Peach Cobbler
The BEST peach cobbler – the peaches are just lightly sweetened to make them a little jammy, they’re flavored with cinnamon, lemon and vanilla and then topped with a gorgeous lemony, brown butter muffin-like topping. The perfect transition from summer to fall desserts.
If there was one thing I would tell you to make this season, it’s hands down this peach cobbler.
Why you’ll love this peach cobbler
- It’s much easier and simpler to make than a pie but it still gives all the pie feels.
- You can use fresh or frozen peaches to make this even easier (and so you can make this any time of the year really).
- I thought the biscuit topping from cherry cobbler was good but then I added brown butter to it and I haven’t recovered.
I used to not like fruity desserts… I don’t know what planet I was living on but now I would sell a kidney for anything with peaches in it. If you also would, then do not wait on these. I have a Peaches & Cream Cake, which is nowhere near as boring as it sounds. There’s brown butter involved there too.
I also have a Peach Mango Pie – two of my favorite fruits all in one flakey vehicle and my viral Peach Cobbler Pound Cake.
What is a cobbler?
Ok soooo in my head a traditional cobbler would be a fruit filled pan topped with biscuits. However, when researching more about cobblers it seems like there are different ways to make it. Some people do a cake-like topping, some people even have a bottom crust (not sure how it differs from a pie then lol) but whatever.
For my cherry cobbler I made a biscuit base but I made the dough a little softer, similar to a cookie dough texture. I did this because I wanted it to be buttery and tender like a biscuit but I wanted it to not be super thick on top so that you can get a little bite of the topping without smashing it down into the filling. HOWEVER, I wanted this peach version to be even closer to a muffin-top texture and less biscuity so I left the butter melted after I browned it. And obviously the brown butter takes it NEXT LEVEL.
I also kept the lemon zest in the biscuit dough because lemon zest is just like my secret weapon at this point.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Peaches: I used fresh peaches and you want them to be ripe enough to eat and have flavor but not at all soft or mushy. The softer they are before baking, the more mushy they will be after. Mine were slightly soft (but I didn’t want to waste them) so I used them anyway but I froze them while I made the topping to hopefully limit some of the mush. It turned out phenom.
- Frozen peaches would also work well or even nectarines.
- Sugar: I used light brown sugar in the peach filling and granualted sugar in the biscuit dough. I don’t recommend reducing it as it will affect the texture but you can increase it in the filling if your peaches aren’t sweet.
- If you reduce it in the filling, it won’t be as jammy.
- I like brown sugar with peaches but I don’t love the texture of brown sugar in cakes or muffins as much so that’s why I used granulated in the biscuit.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour and I highly recommend using a digital scale when measuring ingredients, especially flour. I haven’t tested this with other flours but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with cake flour as well. Bread flour may even work but it may be just a little less tender.
- Baking powder: to leaven the biscuits – it should also work fine with ½ tsp of baking soda but they may brown just a little more.
- Butter: I love baking with salted butter but unsalted is fine as well, I would just add a ¼ tsp of sea salt. Make sure to read my post on browning butter if you’ve never done it. It’s not something I would skip because the flavor is just SO GOOD but if you do skip browning the butter, measure out 93 grams of melted butter instead – don’t use the full 113 grams if you’re not browning.
- Greek Yogurt: traditional biscuits use heavy cream but I wanted to make them a little lighter with greek yogurt. Either is fine.
- Egg: I used one large egg in the biscuit dough (not traditional for biscuits) but I was going for a muffin top like texture.
- Lemon: the lemon zest rubbed into the sugar for the biscuit is to die for. Make sure to zest the lemon first, set that aside and then juice the lemon for the filling.
- Vanilla Extract: a little pure vanilla extract in the biscuit dough.
- Cinnamon: I LOVE cinnamon with all fruits, especially with peaches, bananas and apples. 1 tsp is pretty subtle in this if you ask me, you can taste it but it compliments the peaches instead of overpowering it.
- Cornstarch: thickens the peach filling – it’s best to weigh this with a digital scale as well.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Peach Filling
- Pit and slice all the peaches – and place them into a buttered cast iron skillet, deep dish pie pan (or a casserole dish).
- Toss peaches with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and cornstarch until they’re all completely combined. Set aside (or if the peaches are slightly soft, freeze while you make the topping).
Biscuit Topping
- Zest the lemon into a medium bowl with the granulated sugar and use your fingers to rub them together until they’re well combined.
- Brown the butter by cooking over medium-low heat until it starts to foam. Then stir continuously until the butter is a dark amber color.
- Pour the butter over the lemon sugar mixture and whisk aggressively for 1-2 minutes to cool the butter.
- Add the egg, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until they’re completely combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder and fold until there are no more streaks of flour. It should be the texture of cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scooper to scoop out small scoops of the biscuit batter on top of the peaches and sprinkle some granulated sugar on top of that.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until you have thick bubbles of the peach filling coming up around the sides and top is a nice golden brown.
- Allow it to cool a little before serving so the filling can set.
Pro Tips for the best cobbler
- Don’t substitute ingredients that aren’t mentioned in the ingredient & substitution section
- Don’t reduce the sugar – it makes the filling jammy and the topping tender. The cobbler is not overly sweet and if you reduce the sugar, you will have a more runny filling on the bottom.
- If using frozen peaches, you may need just a few extra minutes in the oven. If the top is getting too dark before the filling is thick and bubbly, cover it with aluminum foil.
- Let it cool after it comes out of the oven so you get that nice jammy filling on the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically yes but if you use frozen peaches, you may need just a few extra minutes in the oven. If the top is getting too dark before the filling is thick and bubbly, cover it with aluminum foil.
I haven’t tested this but the texture of the cobbler topping is like a cross between biscuits and cake – sort of like a cookie dough and my cakes and cookie dough do well with 1:1 gluten-free flour substitutes like King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill. If you try it let us know in the comments!
Yes! Just use dairy free butter and yogurt (or sour cream).
How to store peach cobbler
I usually cover it and let it sit out at room temperature overnight for the first night. After that I refrigerate it and just reheat it in the microwave when serving.
I have not tried freezing this. I’m not entirely sure if that would work out lol.
Thanks so much for being here, if you make this fabulous peach cobbler I would love it if you left a star rating or a review!
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
This is soooooo good- the peaches are soft and flavorful, and then it’s just the perfect contrast to the slightly crispy topping- I can’t wait to make this again!