21 Peach Recipes for Summer

When you slice into this delicious pie, don't be surprised by the gap between the filling and the top crust. This happens when a pie is baked at high heat because the crust sets before the fruit in the filling has cooked down. It's worth it, since the high heat also helps the bottom crust get nice and crispy. The finished pie is served with Bourbon Whipped Cream — it takes just minutes to make, but the booze-spiked topping flatters the peaches like nothing else can.

Crostatas are an easy, quick-to-prepare way to use up seasonal fruit. This one stars fresh peaches, tossed with dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt and cinnamon. The crostata can be baked up to six hours in advance, if you want to get a bit of a head-start — feel free to serve it either warm or at room temperature.

Chef Bryan Calvert loves the versatility of his super-moist lemon pound cake: He uses it to make everything from French toast to a stuffing for baked apples. In the summer, he grills it until crisp and toasty, then tops it with warm, tender grilled peaches and whipped cream.

Chef Jason Franey makes this sweet and tangy summer soup by marinating fresh peaches overnight with dried apricots, honey, vinegar, and olive oil and then pureeing the mixture. Since peaches can vary in flavor, Franey suggests seasoning with vinegar to taste as you puree.

2019 F&W Best New Chef Bryan Furman's method of smoking the duck over a drip pan is quick and efficient, infusing the duck with intense smoky flavor in only 30 minutes without toughening the meat. The combination of jerk seasoning and peach-sweetened barbecue sauce is also a great match for grilled chicken halves.

Former F&W Senior Test Kitchen Associate Grace Parisi's gingery peach chutney is terrific on a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich or brushed on pork chops during the last few minutes of cooking. To make removing the pits easier, look for freestone peaches, rather than clingstone.

"This crust is not what you'd expect," chef Marco Canora says. "Instead of being crunchy, it's puffy and cakey." The dough is terrific for impromptu baking, because it doesn't need to be chilled before it's rolled out. For the filling, Canora recommends using peaches that are ripe but still firm, as drippy fruit will make the soft crust soggy.

Be sure to use the best buttermilk you can get for this summer-ready recipe. The ice cream is just as much about the rich, tangy buttermilk as it is the fragrant peaches. Once made, it can be frozen for up to two weeks.

"It features the alluring combination of juicy peaches and even juicier tomatoes that are lightly coated in just enough dressing to moisten — so that nothing overpowers the flavors of the fruit," says recipe developer, cookbook author, and F&W Cooks contributor Ann Taylor Pittman of this salad.  "Hunks of creamy burrata pair beautifully here, offering luxurious richness that, again, does not compete with the fruit. The fried farro sprinkle is perhaps the best part. The grains are fantastically crunchy, like tiny Corn Nuts, with an irresistible nutty-earthy flavor."

Choose firm peaches for this recipe; they'll hold up best on the grill and soften nicely as they cook. The smoky sweetness of the grilled fruit pairs perfectly with the grilled quail, which gets flavor and color from the inclusion of annatto seeds in the marinade.

Aromatic, refreshing lemon verbena and mild fruitiness from peach-infused rosé shine in this versatile vinegar ideal for shrubs and cocktails. It can be refrigerated for up to six months, too, so you have plenty of time to experiment with it.

Chef Hugh Acheson combines sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy flavors in this exceptional summer tomato salad, tossing peaches, pickled serrano chiles, and crisp tofu together with a zippy ginger-lime dressing. Pair the salad with a juicy Pinot Noir–based rosé, if you'd like.

Pastry chef Kierin Baldwin uses three kinds of sugar in her crumble topping for this crisp, giving it deep flavor and varied texture. The crumble is an ideal match for sweet ripe peaches.

This five-ingredient dessert is an elegant way to serve peaches. Present the fruit halves skin-on or peel them while they're still warm. For the rosiest color, look for peaches that have a lot of blush to the skin.

The flavors in this pie scream summer, and summer is certainly the perfect time to make it, when fresh blueberries and peaches are at the market. But don't let cold weather stop you — thawed frozen fruit also works beautifully here. The tart lemon zest and juice in the filling balance the sweetness of the fruit, in contrast with the crunchy turbinado sugar on top of the geometric pieces of pie crust.

"What I love about galettes is that they're so user-friendly," says Katie Button, 2015 F&W Best New Chef. "No matter how you fold or crimp them, they always look beautiful; in fact the more rustic they look, the prettier they seem to be." Button's easy-to-make galette dough bakes into a flaky crust with a crisp bottom thanks to a high initial baking temperature, which is then lowered to finish cooking, allowing the filling to get perfectly glossy and jammy. "The nice thing about this recipe is that it's not too sweet, and proves that thyme and blackberries are truly best friends. The herb brings out a different floral component to the dessert that's unexpected and delicious."

Tart, buttery, and sweet, the caramel-bourbon swirl here comes through in the best of ways, balancing the rich notes of the crème fraîche in this silky, swirled ice cream. Fresh, ripe peaches add a great bit of texture in every bite. American-style ice creams are eggless (unlike French-style ice creams, which contain eggs yolks) and usually made with a combination of milk and cream, sometimes containing cornstarch as a thickener. For this recipe, chef and ice cream maker Fany Gerson's version uses cream (no milk) and crème fraîche or sour cream to balance out the flavors and add creaminess to the fluffy texture.

Pickling fresh peaches and then charring them on the grill adds extra flavor to this arugula salad with crispy grilled chicken thighs. The drained pickled peaches can be refrigerated for up to two days.

Juicy peaches and nutty almond meal pair up in this summery, vegan take on a classic upside-down cake. The almond meal adds a soft texture to the cake and helps it hold together as the peaches soften and sweeten during baking.

A splash of bourbon in the vinaigrette adds a sweet, boozy kick of flavor and helps tenderize the shrimp in 2008 F&W Best New Chef Sue Zemanick's shrimp and okra kebabs. The kebabs are served over wedges of grilled peaches, and finished with a drizzle of additional vinaigrette.

Spicy chiles and sweet peaches come together in this simple, summery salad perfect for backyard parties. Lemon vinegar and manuka honey lend each bite a sweet-tart zing and silky texture, amplifying the juiciness of fresh peaches. The sweet honey mellows the sharp and punchy lemon vinegar, adding brightness without overpowering the delicate fruit. Avoid using Meyer lemon vinegar, which will be too sweet once combined with the honey. Long, thin, and vibrantly colored, Holland finger chiles, or Dutch chiles, add a moderate jalapeño-like heat to the fragrant dish. Lean on this stunning salad when peaches are at their prime to showcase the best of summer produce.