Grilled Peaches & Sweet Cream… with crunchy bits. Oh yes, the sweet cream is amazing, but these Crunchy Bits completely steal the show. I always am flooded with ideas and inspiration from peaches during the summer months, we have our favorite peach providers (a.k.a. the Peach Truck) here in Nashville during the summer and I utilize every day I can get my hands on those peaches! Today I’m sharing a recipe that can be enjoyed for both a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
As much as I’m a fan of the Crunchy Bits in this recipe, the Sweet Cream is incredibly delicious as well and dense with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and is completely dairy-free and refined sugar free. I use both macadamia nuts and cashews with coconut milk, dates, vanilla, and a touch of sea salt to create a delicious cream. Both the Sweet Cream and Crunchy Bits are rich, therefore pairing it with an untouched fresh peach, warmed through on the grill, is the perfect balance between sweet, creamy, light, and rich.
This past weekend, we had some family in town so naturally we found ourselves firing up the grill, enjoying the sun, and relaxing until we felt almost lazy… that’s my kind of weekend. My man took care of all the main courses on the grill and I took care of dessert- grilling the peaches! I love peaches in the summer and year-round, they’re delicious and contain great nutrition in comparison to other summer desserts out there… and not to mention this dish is beautiful! If you’re in Nashville, you must try The Peach Truck peaches, they make this dish.
If you’ve never grilled fruit, it’s a must try. As soon as the fresh fruit hits the hot grill, you can immediately hear the juice sizzle and sweet fragrance of the peaches fill the air- it gets everyone’s attention. I’m not bringing anything universally innovative to the table when I talk about grilling fruits, it’s something we’ve done for centuries, it’s a classic and I’m not touching it! What I will touch on however, is a new way to serve grilled fruit, peaches in this case, with a non-dairy cream made entirely from whole food ingredients that copycat any heavily creamed cheese spread… and then topped with a crunchy topping.
We must talk about these Crunchy Bits. Crunchy Bits are my take on a healthier version of what you would typically see offered at an ice cream shop as a topping- only made with nuts, seeds, and a few others. Using ground nuts and seeds mixed with coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon is a healthy way to recreate the same texture and taste of a crunchy ice cream topping that most of us are familiar with- sans refined sugar, wheat, dairy, or hydrogenated oils. These Crunchy Bites have more fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats in comparison to store bought crunchy ice cream toppings. Use them on smoothie bowls, ice cream, yogurts, porridges, oatmeal, or other desserts too.
Even though this recipe is made entirely of whole foods, it still is pretty calorically dense especially speaking of the Sweet Cream which is made of cashews and coconut milk. Don’t fear the fat that’s in the sweet cream, just be mindful and cognizant of it because it’s easy to sit and eat the entire bowl… trust me, I have to do a lot of recipe testing and it’s easy to overeat when something tastes this good.
Click to tweet! Peaches are great sources of both vitamin C and A and are in season this summer.
- 4 ripe peaches, halved
- SWEET CREAM //
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/2 can (7oz) full fat coconut milk
- 3 dates, pitted
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a hot grill, place the peaches cut side down (optional to add a bit of coconut oil to the surface to prevent sticking). Cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
- In the meantime, make the sweet cream by adding all of the ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth. Adjust sea salt and vanilla to taste. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
- Once the peaches are cooked, place 1-2 tablespoons of the Sweet Cream on top of the peaches (grill mark side up).
- Follow by garnishing and sprinkling the tops with the Crunchy Bits.
- Enjoy warm.
If you’re bringing it to a friends BBQ, party this summer, picnic, or simply enjoying at home for a date night in be sure that the sweet cream is chilled- it makes all the difference when you place it on a hot grilled peach. The combination of hot and chilled is something you don’t want to miss out on. The sweet cream will stay in the fridge for about 3 days or so, ideally try to use it the day of, but I’m sure you’ll have leftovers if you’re feeding 1-2 people since this makes enough to feed a crowd. The crunchy bits will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container or mason jar, like my favorites here.
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, melted/warmed through
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, adjust to taste
- Using all the nuts/seeds, pulse in a food processor until coarsely broken into small bits- you don’t want a flour, similar to a “meal” texture. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix coconut oil, maple syrup and seasonings.
- Pour the melted wet mixture into the ground nuts/seeds and stir until combined.
- Using a lined baking sheet or well greased with coconut oil, evenly spread the nut/seed mixture with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes, continually checking and stirring to ensure even cooking.
- Be careful not to burn. After nuts/seeds have been toasted and browned, set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes.
- Once the mixture has cooled, take a wooden spoon or spatula and break apart the mixture into smaller pieces, resembling wheat germ/granola.
- Store in an airtight mason jar for later use, at room temperature.
- Serve with Grilled Peaches and Sweet Cream or with other recipes on Nutrition Stripped!
Special thanks to the lovely Morgan at Handmade Studio TN for these dinner plates, and NotPerfectLinen for these gorgeous linens, and of course The Peach Truck for the peaches! Be sure to check out my resources page and products I love for more on these. I hope you all enjoy this sweet dessert and combination of textures as much as I do- share your remake #NSgrilledpeaches or #crunchybits.
xx McKel
p.s. thanks for all the kind words and feedback about the mini-site makeover with all new photos– so amazing!
