The Retro Summer Dessert I Wait All Year To Make

It's super easy and just as delicious.

By
Robin Asbell
Robin Asbell
Robin Asbell
Chef Robin Asbell is an author of 11 cookbooks and a writer with hundreds of articles, all focusing on plant-forward, global foods. 
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published June 27, 2025
Robin Asbell
Bowl with sliced peaches, scoops of ice cream, raspberries, and red sauce

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

When I was in high school, we moved to Jacksonville, Illinois. That summer, I was riding in the car with my boyfriend when he said, “Look, they have peaches at the gas station, we have to stop.” I was suspicious of the whole idea of gas station fruit. 

Moments later, we were sitting on a picnic table, devouring the best peaches I’d ever had as the juices dripped onto our bare legs. We’ve all heard of Georgia peaches, but these were Calhoun County peaches, and they don’t ever make it beyond the farmstand—the locals make sure of that.

When you have great peaches, you don’t need to do much to them. That’s the beauty of the dish Peach Melba. With the fancy pedigree of being created by famed French Chef Auguste Escoffier, you’d think the recipe would be elaborate, but really, it doesn’t have to be. You can make my easy version of Peach Melba with frozen fruit and vanilla extract to save time and money while still enjoying the classic flavor combination.

A dish of sliced peaches with scoops of ice cream, raspberries, and red sauce

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

What Is Peach Melba?

Created for opera singer Nellie Melba in the 1890s, Escoffier’s original recipe for Peach Melba was simply fresh peaches poached in syrup made with a vanilla bean and served over vanilla ice cream. Later, the chef added a drizzle of raspberry sauce. 

Poaching halved peaches in a vanilla-infused syrup adds the fragrance of vanilla to the fruit. For the sauce, the raspberries are traditionally simmered with sugar and lemon and pressed through a sieve to make it smooth and seedless.

What Fruit To Use in This Recipe

With such simple ingredients, the peaches are the star of the show in this dish. This is a recipe to show off peak-season, ripe fruit, not rock-hard winter imports. That said, poaching in syrup is one way to improve a slightly under-ripe peach.

When the brief moment of perfectly ripe local peaches has ended, I use frozen sliced peaches in this recipe instead of imported peaches. I also use frozen raspberries for ease and cost, and skip both the cooking and the straining to make the recipe quicker and easier. I don’t mind a little crunch from the seeds, but if you do, press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer.

A bowl with peach slices, raspberries, ice cream, and raspberry sauce, with a spoon resting in it

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

More Summery Fruit Desserts

Easy Peach Melba

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups (350 g) sugar, divided

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 3 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 4 large, ripe peaches, halved and pitted, or 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen sliced peaches, thawed

  • 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Method

  1. Poach the peaches:

    In a wide, deep skillet, combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, the water, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, and the vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. 

    If using fresh peaches, place the peach halves carefully in the boiling syrup. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes per side, testing by piercing with a paring knife. When tender, use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to a bowl and let sit until room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. Slip the skins from the cooled fruit.

    If using frozen sliced peaches, add the thawed peach slices to the boiling syrup and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let the fruit cool in the syrup until room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.

  2. Make the sauce:

    In a blender jar, combine the raspberries, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Purée until smooth, about 2 minutes. If desired, press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

  3. Serve:

    To serve, place two peach halves or 1/2 cup slices in each of four serving bowls. Add a scoop of ice cream to each bowl and drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of raspberry sauce. Serve immediately.

    Store any leftover peaches with their sauce and raspberries separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
435 Calories
1g Fat
110g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 435
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 110g 40%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 104g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 26mg 130%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 413mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.