An Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler is one of those dessert recipes that is easy to make from scratch, which is likely why it's so timeless. It's simple, down home fruit goodness my family adores!
Peach Cobbler
There's nothing like the fragrance of fresh peaches during peach season. And while I wish I could tell you we had some local peaches growing in the backyard, I can't.
Mine typically come from Georgia, and they're delicious.
Every now and then there's a giant fruit truck that rolls through a nearby town. When that happens, my mom usually buys a ginormous box (or two) of peaches. There are seriously so many different peach recipes to try, two boxes doesn't even seem like enough.
But I digress...
One of the reasons I love this old fashioned peach cobbler recipe so much is that it is a super easy to make. There's no fussiness about it, no fancy technique and it's easier than peach pie. Simply ingredients and old fashioned desserts like this, strawberry crumble and baked rice pudding are my fav!
How to Make Peach Cobbler from Scratch
Because peaches have fuzzy skin, it's best to peel them for this (and most) recipes. It's not hard and you can read about how to do that here.
Once the peaches are peeled, pitted and chopped, you're ready to get down to business!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°.
Step 2: Grab your favorite large bowl and add your chopped peaches, sugar, lemon juice, flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Don't let this list scare you, I bet you have most - if not all - ingredients on hand already.
Give it a toss with a large spoon or clean hands.
Step 3: Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish. I use cooking spray. Transfer the peach mixture to the pan and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake it for 10 minutes.
Step 4: In the meantime, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and stir to combine. Now, we're going to add the butter. There are a few ways you can incorporate the butter for your peach cobbler topping.
This is one recipe where you want your butter to be very, very cold. Like just pulled from the fridge, so don't set it out in advance. Dice up the butter into many pieces. I usually run a cut lenthwise in half, and then cut the halves into half.
Still with me? Good.
So we basically have 4 long butter sticks. Then I cut each of those into smaller dices.
Add the butter to the bowl and you can use a fork, or your fingers to combine it with the dry ingredients until the dry ingredients start to pick up the butter and become pea sized pieces.
You can also use a pastry blender tool for this task.
Now, I'm not saying I'm lazy. I'm just gonna say that massaging butter into flour is one of my least favorite parts of baking. Like, seriously. My fingers get tired or bored. I don't know.
Anywhoo, if you're with me on that school of thought, do what I do. I get out my food processor. I add the flour, sugar, butter, etc. to my food processor and I give it a few pulses. We don't want to over process the mixture or warm the butter. Just a few quick taps until everything is worked together.
So there are three ways you can mix the topping. You do whatever you like, friend!
Step 5: Add heavy cream and water to the flour and combine until it's just moistened. Pull the peaches from the oven and spoon the batter over the top as evenly as you can.
It's okay if there are some pieces that aren't entirely covered - that's why it's a "cobbler". Because we're basically cobbling the topping together.
Put the cobbler back into the oven for 15 minutes or so until the topping begins to turn light brown.
Step 6: Honestly, this step is part way optional. But if you give the top a brush (or a dab) with egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar, it will look extra pretty when it comes from the oven as it finishes baking.
Oh, and an egg wash is just some egg white mixed with a little liquid - or in this case water. It gives the cobbler a glossy finish and also gives the sugar sprinkled on top something to adhere to.
I say it's worth the extra effort. But if you choose to forgo this step, you'll need to still cook the cobbler for another 10-15 minutes or so until the top is golden brown and the peaches are bubbly.
Then comes the hardest part of all....you have to wait a bit for it to cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream, of course!!
Variations
- You can make this recipe using canned peaches (drain them first) or substituting frozen peaches.
- Bake your old fashioned peach cobbler in a cast iron skillet.
- Reduce the peaches and add blueberries for an old fashioned peach and blueberry cobbler!
How to Store Peach Cobbler
Our peach cobbler doesn't stick around too long, so I'd say it's good for several days. We usually leave ours out because it's gone the next day. If you're stretching it any longer than that, I'd pop it in the refrigerator where it will keep for 3-4 days.
To reheat cobbler, place a piece (or two) on a microwave safe plate and warm for 30-60 seconds until just heated.
I can't think of a better way than to end the day with a scoop of old fashioned peach cobbler. Yum!!!
Other fruit desserts you'll love
Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Peach Filling
- 8 large ripe pieces, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
For the Peach Cobbler Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup water
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter chilled
- 1 egg white beaten with water added
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Add filling ingredients EXCEPT brown sugar (basically, your peaches, sugar, lemon juice, flour salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract) to a large bowl and stir gently to combine.
- Grease an 8x8 baking pan. Add peach mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and bake for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add flour, ½ cup sugar, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Chop the butter into small pieces. Add them to the bowl and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work them into dough until pea sized pieces are formed. (See notes for alternative method).
- Add the heavy cream and flour to the mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven after 10 minutes. Carefully spoon the dough over the top. It doesn't have to cover everything, that's why this is a "cobbler"!
- Place the cobbler into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the topping begins to brown.
- This step is part way optional. But if you give the top a brush (or a dab) with egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar, it will look extra pretty when it comes from the oven as it finishes baking.
- Oh, and an egg wash is just some egg white mixed with a little liquid - or in this case water. It gives the cobbler a glossy finish and also gives the sugar sprinkled on top something to adhere to.
- I say it's worth the extra effort. But if you choose to forgo this step, you'll need to still cook the cobbler for another 10-15 minutes or so until the top is golden brown and the peaches are bubbly.
- Let it cool slightly before topping with ice cream or whipped cream.
Kendall
I made this today as a test run for my mom’s birthday! She request peach cobbler instead of cake. This recipe was really easy and so delicious. It will be the only one I use from now on!!