Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Whipped Cream
Fresh peaches are marinated in honey, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon, and are then grilled until warm and caramelized for an easy, show-stopping dessert. Serve them with this Cardamom Whipped Cream, which has a subtle spice that pairs perfectly with the juicy peaches. A sprinkle of toasted nuts or Maple Pecans is optional but provides delicious crunch. To take the dessert over the top, slice the grilled peaches and pile them over grilled pound cake (see the Tips below), Homemade Almond Shortcakes, or vanilla ice cream (it’s the ultimate ice cream sundae!).
Servings: 4 -8 people
Equipment
- Grill or Grill Pan
Ingredients
Grilled Peaches
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 firm but ripe peaches or nectarines, halved and pitted
- Neutral vegetable oil for grill
For Serving (optional)
- Cardamom Whipped Cream (recipe link in the header above)
- Chopped toasted nuts or Maple Pecans (recipe link in header)
Instructions
- Preheat your Spark grill to 500˚F, or preheat a regular grill to medium-high heat.
Marinate the peaches
- In a medium bowl, mix together the honey, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the peaches, and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature 10-15 minutes (this is a great time to make the Cardamom Whipped Cream!).
Grill the peaches
- Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Using tongs, remove the peaches from the honey mixture and place them, cut sides down on the grill (reserve the honey mixture in the bottom of the bowl for serving). Cover and grill until the peaches are caramelized with nice grill marks, about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the peaches over. Cover and cook until grill marks form on the other side and the peaches are tender in the center, about 1-2 minutes longer, depending on the ripeness of the peaches (you can skip this step if the peaches are really ripe). Transfer to a platter or to plates and let cool slightly—you can serve them warm or at room temperature.
Serve
- Drizzle the grilled peaches with the reserved honey marinade. Dollop the Cardamom Whipped Cream over top, and sprinkle with chopped toasted nuts, if you’d like.
Notes
Do Ahead: The grilled peaches can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days (they’re delicious over yogurt or on pancakes and waffles!).
Tips:
- Shop for firm but ripe peaches (or you can use nectarines!). They should give just ever so slightly when pressed in the palm of your hand. Avoid super ripe peaches, which are higher in sugar and can fall apart on the grill. Freestone peaches are the easiest variety to use, as the pits come out easily. For other varieties, use a grapefruit spoon or small knife to cut out the pits.
- Vanilla paste is one of my favorite secret ingredients. It lends a vanilla bean flavor at a fraction of the cost of fresh vanilla beans (and it lasts forever in the pantry!). However, you can use extract if that’s what you have.
- How to Grill Peaches Inside: If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can cook the peaches on a grill pan instead. Oil the pan and place it over high heat. Once the pan is hot, cook the peaches, cut sides down, until grill marks form, about 2-3 minutes.
- How to Grill Pound Cake: Preheat a grill to 500˚F and clean and oil the grates. Arrange pound cake slices in an even layer on the grill (if using a Spark grill, place the cake slices near the edges where it’s slightly cooler—this will prevent the cake from burning). Cook until slightly toasted on the bottom with grill marks, about 30-60 seconds. Flip the slices over and grill until toasted on the other side, 30-60 seconds longer.