Roasted peaches with vegan ice cream and granola is a simple and satisfying summer dessert. The peaches are caramelized and silky and the homemade granola adds a pleasant crunch.
Intro to Roasted Peaches with Vegan Ice Cream and Granola
In honor of peach season, I’ve been doing a bit of experimentation with peaches to develop the flavor and texture. After successfully cooking peaches in the air fryer I wanted to create and share a simple dessert recipe using roasted peaches.
Why Should I Make This?
To me, it’s an easier version of a crumble, crisp, or cobbler. I love a good baked fruit dessert but I also appreciate a simple recipe.
With this recipe, you get peaches with a really nice silky, semi-dehydrated texture and concentrated flavor. It contrasts nicely with the cool creaminess of vanilla vegan ice cream.
And the homemade granola consists of just chopped pecans, rolled oats, maple syrup, and miso. It’s the perfect crunchy, nutty, sweet-savory topping and you can make it on the stove while the peaches roast.
How do I make the Roasted Peaches with Vegan Ice Cream and Granola?
Here is the general workflow:
- Roast the peaches in the oven or air fryer. This takes 30-40 minutes in the oven or about 25 minutes in the air fryer.
- While the peaches cook, make the granola in a skillet on the stove. First, toast the oats a bit. Then add the chopped pecans, toasting them both together. Then add the maple syrup and salt. Stir them together to blend. Then stir them occasionally as the syrup is boiled into maple sugar. It will eventually caramelize and become crunchy.
- Serve the peaches with ice cream and top it with granola.
A few things to keep in mind when you’re making this
- A thin layer of oil between the bottom of the peach and the foil (or pan) will prevent the peach skin from sticking. This will prevent the concentrated peach juice from leaking out.
- A nonstick skillet will help you keep the maple sugar on the oats and pecans, rather than stuck to the pan.
- You can serve the peaches at any temperature. Hot peaches are nice against cold ice cream but the heat will cause the ice cream to melt. It’s totally up to you if you want to let the peaches cool first.
Vegan Ice Cream Recommendations
Since I don’t have a vegan ice cream recipe on the blog (yet), I wanted to share a few of my favorite brands. It seems like the non-dairy ice cream space has exploded in recent years and there are so many options. (These brands should be available throughout the US, at least.)
- NadaMoo! – it went from a local startup in Austin (where I used to live) and is now sold nationwide. I like their birthday cake flavor a lot but their vanilla is solid too.
- So Delicious – they use a variety of different plant milks – coconut, almond, cashew, and oat and they are all tasty.
- Ben & Jerry’s – they have a growing offering of non-dairy ice creams and the mouthfeel, both of the ice cream and the solid goodies mixed in, is unmatched. Available internationally.
More Plant-Based Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Coconut PB&J Bars – refreshingly cool 4-layer bar with fun texture and flavor contrast
- Dark Chocolate Miso Peanut Butter Cups – a homemade version of the classic candy with a boost of umami
As always, if you try this recipe out, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @gastroplant on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Roasted Peaches with Vegan Ice Cream and Granola
Ingredients
- 4 ripe peaches or within 1-3 days of being ripe; can substitute nectarines
- 4 servings vegan ice cream vanilla or flavor of your choice
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon miso optional
- Oil spray
- Salt to taste if not using miso
Instructions
Prepare and roast the peaches:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place a rack in the middle position of the oven. (If you’d like to use an air fryer, skip this step and see the note below.)
- Use a sharp knife to cut into the first peach in a vertical circle (assuming the peach has its stem end pointing straight up), cutting down all the way to the pit. Grasp the peach in both palms, applying pressure gently and evenly as you carefully twist the two halves apart like you’re opening a jar. Use a knife to scoop or surgically slice the pit out of the half where it remains.
- Prepare a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray a thin layer of oil onto the lining and place the peaches on it, cut-side-up. When the oven is preheated, place the sheet of peaches on the middle rack. It will take 30-40 minutes to cook the peaches. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees within the oven after the first 15-20 minutes.
While the peaches bake, prepare the granola:
- Combine the maple syrup and miso in a small bowl. Stir well with a fork to integrate them as best you can. (Skip this step if not using miso.)
- Heat the oats and pecans in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast them for the next 10 minutes, until the oats have been lightly browned. Stir the oats and nuts frequently to prevent them from burning and do your best to keep them in a single layer in the pan to ensure even toasting.
- Add the maple-miso mixture to the skillet, using a silicone scraper to get all of the syrup. Stir well. Add a generous sprinkling of salt at this point if you are not using miso. Continue to toast, stirring frequently until the granola becomes crunchy, 7-10 minutes, at which point you should transfer the granola to a bowl and set it aside. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the granola starts to smoke or scorch at any point.
- Remove the peaches from the oven once they’ve become tender and withered on the surface.
Assemble and serve
- You can either serve the peaches hot or let them cool (see note). Scoop a serving of ice cream for every two peach halves and sprinkle a quarter of the granola over each. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can substitute other chopped nuts for the pecans if you like.
If you serve the peaches hot, they will cause the ice cream to melt more quickly than if the peaches are cold. The temperature of the peaches is a matter of personal preference.
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