Late summer is when stone fruit really sings. The peaches are heavy with juice, the apricots glow like little suns, and the plums—deep purple or blush pink—hide their tart sweetness beneath taut skins. It’s the kind of produce that doesn’t need fussing, just the right recipe to let it shine. Below, I’ve gathered my favorite ways to cook with stone fruit—peaches, plums, and apricots—each one easy, full of flavor, and made to capture the fleeting pleasures of the season.
Sweet Recipes for Stone Fruit Lovers
If you’re looking for desserts that lean into the floral, fragrant, and golden notes of stone fruit, try the Peach, Cardamom, and Saffron Cake, or the Peach Thai Basil Clafoutis—a twist on the French classic with a subtle herbal lift. Pumpkin Apricot Bread bridges late summer and early fall, while the Almond Polenta Tart with Sherried Plum Compote is equal parts rustic and elegant. And if you’re after something cold and dreamy, Peach and Elderflower Ice Cream is a must.
Savory Stone Fruit Recipes with a Twist
Stone fruit isn’t just for sweets. In fact, some of my favorite savory recipes pair their natural sweetness with spice, salt, or smoke. Spice-Roasted Chicken with Peaches is a deeply aromatic dish that begs for torn flatbread or rice on the side. And the Grilled Peach Salsa with Steak Salad hits every note—charred, juicy, fresh, and fiery.
Jams, Drinks, and More
I always put up a few jars of Apricot Lemon Orange Jam for when summer slips away—it’s sunshine on toast in the dead of winter. And if you’re thirsty, there’s a refreshing Peach and Mint Lassi, perfect for sipping on hot afternoons, and Dried Apricot, Fig, and Almond Oatmeal Cookies to keep close for a quick snack.
Whether you’re a peach devotee, a plum purist, or an apricot enthusiast, these recipes are my ode to stone fruit season. I hope you find something here that makes you pause, spoon in hand, and think: this is what summer tastes like.
almond polenta tart with sherried plum compote
One of the things I love exploring on this blog is using grains and flours of all sorts of kinds in my recipes. The options are endless, from wheat to kamut and savory to sweet! Maria Speck does just the same with her food with passion, and her love for whole grains shows. Maria’s latest
dried apricot and fig almond oatmeal cookies
I decided to bake cookies in the middle of the night during the week because that is exactly what one does when their spouse is out of town. I made a happy mess, didn’t tiptoe and worry about waking anyone up and I ended up cleaning the kitchen the next morning. Talk about the definition
Pumpkin Apricot Bread
A pumpkin loaf with a soft and tender crumb, this sweet bread contains bits of dried apricot and is topped with a layer of bright green pumpkin seeds. A slice of this loaf is lovely with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Lightly sweetened crème fraîche goes along with this pumpkin loaf.
Apricot Lemon Orange Jam
If you’ve ever wanted to capture the essence of summer in a jar, this apricot jam is it. Made with underripe apricots for natural pectin, fresh lemon and orange juice for brightness, and just a touch of sugar to let the fruit shine, this refrigerator jam is all about bold, clean flavor. Ribbons of citrus
Apricot Coconut Semolina Cake (and a Taste of Summer—Anytime)
Even when the days grow shorter and the sun slips away earlier, I find myself reaching for this cake. It calls for dried apricots, so it isn’t tied to the season—and yet, every bite feels like summer. The combination of coconut and apricot is bright, fragrant, and nostalgic in the best way. This cake is
Peach, Cardamom, and Saffron Cake
This is a busy summer, I’ve embarked on the process of remodeling the house. Of course, the idea to do this, started with my kitchen! When we moved into this home a year ago I fell in love with the kitchen and the garden. But as time progressed, I realized working in this kitchen became a challenge. The layout wasn’t practical, the larger appliances need to be updated, and I needed a place where I could use my kitchen for work but also entertain. Over the next couple of months, you can follow my progress (the ups and downs) of gutting, and remodeling a kitchen over at Instagram.
spiced roasted chicken and peaches
One of the things I’ve learned summer after summer, is that I can eat even more peaches than the year before. If they’re the yellow ones even better. I once ate more than a dozen peaches in a day because I was really worried they’d rot and I did get sick but that’s a story for another day (we went to pick fruit at a farm, you know how those things go, you end up with more than you can actually handle) But when it comes to eating them raw, I prefer them soft, if I’m going to cook and heat them up, I will go for the firmer ones because they can hold their structure as the temperature rises. I prefer dried to fresh orange peel in this recipe but you can use fresh, you just won’t be able to grind it up well, so I recommend using a zester and then adding the fresh peel directly to the seasoning.
Peach and Elderflower Ice Cream
This is my adult version of peach ice cream—the flavor of sweet ripe peaches and the delicate floral aroma of St. Germain pair excellently well together. This is one of my favorite summer ice creams, and it goes down very fast on a hot day.
This recipe is loosely based on David Lebovitz’s Apricot Ice Cream From The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press, Revised Edition 2018)
peach and mint lassi
Ripe yellow peaches are the star of this lassi. Fresh mint completes this drink. Enjoy this lassi on a hot summer day with plenty of ice and stay cool.
Grilled Peach Salsa and Steak Salad and My Grilling Tips and Tricks
Summer is a beautiful season and one of my favorites of the year. Bright, juicy yellow peaches, big ears of sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes in a gazillion different colors and shapes are all starting to appear in abundance. While I can and do grill year-round, this is typically the peak season for grilling. Hey, the Fourth of July is coming up, and I wanted to get this recipe out to you early, so you have enough time to plan. For those of you who are looking for an easy, no-fuss recipe, I think you will appreciate the unfussy nature of this grilled steak salad recipe that comes with a grilled peach salsa that also acts as the dressing for the salad.
Peach Tarte Tatin
A tarte tatin is a joyous dessert that celebrates fruit in all its glory. To simplify things, I’ve used store-bought puff pastry, but you can also use your favorite pie crust or shortcrust pastry. A spoonful of lightly sweetened creme fraiche or a big scoop of vanilla or peach ice cream is a beautiful accompaniment to make this extra special.
A problem with ripe peaches, nectarines, and other stone fruits is that they release a lot of water while cooking, which makes things very syrupy. Some cooks add flour to the sugar before baking, but I prefer to let the peach syrup develop in the pan and then use it to make a glaze for the tarte tatin. It holds the peaches much more nicely together.
Peach and Thai Basil Clafoutis
Clafoutis is one of the first French desserts I learned to prepare. It’s a simple pudding that relies on seasonal fruits and spices for flavor, so use the best you can find. In this version, peaches’ sweet, fragrant summer essence is paired with Thai basil’s scent. Serve it warm, and eat plenty!