Southern Peach Delight is a creamy and refreshing dessert. Summers and peaches bring back a flood of wonderful memories! In my youth, I spent a large amount of time on my grandparent’s farm in south Georgia. Days were filled playing with cousins, making new paths in the many woods on the property, and hunting for free-range chicken eggs. Sundays were for church, family dinners, and more than one of Granny’s scrumptious desserts!
One of my favorite desserts was peach delight; crunchy graham cracker crumbs layered with a cool whip/cream cheese fluff and chopped peaches. Nothing was better on a hot summer afternoon than this dreamy, creamy, fruity “delight!”
Favorite Dessert Recipes
How to make Southern Peach Delight
On that Georgia farm, my grandparents had a couple of peach trees that were loaded with plump juicy fruit. Fresh is always best! That being said, one of the great things about Southern Peach Delight is how easy it is to put together when using canned peaches.
Equipment Used
- Mixing Bowls – used to mix ingredients
- Food Chopper – used to chop peaches
- Hand Held Mixer – used to whip cream cheese mixture
- Glass Trifle Bowl – used to beautifully layer the dessert
Ingredient List
- Fruit Layers – peaches (fresh or canned peaches)
- Graham Cracker Layers – Graham Crackers, butter
- Cream Cheese Layers – Cool Whip, milk, granulated sugar, cream cheese
I use a lot of canned peaches, either for experimenting with amazing desserts or just to eat alone with a dollop of cottage cheese. Through the years I have tried many brands and varieties and have been disappointed many times. Too many canned peaches have few pieces of fruit, taste like chemicals, or have too many fillers. My favorite canned peach brand is Lucky Premium Canned Peaches. I can’t find them in my grocery store, so I order a case at a time from Amazon. Feel free to use any canned peaches you prefer, but I promise you will not be disappointed with Lucky!
Recipe Preparation
- The first step is to melt the butter. I normally use salted butter in this recipe, however; unsalted will work just as well.
- Place crushed graham crackers into a medium bowl. You can use pre-crushed graham crackers or crush the crackers in a food processor. If you want to add a little extra spice to your desert, use cinnamon graham crackers. Cinnamon with peaches? Yes please!!
- Add the melted butter to your graham cracker crumbs and stir until well combined.
- If using fresh peaches, peel and pit the fruit. Chop peaches into bite-sized chunks and set aside until ready to layer.
- If you are using canned peaches, drain the peaches, reserving syrup to drink alone, or to add in sweet tea for a perfectly peachy summer beverage. Chop drained peaches into bite-sized chunks and set aside until ready to layer.
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Using a hand held mixer blend until smooth and creamy. Slowly add in the milk and cool whip. Blend until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Yes, it IS okay to lick those beaters!
How to layer Southern Peach Delight
- Start the layering process with graham cracker crumbs. I am using a trifle bowl which will highlight the layers in a beautiful presentation. If you do not have a trifle bowl, a glass casserole dish or salad bowl will work.
- Using a silicone spatula, even out a layer of cream cheese fluff over the graham cracker crumbs. Be careful to not “mix” the fluff with the graham cracker crumbs while layering.
- Sprinkle a layer of peaches over the cream cheese fluff. If you want your layers to really stand out in your final presentation, make sure you have peaches up to the edge of your dish. If not, the next layer of graham cracker crumbs will sink into your peaches, covering over them so they are not visible.
- Your final product should have 3 layers of graham crackers, 3 layers of cream cheese fluff (including the top layer), and 2 layers of peaches.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to give the cream cheese fluff time to thicken.
Southern Peach Delight
Ingredients
- 5 cups peaches fresh or canned, chopped
- 16 oz Cool Whip thawed
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 – 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups graham crackers crushed
- 1 stick butter melted
Instructions
- Melt butter and set aside.
- Pour graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until well combined.
- In a large bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar with an hand held mixer until smooth. Slowly add the Cool Whip and milk and blend until smooth and fluffy.
- If using canned peaches, drain peaches and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- If using fresh peaches, peel and pit the peaches prior to chopping into bite-sized pieces.
- Layer dish with a layer of graham cracker crumbs, layer of cream cheese fluff, and then a layer of peaches.
- Your final dish should consist of 3 layers of graham cracker crumbs, 2 layers of peaches, and 3 layers of cream cheese fluff, ending with the fluff on top.
- Garnish with graham cracker crumbs and sliced peaches.