Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe is made with fresh peaches tossed in a brown sugar and bourbon mixture and baked until bubbly beneath a homemade buttery dough. It’s the easiest dessert to use up the best of the season’s peaches and comes together easily for a crowd. The only problem is deciding whether to serve it with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. 

*This post was originally published in August 2020. I’ve updated the pictures and included a maceration of the peaches in the new recipe.*

What Is Peach Cobbler?

A classic Southern peach cobbler is a dessert of sliced peaches tossed with sugar, spices, and a thickener, later covered with a top crust and baked until bubbly and thick. 

Fruit cobblers are “clump cakes.” Clump cakes are as ugly as they sound, but they taste great. If yours looks ugly, you did it right.

Slumps, dumps, betties, buckles, and crisps are clump cakes like cobblers. You can make a peach crisp and a peach pie with nearly the same methods, albeit with different ingredients. We’ll talk more about those in another post, though.

Peach cobbler is thickened and sweetened peach slices baked under a topping similar to biscuit or scone dough. 

What’s The Difference Between Pies And Cobblers?

The only difference between cobblers and pies is their crusts. All pies have a bottom crust, but not all have a top crust. All cobblers have a top crust and shouldn’t have a bottom crust (because they’d be pies).

There’s really no other difference between a pie and cobbler other than that bottom crust. Cobblers and fruit pies have thick, syrupy fillings made from fresh or frozen fruits. You can make peach cobbler with canned peaches in heavy syrup, frozen peaches, or fresh ripe peaches. I’m not a fan of canned peaches, but they come in handy during the off-season. Frozen peaches also make a suitable replacement for fresh peaches, but they’re sometimes very underripe. 

How Do I Make The Cobbler Filling?

To make peach cobbler filling, you need ripe yellow peaches, brown sugar, kosher salt, bourbon (or vanilla extract), vanilla extract, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. You can replace the yellow peaches with white peaches when making peach cobbler, but the light flavor of the white peach is less prominent than yellow.

Can I Use Canned or Frozen Peaches To Make A Peach Cobbler?

Peach season is from mid-May to mid-August (in Texas), so you should be able to find fresh peaches in the grocery store. When you can’t, replace them with canned or frozen peaches. 

Frozen and canned peaches are great because they’re already peeled and available year-round. The downside to using frozen peaches is that they don’t have as prominent a peach flavor as fresh. I also don’t like thawing and draining them before mixing them into the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Canned peaches are partially cooked during the canning process, making them mushier after baking in the cobbler. They also have a ton of sugary syrup that can affect the overall sweetness in this recipe. 

When shopping for peaches to use in cobbler, select those fruits that feel heavy for their size. Peaches are available as clingstone or freestone. For the purposes of cobbler-making, you want to use a freestone peach. It just means the pit comes away from the flesh more easily. Choose fruits that aren’t mushy when you press them lightly. You also want peaches with a bright reddish-orange hue and no green spots. 

How Do I Make The Filling?

I always begin by macerating the peaches. This way, I’m extracting their flavor while I can move on to making the cobbler dough and mixing other ingredients. The sugar will extract the peaches’ natural juices as they macerate, adding more sweet flavor and giving the cobbler a nice gooey center. 

You don’t have to peel the peach skin for peach cobbler. I prefer to peel mine because the skins often make the filling stringy after baking. Because the peaches I buy are still slightly firm, I peel them with a vegetable peeler. Using the method here, you can use a very sharp paring knife or parboil the skins.

Add the peach slices to a large bowl. Next, add the brown sugar and the kosher salt and toss these together to evenly coat the peach slices. Allow the peaches to macerate at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Peach Cobbler Crust?

I always make my cobbler crusts from scratch because they taste better and are easy to prepare. To make a cobbler dough, you need all purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, kosher salt, unsalted butter, and whole milk. To make a more decadent cobbler dough, replace the whole milk with heavy cream.

You’ll also need a rolling pin for the dough and a 9 x 13-inch baking dish to bake the cobbler in. You also want to use a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or sharp knife to make designs with your topping. 

Why Are Cold Ingredients Important?

Sift or toss the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl.

Grate the still-cold butter on top of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Toss and pinch the butter into the flour to create a coarse, cornmeal-like mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Try to work quickly without kneading the dough too much.

Pour the very cold milk into the center of the mixture. Use your hands to fold the milk into the flour. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill while you wait for the peaches to finish macerating. It’s important to keep the dough cold because that contributes to a flaky cobbler crust. The cold butter quickly evaporates in the hot oven, leaving behind pockets of air, which appears as flakiness. 

How Do I Finish Prepping The Peach Cobbler?

The last of the ingredients in this peach cobbler recipe is its topping, made with melted, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon.

Use your fingers to combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon you’ll top the peach cobbler with before baking. Set this aside while you prep the cobbler. 

How Do I Thicken My Cobbler?

First, use 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the melted butter from the topping ingredients to lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Set this baking dish aside. 

The easiest way to thicken a cobbler filling is with cornstarch. Cornstarch mixes with the liquids the peaches and sugar produce and, when heated, thickens the mixture. 

Combine the cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a small bowl with a whisk or a spoon. 

Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over the peach slices in the bowl. Use a spoon to fold the dry mixture, bourbon, and vanilla extract into the fruit until no traces of white powder remain. 

Scrape the peach mixture into the greased pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. 

How Do I Top The Peach Cobbler?

You can give the chilled dough 2-3 folds on a floured surface, then use the rolling pin to roll it out into a 12 x 16 rectangle. I roll out my dough larger than the pan because I like a lot of crust.

After rolling out the dough, use a pizza cutter (pastry wheel) to cut the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares. These squares don’t have to be perfect, but you want them to be the same thickness. You can skip all of this and lay the rectangle of dough on top of the baking dish. Use your fingers to crimp the excess on the sides or fold them over. Remember, this is supposed to be a rustic-looking dessert.

At this point, you can wrap the dish in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and freeze for up to six months. I suggest making your peach cobbler in a disposable pan if you plan to freeze it. Freezing the peach cobbler in a metal pan also means you can go from freezer to baking without waiting for the cobbler to thaw (you just need to add an additional 15-20 minutes to account for it being frozen).

How Do I Finish It For Baking?

Arrange the dough on top of the peaches. Use a pastry brush to brush the dough with the remaining melted butter.

Finally, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the cobbler. If you’re not a fan of sweet desserts, you can make this cinnamon sugar with less sugar or omit it completely. 

If you laid the entire rectangle of dough over the filling, pierce it a few times with a knife to vent it. 

How Long Do I Bake Peach Cobbler?

Bake the peach cobbler in a 350°F (170°C) for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden, the juices are bubbly, and the crust sounds hard when tapped with a spoon or knife. If the crust seems soggy, bake it for 15-20 minutes longer. Check it after 10 minutes, though. It might be just enough time. 

Remove the peach cobbler from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before digging in. The cobbler filling properly thickens as it cools, so it’s important to let the cobbler rest before serving it.

How Do I Serve It?

Serve your homemade peach cobbler with a generous scoop of Vanilla Frozen Custard, whipped cream, or by itself. 

I prefer to eat fruit cobblers while they’re warm, but they taste great at room temperature, too. 

How Do I Store Leftover Peach Cobbler?

Store leftover peach cobbler at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Cover the cobbler dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container. I prefer keeping my cobbler at room temperature because it tastes better. Butter hardens in the fridge and makes the cobbler top go stale faster. Ours never lasts longer than 2 days, regardless of where we store it. 

Reheat the leftover peach cobbler in the microwave for 15 seconds to get that fresh-baked flavor. 

Can Freeze Peach Cobbler After Baking It?

You can freeze baked peach cobbler for up to 3 months. First, allow the cobbler to cool completely, then wrap it in a double layer of heavy-duty foil and it.

Thaw frozen peach cobbler overnight in the fridge the evening before you plan to serve it. You can reheat it in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes, then let it cool for 5 minutes before serving it. This just takes the chill off the peach cobbler and warms up the filling. Cover the top of the peach cobbler lightly with foil if you think it’s getting too dark.

This Homemade Peach Cobbler, along with my blackberry cobbler and my raspberry cobbler, has to be the best way to enjoy the season’s fresh fruit. This easy peach cobbler recipe is the best time of year. Summer’s favorite dessert just got better thanks to this old fashioned peach cobbler recipe, so don’t forget to share and make it for your friends and family soon!

Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 52 votes

This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe is made with fresh peaches tossed in a brown sugar and bourbon mixture and baked until bubbly beneath a homemade buttery dough.

Servings: 10

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Equipment

• 9" x 13" baking dish
• rolling pin

Ingredients

  

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For the Peach Filling

• 7 large (4 pounds or 1 kilo) peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1 cup, packed (210 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1g) kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (75grams) cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger optional
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) bourbon (or vanilla extract)
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract

Cobbler Dough

• 1 1/3 cup (165 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter very cold
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk very cold

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon

Optional Serving Suggestions

• sweetened whipped cream
• vanilla frozen custard

Instructions 

Macerate the Peaches (for 15 minutes)

• Add the peach slices to a large bowl along with the brown sugar and the kosher salt.

  Toss these together to evenly coat the peach slices. Allow the peaches to macerate at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Prepare the Cobbler Dough

• While the peaches macerate, sift or toss the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl.
• Grate the still-cold butter on top of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

  Toss and pinch the butter into the flour to create a coarse, cornmeal-like mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter.

  Try to work quickly without kneading the dough too much.
• Pour the very cold milk into the center of the mixture. Use your hands to fold the milk into the flour. 

  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill while you wait for the peaches to finish macerating.

Mix the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

• Use your fingers to combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon you'll top the peach cobbler with before baking.

  Set this aside while you prep the cobbler. 

Heat the Oven and Prep the Baking Dish

• Heat an oven to 350°F (170°C).

  Use 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the melted butter from the topping ingredient's list to lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

  Set this baking dish aside. 

Assemble the Peach Cobbler

• Combine the cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a small bowl using a whisk or a spoon. 

  Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture, bourbon, and vanilla over the peach slices in the bowl.

  Use a spoon to fold the dry mixture into the fruit until no traces of white powder remain. 
• Scrape the peach mixture into the greased pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. 
• Fold the chilled dough 2-3 times on a floured surface, then use a lightly-floured rolling pin to roll it out into a 12 x 16 rectangle.

  After rolling out the dough, use a pizza cutter (pastry wheel) to cut the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares.

  *You can skip all of this and lay the rectangle of dough on top of the baking dish. Use your fingers to crimp the excess on the sides or fold them over.*
• Arrange the dough on top of the peaches. Use a pastry brush to brush the dough with the remaining melted butter.

  Finally, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the cobbler.

  If you laid the entire rectangle of dough over the filling, pierce it a few times with a knife to vent it. 

Bake, Then Cool the Peach Cobbler Before Serving

• Bake the peach cobbler for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden, the juices are bubbly, and the crust sounds hard when tapped with a spoon or knife.

  If the crust seems soggy, bake it for 15-20 minutes longer, checking it after 10 minutes.
• Remove the peach cobbler from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before enjoying it.

  Serve your homemade peach cobbler while warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of Vanilla Frozen Custard, whipped cream, or by itself. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the fresh peaches with frozen peaches or canned peaches. Reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup if you're using canned peaches in heavy syrup. 
• Swap out the homemade cobbler topping with store-bought pie dough or puff pastry.
• If you're not a fan of sweet desserts, you can make this cinnamon-sugar with less sugar or omit it completely. 

Tips and Techniques:

• It's important to keep the dough cold because that contributes to a flaky cobbler crust. The cold butter quickly evaporates in the hot oven, leaving behind pockets of air, which appears as flakiness. 
• These cobbler dough squares don't have to be perfect, but you want them to be the same thickness.
• The cobbler filling properly thickens as it cools, so it's important to let the cobbler rest before serving it.

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover peach cobbler at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• Cover the cobbler dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container. 
• Reheat the leftover peach cobbler in the microwave for 15 seconds to get that fresh-baked flavor. 

Freezing Instructions:

• To freeze unbaked peach cobbler (I suggest making your peach cobbler in a disposable pan if you plan to freeze it):
  1. Wrap the dish with the assembled cobbler in it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil.
  2. Freeze the peach cobbler for up to six months. 
  3. If you froze it in a metal pan you can go from freezer to baking without waiting for the cobbler to thaw (you just need to add an additional 15-20 minutes to account for it being frozen). If not, thaw the cobbler in the fridge overnight before baking it.
• To freeze baked peach cobbler: 
  1. Cool the cobbler completely, then wrap it in a double layer of heavy-duty foil and it.
  2. Freeze the cobbler for up to 3 months.
  3. Thaw frozen peach cobbler overnight in the fridge the evening before you plan to serve it.
  4. Reheat the cobbler it in a 350°F (170°C) oven for 20 minutes, then allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Cover the top of the peach cobbler lightly with foil if you think it's getting too dark.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 206mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 340IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 2mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword cobbler, Peach

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