Peach Dumplings

There are only a few ingredients in these pretty peach dumplings, making them easy to pull off in a pinch and perfect for a dinner party.

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Looking down on four peach dumplings with peach slices and mint, all on a white oval platter.

Easy Summer Desserts

One of my favorite summer fruit are peaches. White peaches, yellow peaches… I don’t discriminate. I do like to wait for freestone peaches (peaches whose flesh separates from the stone easily), which are available mid-June through mid-August, but truthfully I can’t resist clingstone peaches either. Once peaches start showing up in grocery stores and farmers’ markets, I’m all in. Peaches are so delicious just sliced and enjoyed and are a great addition to a morning fruit smoothie, but can also be transformed into a delightful dessert so very easily. Take for instance these peach dumplings. There are only a handful of ingredients, but the result is impressive and delicious all at the same time. 

Halved peaches in a stainless steel bowl with a wooden spoon, a bowl of spice mix and some whole peaches on a wooden cutting board with a small knife.

How to Peel Peaches

The peaches for these peach dumplings do need to be peeled. You can peel them with a peeler, but the easier and more efficient way to peel peaches is to blanch and shock the peaches. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. While you wait for the water to boil,  score the bottom of the peach with a small “X”. Then, plunge the peaches into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds and remove it immediately to a bowl of ice water. You should then be able to just pull the skin off the peaches with a paring knife or your fingers. Slice the peeled peaches in half and remove the pit. Toss the peaches in a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch and set aside while you prepare the puff pastry.

Four photographs showing how to build peach dumplings.

How to Make Peach Dumplings

Roll one sheet of puff pastry into a large 10-inch square and then cut that square into four 5-inch squares. Brush the perimeter of each square with egg wash and place one peach half, cut side up, in the center of each square of puff pastry. Spoon any of the excess sugar and spice mixture from the bowl into the center of the peaches and top with the other peach halves. Then, fold the pastry up around the peach, pinching opposite corners together first and then pinching the open edges together. You may need to stretch the pastry to get it to fit. Don’t be shy – the pastry can take it.

A hand brushing egg wash on peach dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush with Egg Wash

Don’t skip the step of brushing the outside with egg wash. These dumplings need a little shine and the egg not only adds shine, but color too. Simply beat one egg in a small bowl and brush all sides of the dumplings. It’s the egg white that will give it a little shine and adds to a crispy texture, and the yolk will help the pastry brown nicely. 

Baked peach dumplings on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

How Long to Bake Dumplings

If the peaches you’ve wrapped are ripe, you will really only need to look at the outside of the dumpling to know when it has finished baking. The pastry should be brown and crisp on all sides. If you’re worried about the peaches inside, you can insert a paring knife into the dumpling to see how easily the peaches are pierced, but 30 minutes at 400˚F should be long enough to both brown and bake the pastry, as well as soften the peaches inside. 

A small white dessert plate with a peach dumpling cut in half, with more dumplings in the background.

How to Serve Peach Dumplings

Once the peaches have baked, let them sit for 10 minutes before serving. Then, serve whole with some whipped cream or ice cream, with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of caramel sauce if you like. These are a good sized dessert for a hungry appetite, so sharing one dumpling between two is also a nice idea. 

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Peach Dumplings

  • Prep Time: 20 m
  • Cook Time: 30 m
  • Total Time: 50 m
  • Servings:
    4
    people

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe fresh peaches peeled
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions

  1. Peel the peaches either with a peeler or, if your peaches are very ripe, by blanching and shocking them as follows. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and making an ice bath in a large bowl. Then, score the peaches with an “X” on the bottom. Submerge the peaches in the water for 30 to 60 seconds and then plunge them into the ice bath for a minute. Gently peel the skin from the peaches with a paring knife. Cut them in half and remove the peach pits.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  3. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the peach halves to the bowl and gently toss the peaches to coat them with sugar mixture.
  4. Roll the puff pastry into a 10-inch square, and then cut it into four 5-inch squares. Brush some egg wash around the edges of each puff pastry square.
  5. Place a peach half in the center of the pastry square, cut side up. Spoon some of the juice or spice mixture from the bowl into the center of the peach. Place another peach half on top and fold the puff pastry up around the peach by bringing each corner to the center one at a time. You will stretch the pastry as you do this. Slightly press and pinch the corners and edges of the dough shut. Transfer to a 9-inch x 13 -inch baking sheet.
  6. Generously brush each dumpling with the egg wash on all sides.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  8. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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Comments (1)Post a Reply

  1. 5 stars
    These were really delicious and easy to make! I used nectarines instead of peaches and blanched them for 45 seconds to peel the skins. It’s just my husband and myself but I made four dumplings since there were 4 squares of dough and I had 4 nectarines. It will be our pleasure to enjoy them all!

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