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Peach melba is a simple yet sophisticated dessert featuring fresh peaches poached in a vanilla-infused syrup, topped with tangy raspberry sauce, and a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect treat for peach season plus ready in just 30 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
With fresh and juicy peaches now in season, it’s the perfect time to indulge in this easy vegan peach pie, peach blueberry muffins, and easy peach banana bread. Or, if you’re up for something new, give this vegan peach melba recipe a try! It’s a no-bake, low-effort dessert that makes the most of this late-summer fruit.
Peach melba is a classic dessert that tops poached peaches with raspberry sauce (AKA melba sauce) and vanilla ice cream. It was created by chef Auguste Escoffier in the late 19th century in honor of the famous Australian opera singer, Nellie Melba. The combination of ingredients was meant to reflect the sophistication and grace of the singer and has since become a timeless dessert that celebrates the natural sweetness of fresh peaches.
In my version, I poached the peaches in a fragrant vanilla-infused simple syrup, while the homemade raspberry melba sauce adds a satisfying tangy contrast to balance the sweetness. Top it off with a scoop of vegan vanilla banana ice cream to make your dessert extra special!
Looking for more fruity vegan desserts? Try my mango cake, easy nectarine crisp, easy baked pears, and this easy strawberry crumble recipe.
The Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, quantities, and substitutes.
Juicy, in-season peaches will be the most flavorful, which is key for desserts like this. When shopping, look for peaches that feel somewhat soft to the touch and don’t have any blemishes or bruises on the outside.
More Toppings for Peach Melba
- Chopped nuts: Sprinkle chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans over the peaches for a nutty crunch.
- Mint leaves: Garnish with fresh mint leaves for a refreshing finishing touch.
- Granola: Top with a handful of granola (like this easy peanut butter granola) for a wholesome sweetness and crunch.
- Chocolate shavings: For extra decadence, sprinkle vegan dark chocolate or vegan white chocolate shavings over top.
- Cinnamon: Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon for a warm and cozy touch.
How to Make Peach Melba
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring the water, both sugars, vanilla extract, and lemon juice to a light boil, whisking until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Step 2: Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits if possible. If the pits don’t come out, leave them in.
Step 3: Place the peaches cut side down in the boiling simple syrup.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Step 5: Gently remove the peaches from the syrup and place them cut-side down on a plate. Peel and discard the skins. Allow the peaches to cool, and set the simple syrup aside.
Step 6: For the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, ½ cup of simple syrup, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium heat.
Step 7: Heat the raspberry mixture to a boil, mash with a spoon, and cook until thickened.
Step 8: Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl.
Step 9: To serve, place 1 or 2 peaches on a plate, top with vegan ice cream, and drizzle with raspberry sauce. Enjoy!
FAQs
Canned peaches do work when fresh peaches are out of season. Remember to drain the peaches before poaching and keep in mind that they’ll be softer and sweeter, so adjust the cooking times and sweetness to taste.
While peaches are traditional, you can experiment with different fruits, such as nectarines, apricots, or even plums. Adjust the poaching time based on the firmness of the fruit.
Yes, the poached peaches and raspberry sauce can both be prepared up to 3 days ahead of serving. Keep the peaches and sauce in separate containers in the fridge, then gently reheat just before serving.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Perfect poaching: Your peaches must be fully submerged in the simmering simple syrup for them to cook evenly. Turn them gently to avoid breaking the fruit.
- Don’t discard the simple syrup: Instead, allow the liquid used for poaching the peaches to cool completely and store it in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can use it to sweeten iced tea, drizzle it over these strawberry pancakes or vegan waffles, and more!
- Repurpose leftover peaches: Place any leftover poached peaches in a jar with the leftover simple syrup and use them as a base for other desserts, such as fruit competes(like this easy mango compote), a topping for plant-based yogurt, in oatmeal (like this strawberry oatmeal) or vegan ice cream (like this banana ice cream), blended into smoothies, or as a filling for pastries.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover poached peaches and raspberry sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Assemble the components with a fresh scoop of vegan ice cream just before serving.
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Peach Melba
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Ingredients
Peaches:
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 4 peaches
Raspberry sauce:
- 1 pint of fresh raspberries
- ½ cup of the simple syrup the peaches cooked in
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
To serve:
- 1 pint of vegan vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Place the water, both sugars, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a light boil and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Gently cut the peaches in half and try to remove the pits, if they don't come out, leave the pits on.
- Place the peaches cut side down in the boiling simple syrup. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 3 minutes.
- Using a spoon, one by one, gently remove them from the hot simple syrup and place them on a plate cut side down.
- Peel off the skins of the poached peaches. The skin will come right off —discard it. Allow them to cool and set the simple syrup aside.
- While the peaches cool down, make the raspberry sauce.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the raspberries, ½ cup of the simple syrup, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and mash them with a sturdy spoon. Continue cooking until it begins to thicken.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the raspberry sauce into a small bowl. Press and stir the raspberry sauce to push as much of the smooth sauce as possible. Once no more sauce is coming out of the bottom of the strainer, discard the seeds and set the sauce aside.
- To serve, place 1 or 2 peaches on a plate, top with vegan ice cream, and drizzle the raspberry sauce.
Notes
- Perfect poaching: Your peaches must be fully submerged in the simmering simple syrup for them to cook evenly. Turn them gently to avoid breaking the fruit.
- Don’t discard the simple syrup: Instead, allow the liquid used for poaching the peaches to cool completely and store it in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can use it to sweeten iced tea, drizzle it over these strawberry pancakes or vegan waffles, and more!
- Repurpose leftover peaches: Place any leftover poached peaches in a jar with the leftover simple syrup and use them as a base for other desserts, such as fruit competes(like this easy mango compote), a topping for plant-based yogurt, in oatmeal (like this strawberry oatmeal) or vegan ice cream (like this banana ice cream), blended into smoothies, or as a filling for pastries.
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Love this peach dessert!