Southern Peach Cobbler
This from-scratch Southern Peach Cobbler recipe features juicy peaches topped with a golden brown, buttery crust. It’s the perfect summer dessert!
Whoever invented the idea of a cobbler should receive a prize. Seriously. Cobblers are such a simple concept, but they taste amazing. Not only do they taste amazing, but they are quite easy to make. Making a cobbler is so much easier than making a pie – although I do still love pie!
I have fond childhood memories of cobblers. Growing up, my sister and I would visit our grandparents in upstate South Carolina several times a year. They had an old house with a wrap-around porch. I remember sitting on that porch playing while the grown-ups sat around talking every evening.
Every time we visited our grandparents, I knew I could count on at least one cobbler making an appearance. If it was peach season, then the cobbler would be made from peaches that I picked with my grandpa at the orchard down the street. If it was blackberry season, the cobbler would be made from wild blackberries that my sister and I would pick on the alley next to their house. If it was apple season…you get the picture.
Southern Peach Cobbler
The fun thing about cobbler is that the recipe is more or less the same regardless of what fruit you use. The only thing that might change is which baking spices you use. For instance, I included cinnamon, ginger and cardamom in this Southern Peach Cobbler. I feel like those spices pair really well with peaches!
In a few months when apple season rolls around, I’ll probably omit the ginger and cardamom in favor of nutmeg and allspice. Other than that? Same exact recipe! That’s one of the beautiful things about cobbler – it’s versatile, easy and delicious!
I can’t say that this Southern Peach Cobbler is the exact version my grandmother made. She often used boxed cake mix as a shortcut, and it was mighty tasty. However, I wanted to make a cobbler from scratch, so I set about creating a topping that yielded a delicious buttery, golden brown crust. As move as I love peaches (and I love them!), the crust on top is the best part of a cobbler!
I did bake this cobbler in a 9″x13″ baking pan. It’s a big cobbler. Once you add a scoop of ice cream, you can get 8 legitimate bowls of cobbler from this recipe. If this is too much cobbler, then cut the recipe in half. This recipe scales beautifully. And for the record, leftover cobbler is mighty tasty – not as tasty as when it’s fresh out of the oven, but close!
You’ll need a bunch of peaches to make this Southern Peach Cobbler. I used ~12-14 peaches. That might sound like a lot, but it’s a big pan. And the peaches do get cooked down a bit before they go into cobbler form. This dessert is packed with peach flavor!
Speaking of peaches, we discovered The Peach Brothers last year, and we highly recommend them. These guys fill refrigerated trucks with peaches from all over the South and then they drive those boxes of peaches up the East Coast. They have a stop right here in my town, so it’s easy for us to swing by at the designated time and pick up boxes of peaches. (If you missed the Peach Brothers’ tour this year, put a note on your calendar for next year. Or just sign up for their mailing list. You’ll be glad you did!)
If you’re looking for one heck of a tasty cobbler recipe, then put this Southern Peach Cobbler on the list. This easy dessert is packed with summer flavor! Happy baking!
Did you bake this Southern Peach Cobbler at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Southern Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 12 fresh peaches pitted and sliced
- 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
For the Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cold
- ½ cup hot water
- 2-3 Tbsp coarse sugar sanding sugar, turbinado, etc.
- {optional} vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
For the Filling
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Using a large, deep skillet, add butter and place over medium-high heat.
- Once butter has melted, add peaches, lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt; stir until well combined. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add flour and cornstarch; stir until well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 more minutes.
- Transfer mixture into a greased 9”x13” baking pan. (Note: This cobbler can also be baked in a large 12” cast iron skillet.)
For the Topping
- Using a large bowl, add flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt; stir until well combined.
- Cut the butter into ½” cubes and add to the bowl; toss until well combined.
- Add hot water; stir until just barely combined.
- Drop spoonfuls the batter on top of the peach filling. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping begins to turn golden brown.
- Let cool for 1 hour before serving.
- {Optional} Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Looking for more peach recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Will be making this soon for the topping and filling can i use vegan butter as am a vegan i never had southern peach cobbler before perfect for my after office snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Yes! You can absolutely use vegan butter in this recipe, Ramya. It should work just fine. 🙂 I grew up eating peach cobblers all summer long, so I hope you get a chance to try this recipe. It’s fantastic!
Wow! Ive never made cobbler but Ive eaten my fair share of them! I remember a large peach one making an appearance at Holiday parties when I got my first job- and that cobbler would never last long. I think the fact that I went back for thirds helped in the process of its elimination! And speaking of cobblers, David, this looks amazing! Im sitting here drooling and dreaming of digging into this with a ginormous scoop of dairyfree icecream!
BTW, Those Peach Brothers are onto something! What a brilliant idea to transport fresh peaches all around! Fortunately I have access to fresh peached here in GA (jealous? then time to move down eh? 😀) so i look forward to trying this soon!
Ah – you totally need to venture into the cobbler world, Shashi! I grew up eating all sorts of cobblers – peach, blueberry, blackberry, apple – you name it! So easy and so delicious. 🙂
Also, I’m SO jealous that you have access to good peaches down there. In other news, the talk about moving back South is gaining some steam here. *fingers crossed*
I’ll be visiting my local fruit stand to buy peaches and guess what I’m going to make…. Peach Cobbler!!! I can’t wait to try your recipe and I’ll be picking up some ice cream to serve with this cobbler! A perfect summertime dessert!
Yes!! Definitely put peach cobbler on the list this summer, Kathy! I grew up eating peach cobbler at my grandparent’s house every summer, and each time I make a cobbler it reminds me of those days. 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend!
I’m a huge fan of crisps and crumbles, but indeed I’ve never made a cobbler. No kidding. I guess I love the ratio of the filling to the topping in crisps more. But making a cobbler is on my radar, that’s for sure (Maybe with apples!) Now, this cobbler looks terrific. Juicy peaches and spices (yes to cardamom) – what’s not to love about it? Delicious!
P.S. The addition of lavender would be good, too 🙂
In truth, crisps, crumbles and cobblers are all in the same family. In fact, I’m not sure I can really tell you the differences – they’re all similar, and they’re all delicious! 🙂 I think you should make a cobbler this season, Ben! Perhaps a bit of dried lavender in the crust would work well? You should test it out and report back!
I’ve never made a cobbler before David and you’ve made this one sound so delicious. Cobblers are definitely more of an American thing but again this is another recipe I’ve showed Lynne and she loves it. Normally I’ll make a similar crumble recipe but next time I think I’ll give this a go instead. Many thanks and I hope you guys are well and enjoying your summer over there!
So I grew up eating cobblers every summer. They’re such a simple way to enjoy whatever fruit is in season. I’ve made this cobbler with blueberries, blackberries, peaches and even apples – the only thing that changes is the fruit and the seasonings. I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot – it’s amazing! And, yes, our summer is going well here. I hope you and Lynne are having a great summer over there, too!
Summer and all the bounty is presents is perfect for fresh fruit cobblers and your peach one looks and sounds terrific. I agree with you, I like to add ginger to peaches. I think it is a great paring.
Yes to both summer cobblers and peach + ginger! This is the ultimate summer dessert if you ask me. Thanks, Karen! 🙂
I love crisps I started when my first granddaughter was 15 months old at 16 my fruit apple or berry. Crisps re a mainstay at all family gathers. I use oatmeal in my topping and it like a granola with fruit great w ice cream or lemon sorbet
Ah, I do enjoy a good crisp with oatmeal topping, Paulette! I usually make crisps with apples in the fall, but I should try one next summer with peaches instead. And great tip about the lemon sorbet, too – yum!
I cannot resist a good cobbler (particularly when peaches are involved!). This summer treat looks like buttery perfection, David!
I’m with ya, Marissa – I have a definitely weakness for a good cobbler. And if you top that cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Pass me a bowl ASAP! 🙂
I agree, sometimes the simpler the better
Yes! Simple is great many times – after all, look at Italian food. It’s usually very simple, but it’s amazing!
During off seasons, can I use canned peaches? If so, how much? Thank You!
That’s a good question, Stephanie! I suspect you could use canned peaches, but I’ve never made it that way myself. My concern is that canned peaches often have more liquid than fresh peaches, so I’d make sure to dry them off well before using them. Truthfully, I’ve never loved canned peaches as I don’t think they taste much like fresh peaches. In the winter months, I would lean towards making this with sliced apples instead since apples are pretty much a year-round fruit. Just a thought! Either way, happy baking!