The fruit that looks like peaches are not just a collection of fruits that look a little like peaches. Many of these fruits are very similar or virtually identical to either the peach, or to the peach’s relatives. The peach look-alikes include: Peaches are a type of fruit that grows on trees, and they’re often very orange in color. But there are many fruits that are the same shade, or even more orange than peaches.
FRUITS LIKE PEACHES (9 FRUITS THAT LOOK AND TASTE SIMILAR)
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Are you looking for a list of fruits that look and taste like peaches? You’ve come to the right place! In this post you’ll find 9 similar options that you’re going to love.
1. WHITE NECTARINES
While regular yellow nectarines have a unique flavor, white-fleshed nectarines taste very peachy. In fact, many people prefer them to peaches because they taste so similar, but don’t have that fuzzy skin that many find so off-putting. Look for fruits that have pinkish-white skin that isn’t bruised or dented. Then enjoy the pale, delicious flesh inside either raw, or in your favorite desserts.
In fact, if you have an outdoor space, try grilling them! Just oil the bbq grill ahead of time so they don’t stick. Then halve them, pit them, and grill cut-side down for a few minutes. Then serve with a big scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
2. APRICOTS
If you don’t mind peaches’ fuzziness, then you’ll probably enjoy apricots. They have a slightly deeper flavor than peaches, but have a very similar sweetness and overall taste profile. These fruits are usually quite sweet, but can have a slight bitter aftertaste at times. That said, if you enjoy dried fruits, get yourself some dried apricots. They add a wonderful peachy flavor to oatmeal and trail mix, and are high in iron too!
3. ASIAN PEARS
If you’ve never tasted an Asian pear before, please make that a priority. These crunchy, luscious fruits have very thin, smooth skin, and a flavor similar to a perfect peach at the height of summertime. Just note that these fruits bruise and break very easily. In fact, that’s why they’re packaged in foam armor at the grocery store.
Their skins are thin enough that you don’t have to peel them. You can just bite right through to enjoy the amazing flesh within.
4. APRIUMS
Have you heard of apriums before? They’re interesting hybrid crosses between apricots and plums, with most of their genetics coming from apricots. They have smooth skin (like plums), but taste like gloriously juicy, sweet peaches. See if you can find some at a local specialty store to try them out!
If you enjoy them, you can graft their branches onto any stone fruit rootstock and grow them at home! These trees can thrive in growing zones 6 and up.
5. LYCHEES
These Asian stone fruits have incredibly juicy, sweet flesh. You just need to peel off their scaly, dragon scale-like skins in order to get to it. The white flesh within has a ripe peach-pear flavor that’s absolutely gorgeous. If you keep them in the fridge, they offer beautiful, refreshing flavor bursts on hot summer days.
6. LONGANS
Longan fruits are cousins to lychees, and the word for their name actually means “dragon eye” in Cantonese (龍眼). They’re not quite as sweet as lychees, but have a similar bright, peachy flavor. Try them in a white sangria with Pinot Grigio, and some of the other peach-flavored fruits on this list.
7. MUSCAT GRAPES
Many peach juices you’ll find at the grocery store are combined with white grape juice. This is because white grapes and peaches share a very similar flavor profile. Muscat grapes in particular have incredibly sweet peach notes, and are some of the most delicious grapes you’ll ever taste.
8. PASSION FRUITS
Although these fruits don’t look like anything peaches, they also have a similar flavor. These are the fruits from the passion flower vine, and have deep purple, potato-like skin. In fact, you’ll know they’re ripe when their skin looks like a crinkled paper bag. You’ll need to eat the flesh around the large seeds inside, and revel in the deep, rich peachy flavor it offers.
9. MANGOSTEENS
Just like passion fruits, mangosteens look absolutely nothing like peaches. They have thick, purple-brown skin and firm interior flesh… which just happens to taste like peaches and cream.
These fruits like peaches don’t necessarily look the same as our fuzzy favorites, but certainly offer similar flavor and texture profiles. Try them out to see how you like them, and then learn how to use them in different recipes.
While some of them—like passion fruits and nectarines—are amazing in smoothies, you may enjoy others juiced, frozen, or transformed into vegan ice cream. However you choose to prepare them, be sure to revel in their delicious, peachy glory whenever possible.
14 Common Types of Stone Fruit
Everything you need to know about stone fruit.
While watermelon is often the fruit most synonymous with hot summer days, come midsummer you’ll begin to see peaches and nectarines, preceded by cherries and apricots in the spring. What do all these juicy fruits have in common? They’re stone fruits. Get to know these fleshy fruits, and discover top-rated recipes for cooking with them.
What Is Stone Fruit, Exactly?
Stone fruits get their name from the pit or “stone” in their center that is encased in a fleshy outer area. Also known as drupes, stone fruits tend to have thin skins that may be fuzzy or smooth. The pit is actually a large seed, and stone fruits can be either clingstone or freestone depending on how easily the flesh pulls away from the seed. Since most stone fruits won’t ripen after being harvested, they’re picked at their peak and only good for a small window of time. This makes them highly seasonal, with different stone fruits arriving at different seasons.
When picking stone fruit, don’t be afraid of a few bruises as this indicates a ripe, tasty fruit that may actually be better than a hard, spotless one. If you want to test the ripeness of a stone fruit without squeezing (and bruising) them, their smell is a great indicator of ripeness—the more aromatic the better. There’s a lot of variety within stone fruits, and a few might surprise you. Read on to learn about 14 common types of stone fruits, and ways to cook with them.
14 Common Types of Stone Fruit
1. Peaches
One of the most popular stone fruits, peaches have a furry skin and a large pit. Like some other stone fruits, they can come in either clingstone or freestone and white or yellow varieties. They can even come in flat, round varieties that resemble donuts. No matter what kind of peach you go with, they’re great for grilling, or adding to cobblers and pies. They’ll show up at your farmers market midsummer and continue until the beginning of fall—be sure to get them while they’re ripe!
“This is the most delicious peach pie recipe out there, but the trick to push it over the top is to make a homemade pie crust,” says reviewer Laura M.
Popular Peach Recipes:
- Peach Avocado Salsa
- Juicy Peach Crisp
- Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler
2. Plums
Plums have a thin, smooth skin and super juicy flesh, so a napkin is always a good idea if you’re eating them raw. Toss plums in salads, or bake with them to really bring out their flavor. Red, black, or yellow—plums come in a variety of colors. The best thing about plums? They have a long growing season (spring through early fall), giving you all the more time to cook with them.
Popular Plum Recipes:
- Plum Jam
- My Mother-in-Law’s Plum Bread
- Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Plum Reduction
3. Cherries
Cherries are the first stone fruit to make an appearance in spring, and they range anywhere from sour and tart to sweet and tender. Sour cherries are best for pies and other desserts—try to get them at their peak in July and August. Sweet cherries are perfect for snacking, and they’re high in melatonin, making them a great late night snack when you need some serious shuteye.
Recipe creator Miranda Williams says, “This is a delicious cherry cobbler made with fresh cherries instead of canned. It may take a little longer to make because you need to pit the cherries, but it is well worth it when you taste the finished product.”
Popular Cherry Recipes:
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies II
- Cherry Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Best Cherry Pie
4. Nectarines
Nectarines are very similar to peaches, just without the fuzzy skin. They’re also firmer, resembling the texture of an apple. Like peaches, nectarines can be freestone, clingstone, or semi-freestone. Use them interchangeably with peaches—for grilling, baking, salad toppings, or simply eating out of hand.
Popular Nectarine Recipes:
- Nectarine Pie
- Nectarine Blush
- Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Nectarine Salsa
5. Apricots
Apricots resemble peaches and nectarines, but tend to be smaller in size. Their flavor is tart, but their texture is rich and creamy. Apricots tend to be popular for making jam or drying, as their skin is rich in pectin (which gives jams and jellies their thick consistency). Like other stone fruits, ripe apricots are perfect for baking.
Popular Apricot Recipes:
- Honey Apricot Pork Chops
- Apricot Jam
- Baked Apricot Chicken
6. Mangoes
Despite not having a large pit, mangoes are also classified as stone fruits. Ripe mangoes will give off a sweet scent, and tend to be heavier than unripe ones. These tropical fruits are best enjoyed fresh on a salad or in a smoothie.
Reviewer EDONNELLY says, “It’s really great if you make it early so that the flavors blend. Another great tip is to squeeze out the remaining juice from the pit of the mango—it adds tons of flavor!”
Popular Mango Recipes:
- Mango Blueberry Muffins with Coconut Streusel
- Mango-licious Tilapia
- Mango Lassi II
7. Lychees
If you’ve ever seen lychees before, it’s hard to forget their distinct appearance. They kind of resemble a dried out strawberry with their bumpy, reddish-pink exterior and translucent flesh. Their taste has been described as a cross between a grape and a pear, and they are often used in cocktails like martinis or mojitos.
Try this Lychee Recipe:
- Lychee Martini
8. Raspberries
Raspberries are actually not berries after all, they’re stone fruits! They’re actually aggregates of drupelets, meaning each raspberry is a cluster of tiny stone fruits that contain pits (you know, those things that get stuck in your teeth). Raspberries are extremely versatile, pairing well with chocolate for decadent desserts or perfectly complementing savory foods like pork.
“I made this for my sister-in-law’s birthday and it was heavenly! It has a creamy texture with undertones of white chocolate and raspberry. My sister-in-law said it tasted ‘professional,'” says reviewer Karen M.
Popular Raspberry Recipes:
- Delicious Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies Bars
- Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce
- Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
9. Blackberries
Like raspberries, blackberries are also mistaken for something they’re not. Blackberries too are aggregates of drupelets, meaning each individual ball has a tiny pit inside. Their season if fairly short: midsummer to early fall. But they’re perfect for freezing and using year round in smoothies and baked goods!
Chef John says, “Actually any berry will work in this recipe (even frozen, if you must), but the dark, sweet blackberries are my favorite. Served barely warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it just doesn’t get much better than this.”
Popular Blackberry Recipes:
- Blackberry Pie I
- Blackberry Spinach Salad
- Very Berry Cheesecake
10. Mulberries
Like the other berries on the list, mulberries are also just clusters of tiny drupes. They resemble elongated blackberries, and come in a range of colors from deep purple to bright reddish-pink and even white. Mulberries grow on trees, and more often than not you won’t find them in a grocery store, but you might find them in your backyard. There’s a lot you can do with them: bake them into a pie, make them into jam, or freeze them and use them for everything from ice pops to smoothies.
Popular Mulberry Recipes:
- Mulberry Rhubarb Pie
- Mulberry Preserves
- Mulberry Kuchen (Cake)
11. Olives
Often mistaken for vegetables due to their savory taste, olives are actually stone fruits because they have a pit. They come in a wide range of colors, textures, and flavors depending on time of harvest and how they are cured (unlike other tree fruits, olives are inedible straight from the branch). There are endless uses for olives, from pizza to salads to cocktails and more.
Reviewer Despina says, “I made these for an office potluck. They were amazing. I really dislike meatballs but I had to have one as I love feta and olives!”
Popular Olive Recipes:
- Fig and Olive Tapenade
- Prune and Olive Chicken
- Greek Pizza with Spinach, Feta and Olives
12. Coconuts
Coconuts are not actually nuts, but stone fruits, as they enclose a single large seed. Although coconuts have three layers surrounding the seed, when you buy a coconut from a grocery store you are just getting the innermost layer known as the endocarp, which surrounds the seed. The sweet, creamy flesh of a coconut is great for baking or adding to savory foods like shrimp.
Popular Coconut Recipes:
- Coconut Shrimp I
- Chewy Coconut Cookies
- Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
13. Dates
Dates are tropical fruits that grow on palm trees, and can be enjoyed either dried (most common in the Western world) or fresh. Dates range in color from red to yellow to brown, and have a chewy texture and sweet flavor. They’re great for snacking if you’re looking to add more fiber to your diet, and like most stone fruits they’re great additions to many baked goods.
“These are great little healthy cookie bites. Bananas and dates make a great sweetener,” says reviewer ALAIKAT.
Popular Date Recipes:
- Gramma’s Date Squares
- Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese
- Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
14. Hybrids: Pluots, Plumcots, and Apriums
These hybrid varieties are all crosses between plums and apricots, but differ based on the ratio of plum to apricot. Pluots are a majority plum, plumcots are half and half, and apriums are more apricot than plum. You can get your hands on these hybrids in the late summer, and they’re perfect for baking into a variety of dishes.
Try this Pluot Recipe:
- Pluots and Pork
What’s the Difference Between Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots?
Suppose you have a craving for homemade peach and tomato salsa. You have the tomatoes and onions you need to make it, but no peaches. You do, however, have nectarines. If you substituted the nectarines or apricots for the peaches, would it make much of a difference? Aren’t they basically the same fruit?
Peaches, nectarines, and apricots are similar, but they aren’t exactly the same. They’re all part of same family, the Prunus family, a genus that’s categorized by a hard shell that surrounds its seed in the center of the fruit. That hard shell and seed are often referred to as a stone, which is why the three fruits are commonly called stone fruits.
Peaches
Peaches have skin with a soft fuzz. The skin is often removed before eating or using in a recipe because of the fuzz, but it’s completely edible. Peaches are sweet and juicy when ripe. They’re used in baked goods, salads, salsas, sauces, smoothies, jams, jellies and of course, eaten fresh, as is.
Nectarines
Nectarines are almost genetically identical to peaches. There’s only one gene that separates them, and that gene determines whether the skin has fuzz on it or not. The taste of a nectarine is very similar to that of a peach, and it’s often difficult to tell them apart by taste alone.
They’re used in baked goods, salads, salsas, sauces, smoothies, jams, jellies and of course, eaten fresh, as is.
Apricots
Apricots look like a smaller version of a peach, about a quarter of the size. They have fuzz on their skin and are similarly shaped and colored. They are not, however, as closely related to a peach as a nectarine is. Apricots are a different species of fruit than peaches and nectarines. They have more of a sweet-tart flavor when they’re ripe, and they aren’t as juicy.
They’re used in baked goods, salads, salsas, sauces, smoothies, jams, jellies and of course, eaten fresh, as is.
Interchanging in a recipe
Clearly, the three fruits can be used for the same purposes, but can they be swapped out in any recipe?
Because peaches and nectarines are so closely related, they are easily interchangeable in recipes. So go ahead and use the nectarines in the peach salsa recipe if you want, or use a peach jam recipe to make nectarine jam without any other changes.
Apricots, however, don’t sub in as easily for peaches. They have a different flavor, and more importantly, they have a different water content. In any recipe where the juiciness is important, say a salsa, or in a recipe where the fruit is cooked, the substitution will make a difference, and not in a good way.
However, if you have a smoothie recipe that calls for peaches, substituting apricots many change the flavor, but it will still work. The same if you’re adding them to a green or fruit salad.