I bought peaches that were too soft for the fruit bowl and too good to ignore. I browned a little butter for pancakes, caught that nutty smell, and slid the peaches into the warm pan. The kitchen went quiet in the best way. A few minutes later I had jammy fruit with syrup at the bottom of the skillet and a new plan. I swirled it into a simple cream base and filled the molds. These pops taste like the three best minutes of late summer saved for later.
Why these work
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Browned butter gives the peaches a warm, nutty edge
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Sweetened condensed milk keeps the texture creamy, not icy
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You get both smooth puree and soft fruit bites in every pop
Recipe snapshot
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Prep: 20 minutes active
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Cook: 8 minutes to brown butter and soften peaches
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Freeze: 6 to 8 hours
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Yield: 8 to 10 pops, 3 oz molds
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Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Browned butter peaches
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3 large ripe peaches, about 450 g, pitted and diced
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3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter
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2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
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1 tsp lemon juice
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Pinch fine salt
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream base
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1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
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3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk or full-fat Greek yogurt
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1/2 cup (150 g) sweetened condensed milk
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1 tbsp light corn syrup or 1 tsp vodka, optional for fewer ice crystals
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Pinch fine salt
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Brown the butter
Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt butter. Cook until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Pull off the heat. -
Coat the peaches
Add peaches, honey, lemon juice, salt and vanilla to the warm pan. Return to medium heat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the fruit softens and releases juice. Cool to room temp. -
Blend part of the fruit
Scoop half the peaches with some syrup into a blender. Blend to a thick puree. Keep the rest of the peaches in small pieces. -
Mix the cream base
Whisk cream, milk, condensed milk, corn syrup if using, salt and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. -
Fill the molds
Pour cream base into popsicle molds to about one third. Spoon in peach puree and a few peach pieces. Repeat to fill. Use a skewer to make one gentle swirl in each mold. Do not overmix. -
Freeze
Insert sticks. Freeze until solid, 6 to 8 hours or overnight. -
Unmold
Dip molds in warm water for 10 seconds. Wiggle sticks and pull out the pops. Work fast and get them onto a cold tray.
Pro tips
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No ripe peaches
Use frozen peaches. Thaw and drain, then continue with the recipe. -
Keep it creamy
Condensed milk plus a touch of corn syrup or vodka helps block big ice crystals. -
Brown butter color
Stop at deep golden, not dark brown. If it smells sharp or looks speckled black it went too far. Start over with fresh butter. -
Texture balance
Puree gives smooth body. The diced fruit makes it interesting. Keep the dice small so the sticks hold.
Variations
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Nectarines and cream
Swap peaches for nectarines. No need to peel. -
Cinnamon peach
Add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon to the warm fruit. -
Coconut peach
Use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk and 1/2 cup coconut cream in place of cream and milk. Keep the condensed milk. -
Bourbon peach pops
Stir 1 tbsp bourbon into the cooled peaches for an adults-only batch. A little alcohol also softens the freeze.
Make ahead and storage
Unmold pops and freeze on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Wrap each in parchment or place in individual bags. Store in a freezer bag up to 2 months. If they pick up frost, rinse the pop for a second under cool water before eating.
FAQ
Do I need to peel the peaches
No. The skin softens in the pan and blends smooth. If you prefer no specks, peel first.
Can I skip the butter
Yes. For dairy-free or vegan use 1 tbsp refined coconut oil for the quick sauté or simply warm the fruit with honey.
My pops are icy. What happened
Too much water or not enough fat. Use full-fat dairy, keep the condensed milk, and include the corn syrup or a small splash of vodka.
No popsicle molds
Paper cups work. Freeze 45 minutes, add sticks, then finish freezing.
I keep a tray of these in the back of the freezer for small celebrations. One after a long grocery run. One after bedtime dishes. Sometimes I stand by the sink and eat a pop while the last light fades and the pan with the brown bits is still soaking. The peach streaks, the vanilla, the little pockets of buttered fruit make the day feel softer. If you make them, tuck a few away for a weeknight when you need a quiet win.
Jacklyn is a San Diego–based food journalist with a background in the confectionery world. Before diving into food reporting, she worked at a startup crafting plant-based, low-sugar sweets designed to make candy a little healthier
