Grilled Peaches and Caramel Sauce

When peaches are in season, this dessert is a true show-stopper.

Making the homemade caramel sauce may take a little practice, but you’ll get it. There are just a few simple, but important steps in making this incredible dessert, and then be prepared for lots of compliments!

How To Make Grilled Peaches with Caramel Sauce

First and foremost, seek out the best peaches available. We love picking ours up from The Peach Truck. Check them out, they even deliver. Our peach of choice is Freestone (when in season).

Next, be sure to follow the directions closely for making the caramel from scratch.

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The Ingredients You Will Need

As you might expect, fresh peaches are the star of this glorious dessert. You don’t need much more than that, other than a little sugar, butter, and of course, homemade caramel sauce.

Here’s What You’ll Need to Have on Hand

For the Peaches
Peaches – Look for “freestone” peaches. They are also called “cling-free.” And do your best to get peaches from a peach farmer. You should check out The Peach Truck. If you can’t find freestone, use a sharp paring knife to carefully remove the pit.
Brown Sugar – Dark or light
Butter – Unsalted and melted

For the Caramel Sauce
Sugar – Granulated
Water – Cool
Butter – Unsalted (not melted)
Cream – Heavy, but can substitute half-and-half in desired
Salt – Kosher

EXPERT TIP:When preparing the caramel sauce, be sure to wait until the sugar water mixture has turned a deep amber color. Then, turn the heat off and add the butter, cream, vanilla, salt. It’s important to let the sauce sit for 15 minutes, then give it a good stir. It should be thick, but not too thick.

Tips for Making Perfect Grilled Peaches with Caramel Sauce

Use Freshly-Picked Peaches – If at all possible, seek out a peach orchard and select peaches in the height of the season. If they are still stiff, let the rest on your counter for a few days until just slightly soft to the touch. Try and get “freestone” peaches because removing the pit is so much easier than the “cling” peaches.

Keep an Eye on the Caramel – After the sugar/water mixture has come to a boil, reduce the temperature slightly and stop stirring (or whisking). Allow the mixture to bubble and gurgle until a dark amber color is reached, usually about 15 to 20 minutes. If you remove it from the heat too early, the caramel will be clumpy and grainy.

Grill at the Right Temperature – You want to create a 2-zone heat set-up with your grill (one area with direct heat, and another area with in-direct heat). If using charcoal, let the coals become ashy and no longer flaming. Place the peaches cut-side down over the direct heat for just a few minutes. Then turn over on the indirect heat zone. If your grill is too hot, it will burn the flesh of the peaches.

EXPERT TIP: After spooning the brown sugar onto the buttered peach, brush a little more melted butter on top. This will help to dissolve the sugar.

How To Serve

These peaches are definitely best served warm, right off of the grill. Have the caramel sauce ready to go (you can reheat it, if it’ cooled off).

Place the caramel in a jar or bowl, and let guests build their own dessert, or serve it to them already assembled in a bowl or on a plate.

We love to serve the grilled peaches over a bowl of vanilla ice cream and then drizzle the caramel all over the top. The addition of homemade granola as a topping is a wonderful final touch. Learn how to make homemade granola in our recipe for Wild Berry Parfait.

Other Wonderful Peach Dishes To Try

Peaches are such a versatile fruit and are wonderful in sweet as well as savory dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Peach Crisp
Caprese Salad with Grilled Peaches
Pan-Fried Pork Cutlets with Peaches
Braised Chicken and Savory Peaches

These are all fantastic, but aren’t these babies calling your name?

The final sauce, poured over the sweet and smokey peaches is something out of this world.

Practice this before you serve it for the first time.

But once you get it, your guests will never forget what your served them! And don’t forget the ice cream and homemade granola! Yum!

Ready to make the best peach dessert this side of Savannah, Georgia? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post if on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

Grilled Peaches and Caramel Sauce

Grilled Peaches and Caramel Sauce are incredible. Seek out freestone peaches, if possible, and find farm-fresh, too. Make sure you set up a 2-zone heat with your grill. And pay close attention to the caramel. We suggest trying a practice run before serving to guests.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American Southern

Keyword: grilled dessert recipe, how to grill peaches, how to make caramel sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Equipment

• Gas, charcoal, or electric grill

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup caramel sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar dark or light
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 6 fresh peaches cut in half and pits removed
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 1 cup granola optional, find the recipe in the recipe link

Instructions

Getting Started: Make the Caramel Sauce

• Before your fire up your grill, make the caramel sauce. If needed you can reheat it just before serving. (Click the link in the ingredients for the recipe).
  1 cup caramel sauce

Prepare the Grilled Peaches

• Set up your grill for 2-zone heat (1 side with direct heat and 1 side in-direct heat). If using charcoal, wait until the flames have died down and the charcoal is ashy.
• In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar with the cinnamon.
  ¼ cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Brush the cut side of the peaches with the melted butter.
  6 fresh peaches
• Place (over direct heat) on the grill, cut side down, for about 3 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees, and cook for 3 more minutes. Keep an eye on them, though, don't let them burn if the heat is too hot!
• Meanwhile, brush the tops with more melted butter.
  ½ cup unsalted butter
• Turn the peaches over and move to indirect heat.
• Sprinkle cut sides with the cinnamon sugar and brush the tops with a little more melted butter. Remove from grill and place on a platter.
• Serve with caramel sauce drizzled over the top and topped with granola (if desired). Or, serve individually over ice cream, topped with caramel sauce and granola (if using).
  1 cup granola

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

If you can't find freestone peaches, carefully cut the peaches in half, around the knife, and then use a sharp paring knife to cut out the pit. The peaches should be soft to the touch and slightly indented when pressed. If they are hard, they need to ripen more on your counter until softened. 

These peaches are best served right off the grill. The caramel sauce can be made in advance and then reheated before serving. 

Though this recipe isn't difficult to prepare, we suggest doing a test run of it before serving it to guests. You want your grill hot, but not so hot that it burns the peaches. Also, the caramel may take a practice run to get it just right. 

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg

Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in August 2015, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in June 2023!