Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler

4.8
(4,217)

This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe uses fresh peaches and a buttery cobbler topping that's made form scratch. It's a delicious summer dessert I've perfected over the years!

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high angle looking at a bowl full of peach cobbler
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
4

Classic peach cobbler is always a hit when peaches are at their peak. This particular cobbler has over 3,000 five-star ratings, so we're confident you'll be thrilled with the results, too.

A warm mixture of sweetened, juicy peaches is topped with a biscuit-like dough and sprinkled in cinnamon sugar. Although it's made from scratch with fresh peaches, this easy peach cobbler is incredibly simple and comes together in just one hour. No fresh peaches? See below for tips on using canned or frozen peaches during the off season.

What Is Peach Cobbler?

A cobbler — not to be confused with a crisp or crumble — is a deep-dish fruit dessert with a sweetened fruit filling that is topped off with a biscuit-like dough. The dough may cover the entire dish or be dropped by the spoonful, earning it the name "cobbler" for its resemblance to a cobblestone street. It gives you the same fruit-and-pastry combination as pie, but without all the effort.

In the case of peach cobbler, fresh, frozen, or canned peaches may be combined with sugar, spices, lemon juice, and cornstarch (for thickening). As with all cobblers, it's finished off with a biscuit-like topping and sprinkled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

fresh southern peach cobbler in a white bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. fresh peaches in the casserole dish are in the background

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Can You Use Canned or Frozen Peaches?

Although it's hard to beat a ripe, juicy peach during peak season, canned (well-drained) and frozen peaches (thawed and drained) make a great alternative when fresh is not an option. Reviewers say they had success with both canned and frozen peaches:

  • "I used two bags of frozen peaches and it turned out VERY good!" says reviewer MMCCLOREY.
  • "...I used canned and they turned out GREAT! First time I left some of the canned juice in it, but there really isn't a need for it!" says reviewer Lena.

Recipe Tip

Substituting canned or frozen peaches? Here's how to do the math:

  • 6-8 medium peaches (~4 cups) = 2 (16-ounce) cans
  • 6-8 medium peaches (~4 cups) = 40 ounces frozen peaches

How to Pick Fresh Peaches

Picking a perfectly ripe peach can seem tricky, but you can rely on three simple sensory cues: look, touch, and smell. A ripe peach will have a golden-hue near the stem, it should give slightly to your grip, and it will have a sweet and fragrant smell.

If your peaches aren't ripe, here's the good news: They will continue to ripen with a little patience. Place unripe peaches on the counter stem-side-down at room temperature until ripe.

Most folks choose to peel their peaches, but you can absolutely leave the skin on. The skin will soften as it bakes and be far less noticeable once cooked. If you do choose to peel them you can do so one of two ways:

baked fresh southern peach cobbler in a white baking dish

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

How to Peel Peaches—And Do You Need To?

  1. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife. It's easier to peel a whole peach rather than a halved or sliced peach.
  2. Blanch and shock. Start by cutting an X on the bottom of the peaches. Bring a pot of water to a boil and dip whole, unpeeled peaches into the water for about 30 seconds. Then immediately plunge the peaches into ice water. After about 10 seconds, remove the peaches from the water and use a paring knife or your finger to peel the skin away — it should practically peel itself! Learn more about how to peel and slice peaches.

Test Kitchen Tips

It just wouldn’t be summer without a homemade peach cobbler, according to culinary developer and test kitchen expert Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. NicoleMcMom). Here are a few of her favorite tips and tricks for a perfect cobbler every time: 

  • “When it comes to picking your peaches, you want them ripe, but not mushy,” says Nicole. “And you want to be able to smell them.”
  • While fresh is almost always best, Nicole says it’s fine to use frozen or even canned peaches if you’d like. If she had to pick, though, she advises choosing frozen over canned.
  • You don't have to be precious when you're slicing the peaches, as they'll cook down anyway. It's okay if they're imperfectly cut.

How to Store and Reheat Peach Cobbler

While it is best right out of the oven (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, of course!), cobbler will keep covered in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, microwave to your desired temperature or bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Coming from the Peach State, I'm really picky about peach cobbler," says reviewer AlliePeacock. "This recipe is fantastic!"

"Last summer I also made batches of the filling and then froze it, and had delicious cobbler all winter long," says reviewer Travis Halling.

Editorial contributions by Melanie Fincher and Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings

  • 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges

  • ¼ cup white sugar

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup white sugar

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

  • ¼ cup boiling water

  • 3 tablespoons white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    All ingredients gathered to make southern peach cobbler.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

  3. Combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a large bowl; toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

    Peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice combined in a large bowl.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

    Mixture poured into baking dish.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Meanwhile, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

    Flour, white and brown sugar, baking powder and salt combined in a large bowl with butter added until coarse-like.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.

    Spoonfuls of the topped dropped over baked peaches.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Mix 3 tablespoons white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl; sprinkle over entire cobbler.

    Everything in baking dish sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon mixture.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

    Cobbler baked until topping is golden-brown.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

High angle, looking at a bowl full of southern peach cobbler.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can you freeze peach cobbler?

    The answer is something of a mixed bag. You can freeze a cobbler, but depending on the nature of the crust, it may become soggy over time. If you prepare your cobbler and store it in the freezer until you want to bake it, the ingredients will remain in much better condition over time and the result will be better. Store a cobbler in the freezer for up to three months.

  • What are the best fresh peaches to bake with?

    "The easiest peaches to work with are known as freestone peaches," says Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. NicoleMcMom). A great variety of freestone peaches are Babcock peaches. A freestone peach means the peel with come free easier than from a clingstone peaches. Freestone and clingstone peaches are often advertised as semi-freestone or semi-clingstone peaches.

  • How do I keep peach cobbler from being runny?

    Besides the recommended use of cornstarch, there are a few tricks to be mindful of when creating a cobbler that is saucy and thick rather than runny. Using very ripe peaches will result in more juices, so in this instance, you may need to cook the cobbler a touch longer. Also, if you spread the batter over the peaches, rather than drop spoonfuls across the top, there may not be enough space for steam to escape.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

562 Calories
18g Fat
99g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 562
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 400mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 99g 36%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 73g
Protein 4g 7%
Vitamin C 84mg 94%
Calcium 114mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 146mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.