• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Peach Caprese Salad

salad· sides
August 5, 2019

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Peach Caprese Salad – Sweet, juicy peaches are layered with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil and then drizzled with balsamic glaze and olive oil. 

Peach Caprese Salad with peach and mozzarella slices

Peaches are at their prime right now. Have you purchased any lately? They are so sweet and juicy and addictive. So get yourself to your nearest farmer’s market or grocery store and stock up!!!

If you need a few ideas on how to use up those peaches, I’ve got tons of peach recipes. I mean, I live in the peach state. Would you expect any different?

These are a few of my favorites:

  • Peach Lemonade
  • Grilled Peach Sundaes
  • Peach Raspberry Cobbler
  • Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini

My newest recipe was developed as a variation on one of my favorite salads – caprese salad. Tomatoes are the base of the salad, with their juices adding tons of flavor to this dressing-free salad.

With peaches at their peak, it was a no-brainer to attempt a substitution of peaches in this salad. Basil, balsamic vinegar, and peaches go together so well, as I found out in these peach and goat cheese crostini. So I took a chance and it turns out…peaches pair so well with fresh mozzarella too!

Peach Caprese Salad before being drizzled with oil and balsamic glazePeach Caprese Salad after being drizzled with the balsamic glaze Serving tray of Peach Caprese Salad

How to make this recipe

Get ready to make the easiest salad you’ve ever made. With only 3 main ingredients in this salad, it will be done in minutes.

Ingredients

Because there are only a few ingredients in this salad, you’ve got to make sure to use the highest quality ingredients. Believe me, your salad’s depends on the ingredients because you can’t just hide bad ingredients with a sugary, creamy dressing.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to go to fancy shops to find great ingredients – you just need to use ingredients that are in season. Because peaches are at their peak right now and throughout the summer, you shouldn’t have any issues.

When selecting your peaches, pick some that are a little firm. This will help you when slicing the peaches so you don’t bruise them as you grip and slice them.

Two whole peaches

Make sure to use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. I keep two kinds of extra-virgin olive oil handy – one for cooking that tastes fine and isn’t too expensive and one that is fruity and strong and tastes incredible on its own. Your gonna want to use the fancy kind for this recipe since it’s such a key component of the flavor.

Assembly

For caprese salad, presentation is everything. You’ll want to use your platter to inspire how you plate the salad. For example, my platter was long so I assembled the salad in one long strip. But if you have a round platter, you’ll get more space by assembling the salad in a circle.

Tips & Tricks

Well, I only really have one tip for this recipe since it’s such an easy one! Here it comes!

  1. I purchased balsamic glaze because it’s so readily available and saves me some time. But you can also make your own if you don’t have any handy. Just cook 2 cups of balsamic vinegar until it has reduced to 1/2 cup and becomes a glossy syrup.
Print Recipe

Peach Caprese Salad

Sweet, juicy peaches are layered with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil and then drizzled with balsamic glaze and olive oil. 
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 peaches
  • 12 ounces fresh mozzarella
  • 12 basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Halve peaches and slice into rounds until you have 12 rounds. Slice mozzarella into 12 rounds. 
  • On a large plate, alternate slices of peaches and mozzarella. After each slice of mozzarella, insert a leaf of basil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and then drizzle with olive oil. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately. 

Pin for later:

Peach Caprese Salad photo collage

More recipes that you’ll love:

Strawberry & Goat Cheese Chicken

Plate of Strawberry & Goat Cheese Chicken

Avocado Cucumber Salad

Wooden bowl of Avocado Cucumber Salad

Southern Cobb Salad

Bowl of Southern Cobb Salad

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

22 Comments

« Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sundae
Asian Zoodle Salad »

Comments

  1. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

    August 11, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    I think I would buy the glaze too because I am too lazy these summer days!!
    This looks so simple, yet so fancy. I love it!!

    Reply
  2. Kushigalu says

    August 11, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    Love peaches in any form. This looks so beautiful and delicious. Love the idea. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  3. Leanne @ Crumb Top Baking says

    August 11, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    Peaches are really amazing this time of year! Any time I go to the grocery store, I stock up. I’ve been loving them in salads this summer, especially with fresh basil. So I know I would love them in this caprese salad. What a great idea!

    Reply
  4. Veronika's Kitchen says

    August 11, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    What a genius idea to use peaches instead of tomatoes! It’s so refreshing and I can imagine how tasty that is! Definitely saving the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Marisa F. Stewart says

    August 11, 2019 at 10:43 am

    What a nice change of pace. I like the idea of peaches instead of tomatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This post comes at an ideal time — peaches are in season and I have quite a few. I know what we’re going to have along with our chicken dinner tonight — peach caprese salad.

    Reply
  6. Kathryn says

    August 11, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Peach Caprese is always so yummy and I just love balsamic glaze! I happen to have a peach on my counter so might just make this tonight!

    Reply
  7. Leslie says

    August 10, 2019 at 11:38 am

    I love your combination of flavors in this recipe! Such a great idea! Love this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Tammy says

    August 9, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    I love this summery twist! Peaches are genius swap and one I cannot wait to try with the balsamic glaze. Yum!

    Reply
  9. Jacquelyn Hastert says

    August 8, 2019 at 10:21 am

    The perfect use for my fresh peaches. I bet the combination of peaches and mozzarella make this a delicious and healthy salad.

    Reply
  10. Nicole Flower says

    August 7, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    Yum and yes, in fact, this is when I stock up with Trader Joe’s peaches because they are the best you can get out west! Thank you for the quick recipe this looks so good!

    Reply
  11. Michelle says

    August 7, 2019 at 8:22 am

    What a great idea! I love peaches but would never have thought of using them like this. Will definitely have to make this!

    Reply
  12. Bella says

    August 6, 2019 at 5:50 pm

    This looks so tasty!!! I love peaches so so much!

    Reply
  13. Kelly Anthony says

    August 6, 2019 at 2:55 pm

    We love peaches at our house and have been buying them weekly. I love this salad with tomatoes but I have never tried it with peaches so I’m excited to try something new with one of our favorite fruits.

    Reply
  14. Elaine Benoit says

    August 6, 2019 at 10:40 am

    This looks so easy and delicious! I love peaches but wouldn’t have thought to use them like this, but I can’t wait to try!

    Reply
  15. Tynia says

    August 6, 2019 at 2:01 am

    I love recipes like this. Fresh ingredients and easy to prepare. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  16. Jen says

    August 6, 2019 at 1:15 am

    I made this for brunch and it was a hit. Everyone loved the peaches!

    Reply
  17. Irina Karulina says

    August 6, 2019 at 12:02 am

    This peach caprese salad is easy and summery! Made it tonight. It was gone in a minute. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  18. Sara Welch says

    August 5, 2019 at 10:24 pm

    I love when peaches are in season for recipes just like this one! This looks so light and sweet; perfect salad with dinner! Delish!

    Reply
  19. Veena Azmanov says

    August 5, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    This is totally a Happy and healthy meal. So colorful and so delicious.

    Reply
  20. Maria says

    August 5, 2019 at 6:36 pm

    This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it for myself!

    Reply
  21. Sarah says

    August 5, 2019 at 1:25 pm

    Omg this looks so amazing! I’m totally making this this week!

    Reply
  22. Yanna says

    August 5, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    This looks delicious, I have been on the search for new recipes.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

fall flavors

styled shot of Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

overhead shot of partially eaten baked carrot cake oatmeal in casserole dish with serving spoon

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

a slice of apple cinnamon stuffed french toast on a plate with powdered sugae

Apple Cinnamon Stuffed French Toast

stacked maple walnut cookies on a red orange napkin and one cookie with a bite removed

Maple Walnut Cookies

zoomed in shot of a plate of stacked chocolate gingerbread truffles with one with a bite out of it, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

Breakfast
Appetizers
Entrees
Salads
Sides
Drinks
Desserts
Roundups
Holidays

Browse by Date

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

holiday favorite

zoomed in shot of a piece of Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a bite taken out of it with a plate of more cheesecake in the background, shot from the front

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

shortcut apple strudel on a marble serving platter cut down the middle to expose the apple center with vanilla ice cream on top and a fork in the foreground

Shortcut Apple Strudel

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels on a plate with sprigs of herbs in between the pinwheels, shot from overhead

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

fingers holding a chocolate berry fritter with a wire rack with more fritters and mixed berries surrounding them, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Berry Fritters

zoomed in shot of min fruit tarts, shot from a side angle

Classic Fruit Tarts

 

Okay, story time! Over the holidays, we finally go Okay, story time! Over the holidays, we finally got to visit Gideon's Bakehouse in Orlando, you know, the legendary bakery with the nearly HALF-POUND cookies that everyone raves about? The ones with 2+ hour wait times?

They had a virtual queue going, so we shopped around until it was our turn (thank goodness!). I grabbed a few of their famous cookies, including one that immediately caught my eye: the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie. 

I'm obsessed with banana and chocolate together, so this was a no-brainer!

And OH MY GOSH. It was even better than I imagined! Not only was it loaded with chocolate and real banana flavor, but it had candied walnuts throughout for this sweet-salty crunch. INCREDIBLE! 

The biggest bummer? You can ONLY get them in Orlando, no online ordering, no shipping. So of course, I decided to recreate them at home! And you guys... I think I got pretty darn close!

What makes these cookies special:
🍌 Real Banana Flavor: Mashed banana (not artificial!) gives them that authentic banana bread taste
🥜 Candied Walnuts: This is KEY—they stay crunchy and add that sweet-salty element
🍫 Double Chocolate: Regular AND large chocolate chips for maximum chocolatey goodness
🍪 Thick & Chewy: Chilling the dough keeps them beautifully thick

Want to make your own Gideon's-inspired cookies at home? 💌 Comment 'BANANA' below and I'll send you the link!

Have you been to Gideon's? What's your favorite cookie flavor? 👇
#BananaCookies #ChocolateChipCookies #GideonsBakehouse #OrlandoBakery #BakeryStyleCookies #BananaChocolateChip #HomemadeCookies #CookieRecipe #BakingFromScratch #CopycatRecipes
I used to love cooking, but during busy weeks it f I used to love cooking, but during busy weeks it felt like a chore. I was too exhausted after work to make anything fun. But with all that time at home, I was able to rethink our favorite foods and make them more achievable for weeknights.

I'd always loved mojo pork (that Cuban citrus-marinated pork that's SO flavorful), but I never made it because traditional pork loin takes FOREVER to roast. But then I had a lightbulb moment: What if I used pork TENDERLOIN instead? 

We eat it all the time because it's lean, quick-cooking, and my husband can grill it in under 30 minutes. Why not marinate it in mojo?

Here's what makes this recipe a weeknight winner:
🍊 The Marinade: Orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and oregano create that classic Cuban flavor. Just dump everything in a bag and let it work its magic!
⏰ The Timeline: Marinate for 4-24 hours (I usually do overnight), then it's only 25 minutes of active cooking time. Quick sear + oven = done!
🍽️ The Versatility: Serve it with rice and beans, make tacos, top a salad, use for Cuban sandwiches, or meal prep it for the week!

Three critical tips:
-DRY the pork after marinating: This is SO important! Pat it completely dry before searing or you'll steam it instead of getting a beautiful crust
-Use a meat thermometer: Pull it at 145°F for perfectly juicy pork every time. No guessing, no cutting it open repeatedly
-Don't over-marinate: 24 hours max or the texture gets mushy!

This has become one of our absolute go-to meals. It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but it's secretly SO easy!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'MOJO' below and I'll send you the link!

#MojoPork #PorkTenderloin #CubanFood #WeeknghtDinner #EasyDinner #DinnerIdeas #MarinadeRecipe #HealthyDinner #MealPrepIdeas #QuickDinner
Can we talk about how guava and cream cheese is TH Can we talk about how guava and cream cheese is THE most underrated flavor combination ever?! 

Growing up, guava was always around. My dad would spread it on toast with butter every morning, and I did the same. But it wasn't until I had guava with cream cheese at a Latin bakery in Florida that I truly appreciated this tropical fruit. 

The cream cheese perfectly balances the tangy guava jelly and makes everything ultra creamy. Wrapped in flaky puff pastry? KILLER.

I know this pastry braid looks super fancy and complicated, but here's the secret: IT'S SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE. When I first saw a pastry braid, I was so intimidated by how intricate it looked. It felt almost unattainable without tons of practice. But I'm here to tell you that is absolutely not the case!

Here's the whole process:
1️⃣ Roll out puff pastry and cut slits on the sides
2️⃣ Spread cream cheese and guava down the center
3️⃣ Overlap the side pieces to create the braid
4️⃣ Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar
5️⃣ Bake until deep golden brown

THAT'S IT! The braiding technique is so much easier than it looks, and the result is absolutely stunning.

Two critical tips:
-Keep it COLD before baking: Cold puff pastry = steam when it hits the hot oven = flaky layers! If the butter is too warm, it won't puff properly.
-Bake until DEEP golden brown: Not just golden, but DEEP golden. This ensures crispy, flaky pastry that's cooked all the way through. Nobody wants soggy pastry!

This is perfect for brunch, dessert, or honestly just because you want something that looks impressive but is secretly easy to make. You can also substitute any fruit preserves if you can't find guava!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'GUAVA' below and I'll send you the link!

#GuavaPastry #PuffPastry #PastryBraid #LatinDesserts #CreamCheese #BrunchRecipes #HomemadePastries #BakingFromScratch #WeekendBaking #ImpressiveButEasy
Do you remember those Danish butter cookies that c Do you remember those Danish butter cookies that came in the fancy blue tin? The ones your mom would buy every Christmas and you'd go absolutely CRAZY for? 

Well, guess what? You can make them YOURSELF! And they're shockingly simple!

I'm talking about those perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, melt-in-your-mouth-on-the-inside shortbread cookies that are basically edible butter. And honestly? 

I don't think they should be reserved just for the holidays. These cookies deserve to be eaten ALL YEAR LONG!

Here's what makes them so special:
-The Recipe: Only FIVE ingredients—butter, flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. That's it! If you can cream butter and sugar together, you can make these.
-The Texture: They're like shortbread cookies but slightly softer, so when you bite into them, they literally melt in your mouth. It's pure butter heaven.
-The Secret: Use European-style butter! It has a higher fat content which makes these cookies extra creamy and flavorful. It's worth the upgrade, I promise!

Important tips:
Be VERY careful measuring your flour—too much and the dough will be impossible to pipe
Use a LARGE star tip (not a small one!) or you won't be able to squeeze the dough out
These actually taste BETTER after they cool! The crispiness is what makes them so good, so resist eating them warm (I know it's hard!)

These are perfect for coffee breaks, gift-giving, parties, or honestly just because you deserve a good cookie. You can make them in under an hour from start to finish!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'BUTTER' below and I'll send you the link!

#DanishButterCookies #ButterCookies #ShortbreadCookies #HolidayBaking #CookieRecipe #HomemadeCookies
After making approximately ONE MILLION pumpkin tre After making approximately ONE MILLION pumpkin treats recently, I was desperate for something with all those cozy fall vibes but maybe... a little less pumpkin? 

So I set my sights on something that doesn't get nearly enough love in the dessert world: SWEET POTATOES! 

And here's my controversial opinion: Sweet potato beats pumpkin ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. There, I said it! 

These Sweet Potato Cupcakes are super moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with the creamiest cinnamon cream cheese frosting. 

They taste similar to pumpkin cupcakes (so if you're a die-hard pumpkin lover, you can absolutely swap in pumpkin puree!), but here's why sweet potato wins:
✨ More starch = MORE moisture and density in the cupcake
✨ The flavor is 100x better (fight me on this!)
✨ That perfect balance between sweet and earthy

But what I'm MOST proud of is how the frosting and cake work together. You know how sometimes you get a cupcake with frosting that's way too sweet so you just eat the cake? Or killer frosting but blah cake so you only eat the frosting? NOT THIS CUPCAKE. 

The spiced cake needs a little sweetness to balance it out, and the tart cream cheese frosting is PERFECT. They're soulmates! 

Important tips:
-Don't undercook them or they'll sink in the center (but more frosting fixes everything!)
-Fill the liners 3/4 full—not all the way—to get exactly 12 cupcakes
-Use a 2M Wilton tip for that fancy frosting swirl (or just spread with a knife!)

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'CUPCAKE' below and I'll send you the link!
Team Sweet Potato or Team Pumpkin? Let me know in the comments! 

#SweetPotatoCupcakes #CreamCheeseFrosting  #CupcakeRecipe

Copyright © 2026 Certified Pastry Aficionado · Web Design by Viva la Violet

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.