop in my favorite frozen yogurt place Cool Spot for some awesome vanilla fro-yo to complete the dish, or just to cool off after picking all that fruit!
Wine Pairing for Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Caramel
Tawny Port Wine: Any dessert or port wine could work here, but I like a Tawny Port as it’s typically not overly sweet. It also has a nutty, caramelized taste to it that will go well with the caramel and pecans in the dish.
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Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Caramel and Maple Pecans
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
Juicy grilled peaches are topped with creamy frozen yogurt, decadent bourbon caramel sauce and crunchy maple cinnamon pecans – the perfect dessert on a hot summer day!
Ingredients
- 2 ripe peaches, cut in half lengthwise and pit removed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter at room temperature, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
Instructions
- Make the caramel sauce: Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Turn the heat to medium and let the sugar caramelize, without stirring, until it reaches a deep amber color, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and begin to slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Note the mixture will start bubbling intensely so be careful. Add in the butter and whisk until melted. Then whisk in the bourbon, vanilla and sea salt. Set caramel aside to cool down.
- Grill the peaches: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the cut sides of the peaches with olive oil. Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill for about 3-4 minutes, until char marks form and peaches are slightly softened. Set peaches aside.
- Make the maple pecans: Whisk the cinnamon into the maple syrup. Add the pecans and maple syrup to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the pecans are toasted and the liquid has evaporated.
- Make sure your caramel has cooled down some before serving so that the frozen yogurt does not melt too quickly. Serve each peach half topped with ½ cup of frozen yogurt, a drizzle of the caramel sauce and a handful of pecans.
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
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