Peaches are deliciously sweet and juicy stone fruits that pair well with a variety of other fruits in salads, smoothies, desserts and more. Mixing peaches with complementary fruits can create flavorful combinations that make the most of the peach’s sweetness. This article will explore the wide range of fruits that go well with peaches and provide recipes and suggestions for mixing and matching peaches with everything from berries and melons to tropical fruits.
Quick Overview of Fruits that Mix Well with Peach
Here is a quick overview of some of the best fruits to mix with peach:
- Berries – Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all complement the flavor of peaches.
- Cherries – Both sweet and tart cherries pair nicely with peaches.
- Plums – The subtle tartness of plums balances the sweet peach flavor.
- Nectarines – Close cousin to the peach, nectarines make a great pairing.
- Apricots – Similar in flavor, apricots and peaches are a natural combination.
- Mangos – The tropical mango flavor adds a fun twist to peaches.
- Pineapple – Sweet, juicy pineapple complements peaches nicely.
- Kiwis – Kiwi adds vitamin C and a tart flavor contrast.
- Oranges – The citrus from oranges or tangerines cuts the peach sweetness.
- Melons – Honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon all mix well with peaches.
Now let’s explore more details and recipes for mixing each of these fruits with peaches.
Berries
All types of berries pair wonderfully with peaches to create summery fruit salads and desserts. Sweet, juicy berries provide the perfect flavor counterpoint to peaches. Try mixing peaches with:
Strawberries
The sweetness of ripe strawberries complements peaches perfectly. Blend peaches and strawberries together in smoothies or add both sliced fruits to yogurt parfaits for a light breakfast or dessert. Grilled peaches topped with strawberries make an impressive dessert as well.
Blueberries
The bold flavor of blueberries balances the gentle sweetness of peach. Use blueberries and sliced peaches together in fruit crisps and cobblers or cold soups, or simply enjoy them together in a fresh fruit salad.
Raspberries
The subtle tartness of raspberries pairs beautifully with the lush sweet peach flavor. Puree peaches and raspberries together to make sauces for desserts like cakes and ice cream. You can also mix sliced peaches and whole raspberries into salads or baked goods like muffins and scones.
Blackberries
The deep, slightly tangy flavor of blackberries makes an exciting contrast against the peach’s sweet juices. Make a delicious roasted peach and blackberry galette for a late summer dessert. You can also blend peaches and blackberries into refreshing smoothies.
Cherries
Both sweet and tart cherries combine perfectly with peaches. Enjoy them together raw in fruit salads or cooked into crisps, pies and other baked goods.
Sweet Cherries
The succulent sweetness of cherries enhances the flavors of peach in fruit desserts and salads. Make a chilled peach and cherry soup for a refreshing appetizer on a hot day. Grilling sweet cherries and peaches together also caramelizes their sugars for amazing flavor.
Tart Cherries
The bright acidity of tart cherries like Montmorency cherries provides the perfect contrast to creamy, sweet peaches. Swirl tart cherry sauce over grilled peach halves for a simple but elegant dessert. Tart cherries also give peach pancakes, muffins and breads a more complex flavor.
Plums
With their smooth skins and faint tartness, plums marry well with peaches. The subtle medicinal flavor of plums balances and elevates the sweet flavors of peach.
Make a peach and plum galette, folding sliced peaches and plums together into a freeform tart crust. The juiciness of the plums prevents the peach slices from drying out during baking. Grilled peach and plum kabobs are also delicious, enhanced by the caramelized fruit sugars. You can also puree peaches and plums together to use as a topping for waffles, pancakes or ice cream.
Nectarines
Since nectarines are so closely related to peaches, they naturally make an ideal pairing. The main difference is that nectarines have smooth, edible skins rather than the fuzzy peel found on peaches. Nectarines are slightly more aromatic and sweet than typical peaches.
When mixed together, peaches and nectarines strike the perfect balance of sweet flavors and textures. Make a chilled nectarine and peach soup, or blend together in fruit smoothies. Grilled peach and nectarine skewers are delicious too. Preserve the harvest at the peak of summer ripeness by canning spiced peach and nectarine jam.
Apricots
Apricots have a similar velvety texture and sweet-tart flavor as peaches, so combining the two makes for a stellar pairing. Fresh apricots and peaches can be used interchangeably in most recipes.
Make a decadent apricot and peach crisp by topping sliced fruit with a crispy oat topping and baking until golden brown. The natural sugars in the apricots and peaches caramelize while baking for incredible depth of flavor. Grilled apricot and peach kabobs are amazing too, especially when drizzled with a touch of honey or homemade peach-apricot barbeque sauce.
Mangos
The tropical flavors of mangos pair surprisingly well with juicy, ripe peaches. The peach sweetness perfectly balances out the slight tartness of mangos.
Blend mangos and peaches together for smoothies with a fun tropical twist. You can also make a colorful fruit salsa using diced mangos, peaches, pineapple, red onion and cilantro. For a showstopping dessert, make peach and mango sorbet or baked Alaska. The options for mixing these two fruits are endless!
Pineapple
Pineapple and peach combine to create a beautifully balanced, sweet flavor combo. Mix up these two juicy fruits for recipes that burst with tropical essence but still retain that classic peach flavor.
The bright tartness of pineapple offsets the peach’s sugars perfectly. Grill peaches and pineapple slices or skewer them together for a delicious roasted fruit dessert. Blend them into smoothies, or make a gorgeous peach and pineapple fruit salad, topped with a spritz of lime juice and mint. A peach and pineapple upside down cake also makes for an unforgettable summer dessert.
Kiwis
Kiwis lend a fun color contrast and texture contrast to peaches. The fuzzy exterior and bright green interior of kiwis pop against the orange hue and smooth flesh of peaches.
In terms of flavor, the tartness of kiwis balances out the ripe sweetness of peaches. Blend them together for smoothies, or mix sliced kiwi and peach for fruit salads. You can also make a layered peach and kiwi crostata. The options are endless for these two bright fruits!
Oranges
Sweet, juicy oranges provide just the right amount of tart citrus flavor to brighten up ripe peaches. Use oranges and peaches together to make fruit salads, salsas, beverages and baked goods.
Make a gorgeous layered peach and orange salad, alternating the sliced fruits and dressing them with just a bit of honey and lime juice. Mix diced oranges and peaches for a unique salsa to top fish or chicken. Bake peaches and oranges into a crumble, letting the citrus permeate the entire dessert. Fresh orange juice also pairs perfectly with peaches in smoothies, juice blends and cocktails.
Melons
The juicy sweetness of melons like cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon complement peaches wonderfully. Mix and match peaches with any melon variety for fruit salads, smoothies, sorbets and more.
Try a peach and honeydew salad with a drizzle of lime and mint. Puree peaches and cantaloupe together for a gorgeous salmon colored smoothie. Make peach and watermelon agua fresca, or blend peaches with watermelon for a cold soup. Grilled peach and melon skewers are delicious too, especially when drizzled with a ginger-honey glaze.
Fruit Mixing Tips
When combining peaches with other fruits, keep these tips in mind:
- Use ripe, in-season fruits. Peaches pair best with other fruits at their peak ripeness too.
- Mix flavors and textures. Combine peaches with fruits of contrasting flavors like tart berries or citrus and fruits with different textures such as tropical mangos or juicy melons.
- Enhance the peach flavor. Avoid overpowering the delicate peach flavor by combining with mild flavors like nectarines and plums rather than strongly flavored fruits.
- Balance sweetness. Cut the peach sweetness with tart fruits like pineapples, kiwis and oranges.
- Try raw and cooked. Enjoy peach combinations raw in fruit salads or cook them into crisps, compotes and baked goods to concentrate the flavors.
- Season to taste. Add flavors like honey, lime, ginger and fresh herbs to complement the fruit flavors.
Fruit Salad Recipes with Peaches
Fruit salads are a perfect way to mix and match peaches with assorted complementary fruits. The peaches provide a naturally sweet base while the other fruits add pops of color, flavor and texture.
Here are some delicious fruit salad recipes highlighting peaches:
Summer Berry Peach Salad
- 2 peaches, diced
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped mint
Gently mix together all fruit and drizzle with a dressing of honey, lemon juice and mint. Let sit 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Tropical Peach Salad
- 2 peaches, diced
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Gently mix all fruits and coconut together. Drizzle with a honey and lime dressing right before serving.
Peach Melon Salad
- 2 peaches, diced
- 1 cup cantaloupe chunks
- 1 cup honeydew chunks
- 1 cup watermelon chunks
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Mix together all melon and peaches. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, basil and salt just before serving.
Peach Smoothie Recipes
Blending peaches with complementary fruits makes for nutrient-packed smoothies bursting with flavor. Here are some tasty peach smoothie combinations:
Peachy Berry Smoothie
- 1 peach, pitted
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 banana
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup ice
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Peach Pineapple Smoothie
- 1 peach, pitted
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 banana
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup ice
Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
Green Peach Smoothie
- 1 peach, pitted
- 1 kiwi, peeled
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 banana
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup ice cubes
Blend all ingredients together until rich and creamy.
Peach Dessert Recipes
Peaches pair deliciously with all kinds of fruits in desserts like crisps, pies, crumbles and puddings. Try these tasty peach dessert recipes:
Mixed Berry Peach Crumble
Fruit Filling:
- 4 peaches, pitted and sliced
- 2 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice
- 1/4 cup butter, chilled and diced
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix fruit filling ingredients and pour into a greased 8×8 baking dish. Mix crumble topping ingredients until crumbly texture forms. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake 40 minutes until topping is browned and fruit is bubbling.
Grilled Peach and Pineapple Sundaes
Sundaes:
- 2 peaches, halved and pitted
- 1 pineapple, cored and sliced into rings
- Honey for drizzling
- Vanilla ice cream
- Chopped nuts for topping
Grill peaches and pineapple slices over medium heat 2-3 minutes per side until caramelized. Scoop ice cream into bowls and top with grilled fruit. Drizzle with honey and nuts.
Mango Peach Sorbet
- 2 peaches, pitted
- 2 mangos, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup water
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a freezer-safe dish and freeze 2-3 hours until solid. Scoop and serve like ice cream.
Conclusion
Peaches pair wonderfully with a wide variety of fruits that complement their sweet, juicy flavors. Berries, melons, citrus fruits and tropical fruits all mix well with peaches in salads, desserts, smoothies and more. So explore all the options and get creative with combinations like peach and pineapple or peach and berries. Any fruit that strikes your fancy can potentially become a new favorite pairing with peaches! Just keep the peach as the star and enhance it with fruits that balance both the sweetness and the textures. With peach season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to enjoy this lush fruit paired with its many delicious complements.
