8 Irresistible Stone Fruit Desserts

Anyone who’s ever eaten a juicy, dripping peach, tossed its stone into the woods, and thought, “I just planted a peach tree!” knows stone fruits are just romantic. Also called a “drupe,” a stone fruit is any thin-skinned fruit with a soft, succulent flesh and a hard seed or stone in its center. Cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, pluots and nectarines all qualify. Make sure you get your fix of stone fruits this summer, and don’t let any opportunity to eat them—whole and raw, cooked, or puréed—pass you by.

1. Cherry Pie

We’d be hard-pressed to think of a tastier dessert than cherry pie, particularly the beauty shown here. A deep-dish pie crust folds around sweet cherries flecked with sugar. Use a pie crust cutter to make a decorative design on top. And do consider vanilla ice cream for serving.

2. Grilled Peaches

Have you had grilled peaches before? If not, when peach season strikes near you, drop everything and make them. These are simply tossed in brandy and honey, plopped on the grill, and topped with spiced whipped cream. So easy, so good, and such an intuitive way to make the most of an already-hot grill.

3. Nectarine Cheesecake

When the mercury starts to rise, remember the cheesecake! A fabulous minimal-baking concoction, this one brims with honey and nectarines. Simply pop the crust in the oven for 10 minutes early in the day, shut off that oven, and make the rest of the dessert without going near the heat again.

4. Plum Tartlets

Frozen puff pastry is the genius shortcut behind these plummy, single-serving knockouts. We love that they include a hit of ginger and Chinese five-spice powder, giving them a punch of flavor and heat you wouldn’t expect.

5. Apricot-Cherry Clafoutis

Clafoutis, close cousin of the Dutch baby, is so stunning and so simple to make. This apricot-and-cherry studded beauty comes together in just 40 minutes. It’s a stunning presentation in a cast-iron skillet.

6. Plum-Raspberry Cobbler

Many stone fruits play nicely with non-stone-fruits, and plums and raspberries together are a great example. This ruby-hued dessert is as delicious as it is delightful to behold. Its biscuit-like topping make it something we’d absolutely serve for brunch.

7. Peach Pie

Classic and beautiful, peach pie comes together easily with lemon juice, sugar and a hint of cinnamon in this dazzling summer treat.

8. Apricot Clafoutis

Another cast-iron concoction, this apricot clafoutis features a spritz of brandy, which neatly balance the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and sweet apricots. Served like this, with three melting scoops of vanilla ice cream, there’s nothing more charming in the world.