20 Best Nectarine Dessert Recipes

The beauty of nectarine dessert recipes is that most of them will be super familiar to you. After all, nectarines are essentially the peach’s sweet cousin!

One of the biggest differences is that nectarines don’t have peach fuzz, which I know some people don’t enjoy.

In that sense, they’re more like plums, with bright and smooth skins.

Nectarines come in yellow or white, and both are slightly smaller and sweeter than their peachy counterparts

The difference is, the white kind has an irresistible undertone of honey that makes any pie, tart, or cake shine.

If you like your desserts bright, fruity, and naturally sweet, I highly recommend trying one of these 20 nectarine desserts. 

1. Nectarine Brown Sugar Crisp

It’s like apple crisp, but with nectarines!

Though I’ll always be a fan of apple crisp, you can’t deny just how beautiful this recipe is.

The vibrant fruit not only makes the whole dish pop but will ensure it’s much sweeter than the classic, which some apples can be.

2. Nectarine Upside-Down Cake

My favorite thing about this recipe is how the colors look after the fruit softens and starts to caramelize.

The red skin stands out beautifully against the yellow flesh, and the whole thing is shiny and drool-worthy.

Between the brown sugar in the batter, making it super deep in flavor, and the buttermilk, you know this will be moist and to die for.

3. Grilled Nectarines with Honey-Balsamic Glaze

If you’re not grilling fresh fruit after a BBQ, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Grilled fruit is a fantastic way to encourage all the natural juices inside to seep out and caramelize, making them even sweeter and bursting with flavor. 

The grill makes add so much depth, and the honey-balsamic glaze is so perfect against the super sweet nectarines.

4. Nectarine Frangipane Tart

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this once, but it bears repeating: every good baker should have a frangipane recipe in their go-to list. 

Between the buttery pastry case and the tender, nutty filling, it’s always a winner.

Plus, it’s such an easy tart to modify!

Throw on everything from chopped apples and poached pears to cherries and chocolate chips, and it’s always a thing of beauty.

In this recipe, you’ll add sliced nectarines, and as it cooks, the red skin will darken, and the fruit juices will infuse into the almond filling. Perfection!

5. Nectarine Pie

You can tell that nectarines are ripe when they begin to smell fragrant and sweet.

I like to pick them up and leave them on the counter for a few days, waiting for the kitchen to fill up with that fruity scent.

When that happens, there’s nothing better than making pie.

I prefer to use the white kind for this because I think a nectarine pie should be filled with sweet honey flavors.

But if you like it a little less sweet, you can use yellow or try adding in some tart raspberries to balance it out.

6. Nectarine Vanilla Bean Scones

Scones are a fluffy, sweet, gorgeous little treat that you can bake for any occasion.

Make them plain, with fruit, or even chocolate chips, and you know they’ll fly off the plate. 

Vanilla bean scones are already something special, but when you mix in some chopped nectarines, the whole thing gets elevated.

I like to chop the fruit relatively small so that it almost melts into the scone, infusing every bite with a fruity taste.

7. Brown Butter Nectarine Tart

Once you taste the difference between regular butter and brown butter, there’s no going back. You’ve been warned!

Brown butter has a wonderfully nutty flavor, and it stands out in any recipe.

Remember to take it slow and keep an eye on it, as it will need some time to slowly melt and turn brown.

To amp up the flavor even more, try freezing the brown butter and using it in the pastry, too!

8. Creamy Nectarine Popsicles

I’ve noticed a couple of things about store-bought popsicles: they’re either full of sugar or super expensive. 

So, why not try making your own using all-natural ingredients? That way, you can make them as sweet or tart as you like, and you’ll know exactly what went in!

I love the layered look you get from this recipe, giving you the choice of biting into the creamy part or the fruit part, or diving into both at the same time. 

You can even make this vegan if you use dairy-free yogurt!

9. Brown Sugar Nectarine Ice Cream

I think people are turned off by making ice cream at home because they think it’s all baking magic, and they stress about cooking eggs. 

I’m here to tell you that it’s actually super easy. You’ll just need a little patience and a thermometer.

You won’t even need to temper your eggs for this (stream hot milk over a bowl of eggs and whisk until they come up to temperature).

All you’ll need to do is add everything to the pot and gently heat while you whisk until it reaches 170°F.

10. Peach Nectarine Galette

Basically, a galette is a rustic pie.

It usually uses the same kind of pastry, but instead of lining a pie dish and crimping the edges to make it perfect, you just pile in some fruity filling and fold over the sides.

It might not sound very pretty, but I promise it is!

Once you’ve egg-washed the edges and baked until golden, it will be just as stunning as any pie you’ve ever made.

11. Nectarine Panna Cotta with Roasted Plums (Dairy-Free)

Panna cotta is such an elegant and simple dessert.

You can easily keep it classic and gorgeously white with just some flecks of vanilla, or why not try something unexpected?

For this recipe, you’ll use coconut milk, nectarine puree, and honey. It will be creamy, silky smooth, and fruity. 

Remember to strains your nectarine puree to get the best texture.

12. Nectarine Golden Cake

This is the kind of simple cake you can expect to find all over Europe. They love to make vanilla cakes and throw in a bunch of fruit.

Since they don’t use frosting too much, you know they’ll make sure the cake is moist.

Like with the scones, if you cut the fruit small, it will kind of melt into the cake, infusing the whole thing with that honey goodness.

If you prefer some texture, keep the chunks nice and big and scatter them over the top.

13. Vegan Blueberry Nectarine Crisp

I usually combine my nectarines (or peaches) with raspberries. They’re bright, a little tart, and help to balance out any dessert I make. 

This blueberry option might be my new favorite. They’re sweeter than raspberries – but not overly so – and will soften as they bake, giving you fantastic pops of flavor.

Not to mention, the color looks great against the yellow or white nectarines.

14. Spiced Nectarine Cake

Much like their peachy cousins, nectarines are even better when you add in a touch of spice.

I’m talking about those lovely warm spices we all love.

This cake is light and has just the right amount of cinnamon, and you could easily swap out the nectarines for apples, pears, or both!

15. Stone Fruit Sorbet

Dairy-free, gluten-free, and absolutely bursting with fresh fruit flavor. I just love a good sorbet!

You won’t even need an ice cream maker for this recipe. Just blend your ingredients and freeze, and remember to stir every 45 minutes or get the right texture.

16. Nectarine & Raspberry Cobbler

I have to admit that the main reason I add raspberries to my nectarine/peach cobbler is for the color contrast. 

Yes, I’m one of those people that can’t help but take pictures of their food, and there’s nothing more stunning than a bubbling cobbler full of bright yellows and pops of deep pink!

I also recommended adding a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon over the topping before you bake – trust me!

17. Cardamom and Stone Fruit Clafoutis

Looking for a change from the normal pancakes and hash browns?

Clafoutis is one of my favorite breakfast treats! It’s light, sweet, and you can throw in any fruit you have lying around. 

The custard-like mix is almost like a thick crepe, and it is wonderful as a summer breakfast or as an after BBQ dessert.

18. Nectarine Compote Dessert

Let’s say you went to the farmer’s market and over-indulged in the fresh fruits. With how amazing nectarines look and smell, I don’t blame you!

Well, if you’re looking for a great way to use them up, this is it!

It’s like a chunky, sweet jam, and you can have it on toast, with ice cream, or even over some cheesecake.

I like to keep mine chunky, but you can just as easily mash it a little if you want it more like a spread.

19. Nectarine and Mascarpone Tart

Two of my favorite baking ingredients: nectarines and mascarpone, are a match made in heaven.

Since you won’t bake the fruit, be sure that they’re ripe, and try to cut them quite thin.

You can add plenty of layers, but you’ll find it easier to cut if you don’t have big chunks of fruit on top.

20. Vanilla Bean Yogurt Nectarine Parfaits

Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these little yogurt pots can be made in a glass, mason jar, or even a simple container.

To be sure the fruit is as good as possible, don’t skip the macerating step, where you sprinkle the fruit with sugar, mix, and leave for about 10-20 minutes.

This is such a quick thing, but it will make all the difference!