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A lesser-known yet still incredibly delicious dessert recipe, Peach Melba is an example of French haute cuisine that anyone can make at home, and has a wonderfully easy raspberry sauce recipe to go with it!
For more great Peach recipes, why not try and make this Drunken Peach Galette? Or this Peach Upside Down Cake instead?
Peach Melba
Peach Melba is not only totally delicious but is also a great way to use up some slightly still too-firm peaches that you don’t know what to do with.
It is sweet, tangy, and just that little bit astringent from the firm peaches, completed with a big ladle of the best vanilla ice cream you can find.
Definitely make this the next time you need a convenient dessert recipe for a dinner party – it is incredibly easy to make ahead and refrigerate until needed.
Peach Melba Ingredients
Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts, as there are a few fiddly ingredients here.
• White sugar
• Water
• Vanilla extract
• Peaches
• Raspberry sauce
• Vanilla ice cream
How To Make Peach Melba
• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat
• Stir and heat until the sugar has melted into the water and the mixture is boiling
• Boil for 5 minutes with the lid on, and then turn off the heat and add in the extracts
• Cut the peaches in half, removing the pits, and add them to the syrup
• Poach the peaches for 4 minutes or until they can be pierced with a fork
• Remove using a slotted spoon and peel them once cooled
• Refrigerate the peaches and syrup overnight, and then serve over ice cream and drizzled with raspberry sauce
The Raspberry Sauce
While the actual first version of this classic dessert ever served came on top of a swan ice sculpture and spun sugar, the classic version of Peach Melba comes topped with a raspberry puree or sauce, which adds some much-needed acidity and a little touch of fruit as well.
My favorite raspberry sauce is a little more complex, with orange juice, vanilla and butter.
You can always do a simple puree route rather than a full sauce if you don’t have orange juice. Simply crush together some raspberries and a little bit of sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook, frequently stirring, over a low heat, until the raspberries have totally broken down. Once cooked, pour the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing it down with a spoon to get every last little bit, and cool before serving.
What Kind of Vanilla Ice Cream Should You Serve This With?
Every recipe that calls for the use of vanilla ice cream inevitably begs the question of what kind of vanilla ice cream should you choose?
Do you go high quality, massive fat content, and rich vanilla beans? Or do you go for the cheap-o stuff, the kind made with “vanilla flavoring” and seems almost impossibly easy to scoop out straight from the freezer?
Peach Melba can be whatever you want it to be, and any type of vanilla ice cream would be perfect for this – however, as this is a bit of a fancy dish, some good quality ice cream certainly wouldn’t go amiss here.
Looking for more delicious Dessert recipes? Try these out:
• Cinnamon Spice Upside Down Apple Cake
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Enjoy! I hope that I have introduced you to a new dessert for peach season!
Love,
Karlynn
Pin this recipe to your DESSERTS BOARD and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Peach Melba
- Prep Time
- 1 hour
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 546
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large peaches firm yet ripe
- one batch raspberry sauce
- 4 servings vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir while the mixture is warming up to dissolve the sugar into the water, and keep stirring until you bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the extract.
- Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits.
- Bring the syrup to a rolling boil and add the peach halves. Poach the peaches for 4-5 minutes or until soft enough to be pierced with a fork or knife tip.
- Remove from the syrup using a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool as well.
- Cool until you can safely handle the peaches, then peel.
- Place the cooled syrup and peaches together in a container and store in the refrigerator overnight if possible. If not, store in the syrup for as long as you can.
- Prepare the raspberry sauce.
- To serve, for each serving place a large scoop of ice cream in a sherbet glass. Place two peach halves on top, then drizzle with raspberry sauce.
Recipe Notes
- You can leave the peaches in the fridge in the syrup for 2-3 days and make the raspberry sauce 2-3 days ahead of time. This is a great make ahead dessert!
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Marguerite says
There was zero information on cornstarch slurry. I had to omit it because my event was last night and I didn’t have time to do a deep dive.
I also had to use frozen peaches and fresh and frozen raspberries because it’s not the season for peaches in Seattle.
it was delicious nonetheless.
KAREN MCMICHAEL says
Do you have the recipe for the Raspberry Sauce?
KAREN E MCMICHAEL says
Nevermind – found the Raspberry Sauce instructions in the comments – I was looking for a link. Thanks.