Fresh Peach Cobbler
To make peach cobbler, toss sliced ripe peaches with sugar and a little cornstarch, spread them in a dish, and drop spoonfuls of a soft biscuit batter over the top. Bake at 190 °C for about 40 minutes until the fruit bubbles and the topping is golden and cooked through. Ripe, in-season peaches make all the difference, and the cornstarch keeps the filling from being watery. Serve warm with ice cream or cream.
When peaches are ripe, fragrant, and dripping down your wrist, peach cobbler is where they belong — sweet, jammy fruit under a soft, golden biscuit topping, baked until it bubbles up around the edges. It’s a cozy, old-fashioned dessert that comes together in one dish, and there’s no better use for a basket of peak summer peaches.
Ripe peaches make it
Cobbler is a showcase for the fruit, so use ripe, fragrant, in-season peaches — the ones that give slightly when you press them and smell like summer. Underripe peaches stay firm and sour; ripe ones melt into a jammy filling. This is a late-summer dessert, made when peaches are at their best.
Thicken the filling
Peaches are juicy, so toss them with a spoonful of cornstarch and a little sugar and lemon to keep the filling glossy rather than watery. Peel them or not — the skins soften as they bake, so it’s a texture preference, not a rule.
The biscuit topping
What makes it a cobbler is the soft biscuit topping dropped over the fruit in spoonfuls, baking into tender, golden mounds. Leave gaps so the peaches bubble up between them.
Make it yours
- Spiced: cinnamon, nutmeg, or a little ginger.
- Mixed fruit: peaches with berries, plums, or nectarines.
- Frozen peaches: work well — add extra cornstarch.
- Extra crunch: a sprinkle of coarse sugar on the topping before baking.
Serve it warm, with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream melting into the fruit. It’s the taste of peach season at its peak — humble, homey, and impossible to resist a second helping of.
At a glance
Fresh Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off
Instructions
- Toss the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon. Spread in a buttered baking dish.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spice; stir in the melted butter and milk to a soft batter.
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter over the peaches, leaving gaps for the fruit to bubble through.
- Bake at 190 °C for about 40 minutes until the topping is golden and cooked through and the fruit bubbles.
- Cool slightly; serve warm with ice cream or cream.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to peel the peaches?
It's up to you. Peach skins soften as they bake and many people leave them on for a rustic cobbler and less work. For a smoother filling, peel them: score an X in the base, dunk in boiling water for 30–40 seconds, then slip off the skins. Ripe peaches peel easily this way. Both versions are delicious; peeling is just a texture preference.
Can I use frozen or canned peaches?
Yes. Frozen peach slices work well — use them from frozen and add an extra spoonful of cornstarch for the extra liquid. Canned peaches (drained well) also work in a pinch, though they're softer and sweeter, so cut back the added sugar. Fresh ripe summer peaches are the ideal, but this is a forgiving recipe that adapts to what you have.
What's the difference between a cobbler and a crisp?
A cobbler has a soft, biscuit- or cake-like topping dropped or spread over the fruit, so it bakes up like little dumplings or a tender cake layer. A crisp (or crumble) has a crunchy streusel or oat topping instead. Both are baked fruit desserts, but the cobbler's biscuit topping is what gives it its name and its comforting, tender-topped character.