Simple Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon-Walnut Crumble & Ice Cream

Introduction & Inspiration

There’s something truly magical about grilling fruit, and these Simple Grilled Peaches are a perfect example of how a little heat can transform fresh, ripe peaches into an exceptionally delicious and elegant dessert. Imagine sweet, juicy peach halves, lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled cut-side down until they develop beautiful char marks and their natural sugars caramelize. Served warm alongside cool, creamy vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with a delightful mixture of toasted crushed walnuts, warm cinnamon, and a hint of sea salt – it’s pure summer perfection!

My inspiration for this recipe comes from wanting to celebrate peak-season peaches in a way that’s both incredibly easy and impressively flavorful. Grilling adds a subtle smokiness and intensifies the fruit’s sweetness, while the simple cinnamon-walnut topping provides a wonderful textural and flavor contrast.

This dessert is fantastic for summer barbecues, easy entertaining, or anytime you want a light yet satisfying sweet treat that highlights the best of the season. It comes together in minutes and always feels special. It is a perfect summer dessert recipe.

Nostalgic Appeal / Comfort Factor

Grilled fruit, especially peaches, often evokes feelings of warm summer evenings, backyard cookouts, and simple, rustic desserts. The combination of warm grilled fruit and cold ice cream is a timeless comfort pairing, beloved for its delightful temperature and texture contrast. Fresh peaches themselves are a nostalgic symbol of summer abundance.

This recipe taps into that comforting nostalgia. The familiar sweetness of ripe peaches, enhanced by grilling, paired with classic vanilla ice cream and a warmly spiced nutty topping, creates a dessert that feels both sophisticatedly simple and deeply satisfying.

It’s a taste of pure summer comfort, elegant in its simplicity. A perfect dish to share with family and friends.

Homemade Focus

This recipe is a wonderful celebration of simple, homemade preparation using fresh, seasonal ingredients. You’re starting with ripe peaches, preparing them by halving and pitting, then applying a classic grilling technique. The crunchy, flavorful cinnamon-walnut topping is also made from scratch by simply toasting nuts and combining them with spices.

The homemade focus lies in selecting perfect fruit, the act of grilling to achieve that lovely char and caramelization, and creating the fresh topping. While the ice cream might be store-bought, the key components that make this dessert special are all part of a simple, satisfying homemade process.

It showcases how easily you can transform fresh fruit into an impressive and delicious dessert with minimal ingredients and straightforward techniques. The homemade topping is key.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal is a delightful harmony of sweet, slightly smoky, and caramelized grilled peaches, complemented by cool and creamy vanilla ice cream, and accented by a crunchy, nutty, warmly spiced cinnamon-walnut topping with a balancing touch of sea salt.

The peaches should be tender and juicy, their natural sugars intensified by the grilling process, with visible char marks adding a hint of smokiness. The vanilla ice cream provides a classic creamy, sweet, and cool contrast. The topping of toasted walnuts, cinnamon, and sea salt should offer a satisfying crunch, nutty richness, warm spice, and a subtle salty counterpoint to the sweetness of the peaches and ice cream.

The overall experience should be a sophisticated yet simple dessert with a wonderful interplay of warm and cold, soft and crunchy, sweet, smoky, spiced, and salty notes. A perfect balance between flavour and texture.

Ingredient Insights

• Ripe Peaches: The star! About 4. Use peaches that are ripe and fragrant but still slightly firm to the touch so they hold their shape on the grill. Freestone varieties are easier to pit.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (for brushing): A light brushing on the cut side of the peaches helps prevent sticking to the grill and promotes caramelization.
• Walnuts (Toasted and Crushed): Provide essential nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Toasting them (in a dry skillet or oven) before crushing significantly enhances their aroma and taste. Pecans or almonds could substitute.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds classic warm spice to the walnut topping, pairing beautifully with peaches.
• Sea Salt: A small amount in the walnut topping enhances the sweetness of the peaches and balances the overall flavors.
• Vanilla Ice Cream (For Serving): The classic, creamy, cool accompaniment. Good quality vanilla ice cream is best.

Essential Equipment

• Grill or Grill Pan: An outdoor grill (gas or charcoal) is ideal for smoky flavor, but a well-heated indoor cast-iron grill pan will also work beautifully.
• Knife & Cutting Board: For halving and pitting peaches, and crushing walnuts (if not using a food processor).
• Pastry Brush (Optional): For brushing peaches with olive oil.
• Small Bowl: For mixing the walnut-cinnamon topping.
• Method for Toasting Walnuts: Dry skillet on stovetop or a baking sheet in the oven.
• Serving Plates or Bowls:
• Ice Cream Scoop:

Ingredients

(Based on 1x column)

Grilled Peaches:

• ▢ 4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
• ▢ ~1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Cinnamon-Walnut Topping:

• ▢ ½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely crushed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For Serving:

• ▢ Vanilla ice cream

Step-by-Step Instructions

(Prep Time: ~5-7 minutes | Cooking Time: ~6-8 minutes | Total Time: ~15 minutes)

1. Preheat Grill and Prepare Topping:

• Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat (about 350-400°F or 175-200°C).
• Toast and Crush Walnuts (if not already done): If your walnuts are raw, toast them lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Alternatively, toast on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely crush them (you can place them in a Ziploc bag and gently crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a glass, or chop roughly).
• Make Topping: In a small bowl, combine the toasted crushed walnuts, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

2. Prepare and Grill Peaches:

• Wash the ripe peaches. Cut them in half along the seam and gently twist to separate. Remove the pits.
• Lightly brush the cut side of each peach half with a little extra-virgin olive oil.
• Place the oiled peach halves, cut-side down, directly onto the preheated grill grates (or grill pan).
• Grill for about 3-4 minutes on the cut side, without moving them much, until beautiful char marks form and the peaches begin to soften and caramelize slightly. (Recipe text says 3 minutes, adjust as needed for your grill/peaches).
• You can optionally flip them and grill for another 1-2 minutes on the skin side if desired for overall warming, but the primary cooking and charring is on the cut side.

3. Serve:

• Remove the grilled peaches from the grill and place them, cut-side up, onto serving plates or into bowls while still warm.
• Add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside or nestled into each grilled peach half.
• Sprinkle the prepared cinnamon-walnut topping generously over the peaches and ice cream.
• Serve immediately and enjoy this delightful summer dessert!

Troubleshooting

• Peaches Sticking to Grill: Grill grates weren’t clean or hot enough, or peaches weren’t brushed with enough oil. Ensure grill is clean and properly preheated. A light, even coat of oil on the cut side of the peach helps.
• Peaches Overcooked/Mushy: Used overripe peaches, or grilled for too long. Use ripe but still firm peaches. Grill just until char marks appear and they are heated through and slightly softened.
• Peaches Undercooked/Hard: Grill not hot enough, or not grilled long enough. Peaches should be tender.
• Walnuts Burning During Toasting: Heat too high, or not stirred/watched carefully. Toast nuts over medium-low to medium heat and stir constantly. Remove as soon as fragrant and lightly colored.
• Topping Too Salty: Used too much sea salt for the volume of nuts/cinnamon. Start with a smaller pinch if unsure.

Tips and Variations

• Peach Ripeness is Key: Choose peaches that are ripe (they’ll smell fragrant and yield slightly to gentle pressure) but still fairly firm so they don’t fall apart on the grill.
• Don’t Overcrowd Grill: Grill peaches in a single layer with some space between them for even cooking and good charring.
• Grill Pan Works Too: If you don’t have an outdoor grill, a cast-iron grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat works beautifully.
• Other Fruits: Nectarines (no peeling needed!), plums, apricots, or even pineapple slices grill wonderfully and would be delicious with this topping and ice cream.
• Different Nuts: Toasted pecans or slivered almonds would be great substitutes for walnuts.
• Spice Variations: Add a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or cardamom to the cinnamon-walnut topping.
• Sweet Drizzles: For extra indulgence, drizzle the grilled peaches with a touch of honey, maple syrup, or a balsamic glaze before adding the ice cream and topping.
• Savory Twist: For a less sweet appetizer, omit the ice cream and cinnamon, and try grilling peaches with a brush of balsamic glaze, then top with crumbled goat cheese or prosciutto and toasted nuts.
• No Ice Cream? Serve grilled peaches with a dollop of Greek yogurt, mascarpone cheese, or ricotta cheese sweetened with a little honey.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

• Serve Warm: Grilled peaches are best enjoyed warm, fresh off the grill, with the cold ice cream melting into them.
• Perfect Summer Dessert: Light, fresh, and showcases seasonal fruit.
• Barbecue Finale: An easy and elegant dessert to follow a grilled meal.
• Brunch Treat: Could even be served as a special, indulgent brunch item.

Nutritional Information

(Note: Estimated, per serving of 2 grilled peach halves with topping, excluding ice cream. Highly variable based on peach size, amount of oil used for brushing, and exact topping amount.)

• Calories: 180-280 (peaches & topping only)
• Fat: 10-18g (mostly from walnuts and olive oil)
• Saturated Fat: 1-2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 150-250mg (from sea salt)
• Total Carbohydrates: 20-30g
• Dietary Fiber: 3-5g
• Sugars: 15-25g (natural from peaches, plus any in optional drizzles)
• Protein: 3-5g

(Vanilla ice cream would add significant calories, fat, and sugar).

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Summary: These Simple Grilled Peaches involve halving and pitting ripe peaches, brushing their cut sides with olive oil, and grilling them cut-side down on a medium-heat grill or grill pan for about 3 minutes until char marks form and they soften. While the peaches grill (or before), a topping is made by combining toasted and crushed walnuts with ground cinnamon and sea salt. The warm grilled peaches are served immediately, typically with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and generously sprinkled with the cinnamon-walnut mixture.

Q&A:

• Q: Do I need to peel the peaches before grilling?
  • A: No, it’s generally not necessary to peel peaches for grilling, especially if the skins are relatively thin. The skin helps them hold their shape on the grill. If your peaches have very thick or fuzzy skin and you prefer, you can peel them.
• Q: What’s the best way to tell if my peaches are ripe enough for grilling?
  • A: Look for peaches that are fragrant (smell sweet and peachy!) and yield slightly to gentle pressure. They should not be rock hard, nor overly soft and mushy. Firm-ripe is ideal.
• Q: Can I prepare the components ahead of time?
  • A: Yes, to some extent. You can make the cinnamon-walnut topping ahead and store it in an airtight container. The peaches are best grilled just before serving for that warm fruit/cold ice cream contrast. If you must cut the peaches ahead, toss them with a tiny bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Q: What if I don’t have walnuts?
  • A: Toasted chopped pecans or slivered almonds would be excellent substitutes in the topping. Even toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds could offer a nice crunch.