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Grilled Peach Crostini with Mascarpone and Honey is the perfect summer appetizer. Grilling peaches is a must during peach season. Grilled peach wedges and baguette slices are grilled up, the bread is topped with some creamy mascarpone, layered with a grilled peach wedge, and topped with honey and a drizzle of aged balsamic and fresh mint.
We grill alllll the fruit in the summer months, especially as they start to reach their peak freshness. Nearly all tree fruits do well grilled hot and fast, and we love to use fresh Pacific Northwest berries to smoke low and slow and incorporate into savory sauces or cocktails.
Table of Contents
Ingredients + Substitutions
Full portions are in the recipe card.
- Peaches – Pitted and sliced into wedges, ideally use slightly underripe peaches.
- Olive Oil – Will use for both the crostini and peaches
- Baguette – Sliced for crostini
- Mascarpone
- Honey – You can also use hot honey or smoked honey for more flavor.
- Aged Balsamic – For drizzling
- Fresh Mint – Chopped
Preparation – Remove Pits
The easiest way to prep peaches for this recipe, is to slice the fruit into wedges and work out the wedges in preparation for grilling. Hold the peach with one hand (or on a cutting board) and find the natural seam that runs from one end to the other, and run along that with your knife, and gently remove one wedge at a time.
Alternatively, using both hands, slice the peach in half using that natural seam and twist the peaches until you have 2 halves. This is easier with firm peaches. Soften peaches will have to be cut into individual wedges to remove because they will otherwise crush as you try to separate the halves.
Using a spoon or pairing knife to gently loosen the pit and remove, after it has been halved, is helpful.
Season
Once you’ve sliced your peaches into wedges, place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil on all sides. If you want to add any seasoning you can add kosher salt. Or browse from one of our rubs and seasonings.
How To Grill Peaches
Prepare grill for direct grilling. The grill needs to be blazing hot, like 500 – 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise the peaches will not sear, they will get mushy. Grill grates should be clean.
Using long tongs flip the peaches every 3 minutes until they have a nice sear on each side. Move the peaches around if any hot spots.
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Make Crostini
Once the peaches are grilled, toast up baguette slices on the same grill. Just coat them with olive oil on one side, place them for 1-2 minutes per side over direct heat to get a nice toasted char, then remove and assemble your crostini.
To assemble, place about a teaspoon of mascarpone cheese on each slice of baguette, layer with a slice of grilled peaches, and drizzle with honey (fresh, hot, or smoked honey), some aged balsamic vinegar, and chopped fresh mint. So perfect!
Variations
There are many ways to use grilled peaches. Here are some examples.
- Over ice cream like our grilled peaches and ice cream
- Drizzled with honey
- A topping for grilled flatbread
- With grilled pork or chicken
- Accompanying a salad
Wine Pairing for Grilled Peach Crostini
This dish isn’t as sweet as it looks. It has the savory toasted baguette and creamy mascarpone to balance out some of the sweetness. I also recommend serving as an appetizer. Bubbly Moscato d’Asti works great with this, as does a fruity Prosecco.
The bubbles are a great match for the creamy cheese, and you’ll find some bright peach characteristics to the wines. Alternatively, Riesling and Pinot Gris (Grigio) work well too.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s much easier to slice and remove pits, when peaches are slightly under ripe. While the taste of under ripe peaches won’t be as sweet as a fully ripe peach, it will grill easier. And when you grill peaches it brings out and intensifies the natural sweetness, so the flavor will be maximized when you finally bite into the grilled fruit and the result will be sweet, caramelized, and oh-so-delicious.
Want more grilled fruit recipes?
- Grilled Pineapples
- Grilled Pineapple Coleslaw
- Blueberry Bourbon Smoked Ribs
- Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Blackberry Bourbon Sauce
- Grilled Berry Crostata
- Grilled Strawberry Sundaes
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About Vindulge
Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.
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Grilled Peach Crostini Recipe with Mascarpone and Honey
Ingredients
- 4 peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges, (slightly underripe peaches work best)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 baguette, sliced into 24 slices
- 8 oz mascarpone
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- honey, for drizzling , (smoked honey or fresh)
- aged balsamic, for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for direct heat cooking. If using a gas grill, set to medium heat.
- To grill the peaches: Halve and pit the peaches, and then slice into wedges. Alternatively, slice into wedges while removing the pit. Brush each peach wedge with olive oil
- Place the wedges on the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until desired char marks. Flip and grill the other side for 3 additional minutes. Remove.
- Grill baguette slices: Brush top of slices with olive oil. Place baguette slices on the grill over direct heat and cook 1-2 minutes per side, or until toasted and grill marks appear. Remove.
- Assemble the crostini: Layer the grilled baguette slices with approximately 1 teaspoon of mascarpone, a grilled peach slice, a drizzle of honey, a small drizzle (less than 1/4 teaspoon) of aged balsamic, then top with a pinch of fresh mint.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use ricotta instead of mascarpone?
Yes, you can absolutely sub for ricotta.
This was a complete hit at my 4th of July party. If you make this for a party, be sure to make plenty for yourself, too 🙂
Yeah Christie!!!!! We should definitely add a pro tip then for making a double batch 🙂 !!
As a PNW transplant from the South East, I can appreciate a good peach recipe. However, I’ve never tried grilling them before. Grilled peaches over ice cream do sound tempting but I’m intrigued with the cheese and balsamic here.
Yumm I love the flavor and texture combo you have here…. I should start grilling more fruits!
I love savory fruit recipes, but I’ve never heard of peach crostini. The char marks on the peaches and bread make this appetizer look extra delicious!