If you’re not grilling fruit, you’re missing out on something special, particularly with stone fruit like peaches. The smoky sweetness of a grilled peach is delightfully refreshing, even more so when it’s served with cool vanilla bean ice cream. Grilled Peaches and Cream is a dessert that is almost too easy to be this good! It’s light and sweet, and a fitting end to a rather indulgent southern comfort food-themed dinner.

Peaches are ideal for grilling. The peach’s combination of firmness and sweetness stands up so well on a grill. The peach will become warm from the heat and have a little caramelized smokiness as it chars on the hot grill.

I like it when food looks pretty. That’s the goal with these grill marks; the cross-hatch gives the peach a decorative flare. Grilling peaches brings out their sweetness, too, and I like to enhance that sweetness with a drizzle of honey over the peaches.

Now to garnish: my favorite way to serve grilled peaches is with slivers of mint leaves for freshness and crushed amaretti cookies for texture and nuttiness. I also really enjoy a sprinkle of Maldon salt. We all know that sweet and salty are a match made in flavor heaven, so I can’t skip that combo here. And the jewel in the crown of this dessert is a scoop of cool vanilla bean ice cream. What better way to enjoy a classic peaches and cream?

Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream is a dessert that takes very little time to make but packs a big punch, both in flavor and presentation. It’s a refreshing end to a southern comfort-themed meal that includes Brined and Fried Chicken, Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, Hot Pepper Corn-Bread and Honey-Butter, and Southern-Style Mac and Cheese.