Sweet, succulent roast summer peaches pair beautifully with this hot butterscotch sauce for a comforting but elegant dessert that’s great for entertaining.
Hot peaches in butterscotch sauce
Peaches are one of the most indulgent of fruits, sweet and fragrant, and full of flavour. It’s almost a shame to cook with them, but for this recipe, I am happy to make an exception.
See also
- If you don’t like to keep the skins on, read my article on how to blanch and peel peaches
- Peach gin makes a lovely addition to cocktails.
- For a really special drink, why not make this peach and hibiscus gin?
Fresh fruit and a hot sauce is a great combination on dull, damp summer evenings, when you want a hot pudding, or at any time of year when you can get the fruit.
The sauce may be a little naughty, but this hot peach dessert is mostly fruit, so give yourself permission to indulge.
My hot roast peaches in butterscotch sauce are quick and easy to make, so it is no trouble to rustle up a tempting dessert for impromptu entertaining. It only takes a few minutes and is very good for using up odd bits of fruit that are a little overripe. You can cut off any bad bits and still make something wonderful.
The simple sauce butterscotch sauce can be made in advance and if you don’t have peaches, you can substitute other stone fruit such as nectarines and plums. (In fact, the sauce is just as good over ice cream, or even eaten straight from the jar with a spoon. I may or may not have done this!)
Serve your hot roast peaches drizzled with the warm butterscotch sauce, and if you want an extra flourish, add clotted cream or vanilla ice cream for the perfect finish to a great meal.
Why make hot peaches in butterscotch sauce
- a quick and easy dessert
- simple but impressive for entertaining
- tastes divine
- make the most of imperfect fruit
Roast peaches in butterscotch sauce – ingredients
- fresh peaches – Ripe and ideally in good condition. I have kept the skins on but if you prefer not to (especially if you think they have been sprayed), blanch and peel them first.
- light soft brown sugar – nothing too dark, as you don’t want to overpower the peaches
- butter – unsalted, or you can use salted and then use the sea salt very sparingly
- double or heavy cream – The real thing. I know some people use cream substitutes because they reject dairy products altogether, but I avoid these because of the overrefined oils they contain.
- vanilla extract – or vanilla bean paste (avoid vanilla ‘essence’ as it will contain artificial flavouring)
- sea salt – just a pinch – who doesn’t love a lightly salted butterscotch?
- honey (optional, not shown) – for roasting the peaches
How to make peaches in butterscotch sauce – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Cut the peaches in half, twist to separate, and discard the stones, using a knife if necessary to cut them out. There is no need to peel them.
Place the peach halves in a buttered dish, with half a teaspoon of sugar or a drizzle of honey in the centre of each. Bake the peaches at Gas Mark 4/180 °C/350 °F for 12–20 minutes.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
If you have a mix of under ripe and over ripe peaches, then put the under ripe ones in first. Bake for 7 minutes and then add the ripe ones and continue for a further 10-15mins.
Step Two – Throw all the remaining ingredients into the pan, and heat slowly, stirring all the time. Simmer for five minutes until you have a thick and glossy sauce.
Serve immediately, drizzling the peaches with the hot sauce while they are still warm.
Serving suggestion
Serve this dish simply as it comes, or with delicious homemade vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.
Dress it up with a crumble of amaretti biscuits for extra texture, or serve the biscuits on the side.
Cool your baked/roast peaches in butterscotch sauce and add them to all sorts of dessert recipes. They would be lovely on a creamy rice pudding or as a cheesecake topping for a more substantial pud.
Variations
- Nectarines can be swapped for peaches but you can go further and try this recipe with other fruit such as plums or a mix of stone fruit.
- Add a cardamon pod to the roasting fruit for an extra layer of flavour. Remove before adding the sauce.
- Add a shot of whisky to the sauce.
Storage
Fridge – The sauce can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge. Any leftovers of sauce and fruit can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. I don’t recommend freezing.
Hints and tips
- If you want to remove the skins from the peaches, blanch them and peel before you roast them.
- The sauce should be cooked slowly, so use a diffuser if you have trouble keeping the temperature low on your cooker.
- You can make the sauce a day or two in advance and microwave it to reheat at the last minute if you prefer, making the recipe more hands-off for when you are entertaining.
FAQs
Butterscotch is a creamy-flavoured, hard boiled sweet made from butter and brown sugar. Milder in flavour than toffee, it is cooked to a higher temperature to produce an opaque lozenge with that wonderful butter flavour.
This butterscotch sauce replicates that flavour, rich, creamy and indulgent, and perfect on these roasted peaches and other butterscotch desserts and ice cream sundaes too.
Yes, it’s perfectly safe, though if you are concerned about farming methods locally you may prefer to skin them, and I know some people just don’t like the skins. I recommend blanching your peaches first to make this easy.
I think any stone fruit is a good choice, but you could also serve the sauce on pears, baked apples and even bananas or figs.
More fruity desserts
- Roasted plums – simply delicious
- Easy stewed rhubarb – the first fruit of the year
- Pimms strawberry syllabub – a little indulgence
Hot Roast Peaches in Butterscotch Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 peaches
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 25 g butter (unsalted or adjust the amount of sea salt)
- 40 g double cream
- half tsp vanilla extract/paste
- 1 pinch sea salt
Optional
- 1 tbsp honey (to use instead of sugar to roast the peaches)
Instructions
- Cut the peaches in half, twist to separate, and discard the stones, using a knife if necessary to cut them out. There is no need to peel them.4 peaches
- Place the peach halves in a buttered dish, with half a teaspoon of sugar or a drizzle of honey in the centre of each. Bake the peaches at Gas Mark 4/180 °C/350 °F for 12–20 minutes.40 g light brown sugar, 1 tbsp honey
- Throw all the remaining ingredients into the pan, and heat slowly, stirring all the time. Simmer for five minutes until you have a thick and glossy sauce.25 g butter, 40 g double cream, 40 g light brown sugar, half tsp vanilla extract/paste, 1 pinch sea salt
- Serve immediately, drizzling the peaches with the hot sauce while they are still warm.
Notes
Storage
Fridge – The sauce can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge. Any leftovers of sauce and fruit can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. I don’t recommend freezing.Hints and tips
- If you want to remove the skins from the peaches, blanch them and peel before you roast them.
- The sauce should be started slowly, so use a diffuser if you have trouble keeping the temperature low on your cooker.
- You can make the sauce a day or two in advance and microwave it to reheat at the last minute if you prefer, making the recipe more hands-off for when you are entertaining.
Wendy M
What a perfect fruity dessert, simple and fuss free. It would be amazing with bananas.
Rebecca K
I love butterscotch desserts, and it is delicious with fruit. Great for using up also turning fruit, I hate it when peaches do that thing with still being hard on the stone.