Grilled peaches – It’s one of those fresh peach recipes that makes you wonder why we don’t cook with peaches more often.
Peaches are one of my absolute favorite fruits. I always look forward with anticipation to the summer peach season and eat them as often as I can during that time.
Peaches are so wonderfully sweet. I know some people don’t like the fuzz, but I think that once they are washed and dried, most of that is washed away. If you really still find them fuzzy, just peel them before you eat them. Don’t miss out on this amazing fruit because of a little bit of fuzz (my opinion only).
Grilling peaches brings out the sweetness of this wonderful fruit, and at the same time adds the savory flavor of the grill. I’m not really sure how you can beat that.
If you are looking for healthy dessert recipes, you can start here. Peaches are one of summer’s wonderful bounty. They are both delicious and good for us.
In this recipe the peaches are served very simply – just grill them and top them with an easy mix of ricotta cheese, cinnamon and honey.
The ricotta cheese is nice and mild so it pairs well with the peaches. Ricotta also adds a bit of protein to our healthy summer dessert and the drizzle of added honey brings it all together perfectly.
You can use the ricotta as it is, but if you really want to step it up a notch I suggest putting it in the blender or food processor before adding the honey. That makes the ricotta velvety and smooth. A touch of honey is all you need to finish off this spectacular but easy dessert recipe.
Don’t have honey? A delicious alternative would be a touch of maple syrup. Add enough to taste as sweet as you like.
Grilled Peaches for Diabetics
If you are diabetic, you may or may not react badly to the honey. There isn’t a lot of honey in this recipe, but feel free to replace it with a diabetic syrup or any sugar free sweetener that works for you.
Cutting the Peaches for Grilling
It may sound silly to talk about how to cut your peaches but it does make a difference. You can cut the peaches two ways:
1. Cut the peaches in half (skin on) starting at the top stem end and going down and around the peach. I think this way of cutting peaches works best for this kind of recipe because it exposes the pit and makes it easier to take out.
2. You can also cut the peaches in half by going around the center of the peach. This will result in the peach pit sticking out of the center of the peach when you take the halves apart. Cutting the peaches this way makes it a bit more difficult to remove the pit without digging into the flesh of the peach, which is why I prefer the first method.
Freestone Peaches VS Clingstone Peaches
There are many, many varieties of peaches but they generally fall into one of two categories: freestone or clingstone.
In my area, the earlier peaches in the season are predominantly clingstone. That means that the flesh clings to the stone or pit and makes it difficult to cleanly remove the pit while keeping the peach half intact.
Freestone peaches are pretty much what they sound like: Peaches that have a stone that frees itself easily from the pit, making the process of cutting them and removing the stone much much easier.
Use freestone peaches for this recipe if you have access to them, but don’t worry about it. Use what you have and they will taste great.
If you do use the clingstone varieties of peaches, it may be easier to cut the peaches into quarters rather than in half. They will taste just as nice either way.
Broiled Peaches: A Grilling Alternative
If you don’t have a grill you can still make this wonderful summer dessert recipe. Instead of grilling the peaches, you can simply put them on a baking pan and place them in the oven with the broiler on. Broiled peaches will taste fantastic too, especially with this simple and delicious topping.
Whatever way you choose to enjoy them, once you have tried this grilled peach recipe, I think it is one you will come back to over and over again.
I hope you enjoy it. If you try it, please leave a comment at the end of the recipe and let us all know how it worked out for you.
Grilled Peaches with Honey Ricotta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 peaches, halved and pits removed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey, divided (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, or place a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Wash and dry the peaches, then cut them in half and remove the pits.
- Spread some of the butter over each of the peach halves. Grill the peaches, flat or cut side down, over medium high heat until they are warmed through, which will take about four minutes.
- While the peaches are grilling, cream the ricotta cheese in a blender or food processor. Add the cinnamon and half of the honey to the creamed ricotta cheese and mix them together well.
- Place the grilled peaches on a serving plate or on individual serving plates. Serve the peach halves with a generous spoonful of the ricotta cheese mixture in the center and drizzle with the remaining honey.
- Makes 4 servings, but this recipe can easily be multiplied to serve as many as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you love this easy summer dessert recipe.
If you love these grilled peaches, you might also want to try our fresh peach cake and an easy delicious peach crisp as well.
Browse our healthy dessert recipes here.
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Perfect in warm summer weather.