Featuring juicy sweet peaches and a buttermilk biscuit-like topping, peach cobbler is the ultimate comforting homestyle summer dessert. For the best texture, cut the peaches into chunks instead of slices, and add an egg wash and a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top before baking. Serve warm with cold vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream for the *best* summer dessert experience.
We don’t usually think of summer fruit recipes as “comfort food”—that’s a term typically used to describe cold-weather fare—but if there is one, it’s peach cobbler. Juicy peaches with a hint of cinnamon and ginger… under a buttery biscuit topping… served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top… is like a hug at first bite. 😉
I originally published this recipe in 2016, and it’s been a reader favorite since. It even preceded my popular berry cobbler recipe! I haven’t changed this peach version over the years, but I now add a little ginger to the juicy peach filling because peaches + ginger are a seriously underrated flavor combo.
One reader, P&C, commented: “Once again, a flawless recipe. We bake with confidence when we use your recipes, even when we have made slight mistakes, we always get a good result. This peach cobbler is among the best, if not the best, I have ever had. ★★★★★“
One reader, Wendy, commented: “This turned out so delicious and beautiful! I liked that the recipe calls for less sugar than other recipes; it was still sweet enough for me, and the peaches really shined. Definitely do the egg wash and sugar-cinnamon topping, it added a nice crunch…. Thank you for this fantastic recipe! ★★★★★“
Let’s Have High Peach Cobbler Standards
In all of my peach cobbler recipe testing over the years, I’ve learned that there are several standards for this classic summertime dessert:
- The peach filling has to be rich and sweet, but not overly sweet.
- Chunks are best, just like I recommend in peach pie and peach crumble pie.
- Lemon juice balances the sweet peaches and sugar, just like in this peach crisp.
- Use minimal cornstarch to thicken the peach filling, because too much weighs it down.
- The buttery biscuit topping should be crisp on top, but soft and moist underneath.
- An egg wash + cinnamon-sugar on the biscuit topping adds a beautiful golden sheen and a little sparkle (just like we do for pie crust), but also makes for the best texture.
- A hint of ginger (just 1/8 teaspoon!) is the BEST flavor booster for peaches.
So, now that we’ve got that all figured out, it’s actually really easy to make this dessert! No chilling, decorating, or special tools are required for this peach cobbler recipe.
What Are the Best Peaches to Use?
The best peaches for peach cobbler are the same I recommend for other peach recipes including peach pie, fresh peach cake, peach crisp, and peach bread. You want slightly firm (not hard) peaches with zero bruises or soft spots. If your peaches are soft, stringy, and mushy, your filling will taste soft, stringy, and mushy.
#1 Success Tip: Use Chunks, Not Slices
For the best texture, cut your peaches into small chunks. Because peaches are so juicy, slices bake into mush, while chunks retain more of their deliciously soft texture. They’re also easier to eat with a spoon! The same tip applies for peach pie and apple crisp.
Overview: How to Make Peach Cobbler
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through each step and show you some photos so you have success when it’s your turn to make this iconic dessert.
- Mix the filling ingredients together. You need peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a dash of salt. Since peaches are naturally sweet, you only need 1/4 cup of sugar in the filling. Don’t skip the lemon juice—the filling tastes a little flat without it. Spread the filling into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Pre-bake the peaches. Pre-baking the peach filling for about 10 minutes before adding the biscuit topping. Without this step, the peaches could remain firm underneath the topping.
- While the peaches pre-bake, make the biscuit topping. Mix a few basic ingredients together. You need flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until pea-sized crumbs form, like when making for pie crust. These flour-coated butter crumbles promise a flaky soft, but crisp biscuit topping. After that, mix in buttermilk.
- Top peaches with biscuit dough. Using your hands, form the dough into little patties and place them on top of the warm peaches. Add an egg wash and sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top.
Then it’s ready to bake! A 9×13-inch pan is best for this recipe, but any baking pan that holds 3-4 quarts volume works wonderfully.
Peach Cobbler Biscuit Topping
You need basic ingredients for the biscuit topping. I recommend using buttermilk for an ultra-rich biscuit flavor. It’s what I use to prepare my homemade biscuits and strawberry shortcake, too.
You can also find recipes that use a cake-like topping, combining cake batter and peaches. The cake batter is actually on the bottom and floats above the peaches as it all bakes.
Of course it’s all personal preference, but I definitely gravitate towards the biscuit. There’s more crunchy texture and the whole thing tastes wholesome, substantial, and rich, especially when the warm sticky peach syrup and vanilla ice cream topping (a must!) cross paths.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients, and then pour in the buttermilk and mix to combine:
The biscuit dough placement on top of the peaches doesn’t need to be exact or perfect. Some peaches can be exposed underneath. It’s a rustic-looking dish that doesn’t require fussy decorating steps.
Before baking, brush the biscuit layer with an egg wash (egg + buttermilk), then sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar. These little extras add a gorgeous golden sheen and sweet crunch. Trust me, this additional step only takes a minute, and the results are more than worth it!
This biscuit-topped peach cobbler is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy fresh peaches when they’re in season. The peaches are obviously the star of the show, and the whole dessert won’t leave you with a toothache. It’s pure, peachy-keen summer goodness.
When peaches are slightly firm (not hard) with zero bruises, they’re ready for peach cobbler. If your peaches are mushy, your dessert will taste mushy.
While I usually do, you don’t have to peel the peaches when making this dessert.
Fresh peaches are best for cobbler, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Readers have raved about this dessert using frozen, thawed peaches. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
Many readers have asked about mixing in blueberries, cherries, plums, pluots, nectarines, etc. You can absolutely swap fruits, or use a mix of fruits, as long as you have a total of about 10 cups (1.5kg). I particularly love equal parts blueberries and peaches here. You may also like this mixed berry cobbler.
I brush the biscuit topping with an egg wash (egg beaten with some buttermilk), so it’s golden-brown, crisp, and shiny. You can skip the egg and brush with just buttermilk if desired.
Fresh Peach Cobbler
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy sweet peaches and buttery biscuits come together in this classic summer dessert. Cut the peaches into chunks for the best texture, and use this easy buttermilk biscuit topping for the best flavor. The egg wash promises a golden crisp topping.
Ingredients
Peach Filling
- 3.5–4 lbs fresh peaches, peeled and cut into 1-1.5 inch chunks (about 10 cups or 1.5kg)
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (7g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Biscuit Topping
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, cold*
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk or buttermilk
- optional: 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3-4-quart baking dish works.
- For the filling: Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside as you prepare the topping. Keep the oven on.
- For the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick! You could also use a food processor. Pour in the buttermilk, and gently mix until evenly combined. Dough should be slightly sticky once completely combined, but if it’s too dry, add 1 more Tablespoon of buttermilk.
- Assemble the cobbler: Take handfuls of dough and gently flatten out. Place dough all over the top of the warm peach filling. There’s no special trick to this—just flatten the dough in sections and cover most of the peaches.
- Brush the top of the biscuit dough with egg wash, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if using.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and peach filling is bubbling around the edges. To test for doneness, stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping and if it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Remove cobbler from the oven, and set the pan on a wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: I don’t recommend preparing this recipe ahead of time because the biscuit topping won’t rise as much if it is not immediately baked. You can, however, freeze the prepared peach filling for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, mix in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (it will be so juicy, and this helps thicken it, then pre-bake as instructed in step 2. You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable/Fruit Peeler | 9×13-inch Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Pastry Brush | Cooling Rack
- Frozen or Canned Peaches: Fresh peaches are best for cobbler, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Readers have raved about this dessert using frozen, thawed peaches. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
- Buttermilk: You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough cold whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, cold lower fat or cold nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the topping won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- To Make Without Egg Wash: The egg wash helps the dessert reach that golden-brown, crisp goodness. You can skip the egg and brush with just buttermilk instead.
- Other Fruits: Many readers have asked about mixing in blueberries, cherries, plums, pluots, nectarines, etc. You can absolutely swap fruits, or use a mix of fruits, as long as you have a total of about 10 cups (1.5kg). I particularly love equal parts blueberries and peaches here. You may also like this mixed berry cobbler.
- Individual Cobblers: Instead of baking as one big dessert, you can make individual peach cobblers by dividing the layers and baking in several oven-safe ramekins. Bake time depends on the amount of food in each ramekin. Bake on a large baking sheet until the filling is bubbling and biscuit topping is golden brown. It’s easier to bake as a whole and simply serve in individual ramekins or even parfait glasses, though!
Keywords: peach cobbler
Hello! Although it’s not directly related to this recipe, I was wondering if I could get some advice. I noticed that this recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda, but the berry cobbler recipe only calls for baking powder. I plan on making a cobbler using the cake-type topping versus the biscuit-type topping used here. The recipe uses the 1:1:1 ratio of SR flour, milk, but I was hoping to use buttermilk in place of the milk in the recipe. In general, I know that you can substitute AP flour + baking powder + salt for SR flour, but I am unsure of the amounts of baking powder and/or baking soda that I should use with the inclusion of buttermilk (affecting leavening and taste). Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Hi Ben, I’d love to help but I’m not sure I understand your question– are you looking for a cake-style cobbler topping using SR flour and buttermilk? You can find a recipe using SR flour and use buttermilk as the liquid instead of milk. (This one seems great: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12386/quick-and-easy-peach-cobbler/)
I can’t promise the result will be cake-style, but it’s worth a try!
Hey Sally, thanks for the response! I guess what I was really wondering was the science aspect. I have a cobbler recipe that calls for SR flour (1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk), but I was going to use AP flour and add my own baking powder and salt to it. Since I’m using buttermilk instead of milk, I wasn’t sure if I should just use baking powder or a combination of baking soda (to offset the acidity) and a reduced amount of baking powder. I noticed that your recipe here uses both but your berry cobbler recipe only uses baking powder (same for your biscuit recipe).
I have some peaches that a friend canned for me. Can I use those?
Hi Mary Helen, You can, yes! The flavor and texture of the peaches will be different, of course. Adjust the sugar accordingly.
Once again, a flawless recipe. We bake with confidence when we use your recipes, even when we have made slight mistakes, we always get a good result. This peach cobbler is among the best, if not the best, I have ever had. Thanks for yet another great recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this kind and positive feedback!
Hi, Sally,
I have peaches that are almost ripe, but I’m not ready to bake this. Can I slice and freeze the peaches and then thaw and incorporate into the dish when I’m ready to bake?
Hi Karisa! Frozen peaches would be just fine in this cobbler, no need to thaw. The bake time will be slightly longer.
I’ve made this three times in the last month! It’s so delicious! Might be my favorite dessert so far! My family and friends enjoyed it a lot.
★★★★★
Hi Sally!
What changes should I make if I only have canned peaches?
Thank you!
Hi Gigi, you can use canned peaches in a pinch. The flavor and texture of the peaches will be different of course. If you can, buy the canned peaches without sugar added in the syrup and drain and blot the excess moisture before using. If using canned peaches with sweetened syrup, you might want to tinker with the amount of added sugar. Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve been making this cobbler recipe for years and love it along with everything else from Sally. I’ve recently had to switch everything to gluten free due to Celiac’s disease. I made this recipe with Cup4Cup multipurpose gluten free flour. I spooned and measured 2 cups of GF flour, it weighed 270g (v 250g). I did need about of tablespoon of extra buttermilk to make up for that I presume. I mixed the biscuit dough a bit more than I would with regular flour to help the GF setup. It turned out FANTASTIC! Just as great as I remembered from last summer.
★★★★★
can i please use white peaches for this instead? I bought a box of it from Costco yesterday and wanted to use it for this.
Definitely!
Hi sally,
Can I make the buttermilk bread topping alone?
If so, what would I do differently?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi there! We haven’t tested this cobbler topping alone, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know if you try it. You may also enjoy these homemade buttermilk biscuits instead.
Is “2 inch chunks” a typo?
Hi Lulu, peach chunks easily fit on your spoon and they don’t become as flimsy as peach slices. You can always cut them to your desired size instead!
This looks SO delicious and like a great way to use some yummy summer peaches. Is it possible to cut this recipe in half? If so can I use a 9×9 pan? What would you suggest as a bake time for the smaller cobbler? Thank you!
That should be fine, Jessica! We’re unsure of the bake time, bake until lightly browned and biscuit topping is cooked through.
I only have 6 peaches so I’m going to try the recipe with a couple pluots cut up and tossed in as well! Excited to try this, will update with how it turns out with the added fruit! 🙂
Absolutely perfect cobbler recipe! Served it to our 4th of July guests, and it was a hit. Thanks, as always Sally (and crew), for doing the hard work to test and publish recipes that are reliable enough to serve without a trial run in our home kitchens.
Wow! Another out of this world recipe from Sally, thank you so much for this recipe, it came out delicious, loved the crumble. I added the vanilla ice cream and drizzled it with a little bit of salted caramel sauce. Perfection!!!
★★★★★
I made this after having a few drinks of Rum and it was still perfect “)
★★★★★
I would do; peaches, condesen milk, and geltatin sin sabor.
★★★★★
I have frozen peaches in the freezer. Could I use them and how would it change the recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Leslie, Frozen peaches would be just fine, no need to thaw. The bake time will be slightly longer. Happy baking!
How much more time is needed for using frozen peaches? I am making the recipe for first time and want to make sure I do it correctly. Thanks
Hi Sally,
I made this with cherries and loved it! I’m going to try apples this time, and would like to add nuts. What kind and how much would you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Jenean, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Your apple version sounds delicious- I recommend increasing the cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Try adding about 1/2-1 cup of chopped pecans!
This turned out so delicious and beautiful! I liked that the recipe calls for less sugar than other recipes, it was still sweet enough for me, and the peaches really shined. Definitely do the egg wash and sugar cinnamon topping, it added a nice crunch (but I didn’t need all of the sugar cinnamon, used maybe half or less). Kept the cobbler in the fridge for half hour or so before baking it as I had something else in the oven and cut the peaches in smaller chunks than suggested in the recipe but still turned out fine. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
★★★★★
Loved this! Was baking for a smaller crowd so I halved the ingredients and baked it in a glass pie plate. Baked for about 40 minutes. My only other change was to use a yogurt/milk combo instead of buttermilk. Served it with lightly sweetened whip cream. Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
If I were to add fresh cherries to this recipe, what would be the best ratio of cherries to peaches? Also, would I need to adjust any other ingredients?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested this recipe with cherries but it sounds like a delicious combination. I recommend starting with 8 cups of chunked peaches and 2 cups of halved cherries. Let us know how it goes!
Could this recipe be made in a cast iron pan? How would the quantities and heat instructions change?
Absolutely! I recommend a 12-inch cast iron skillet. I’m unsure of the exact bake time though. Same oven temperature.
Hi Sally,
This recipe sounds delicious!! Please let me know if I could sprinkle the top of the biscuit topping without using the eggwash. Could I just use buttermilk? Should I skip it any wash and just sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on top? Please advise.
Thanks!
Carol
★★★★★
Hi Carol, You can brush the tops using just buttermilk if you need to leave out the egg.
I have been cooking and baking for a long time, and I find your recipes to be spot on! I have had great success with everything I have tried. Thanks for such get recipes and I will continue to experiment with all your goodies!
★★★★★
I’m making this for a b-que get together with family, I have a large mango that I’m going to add to the peaches, can’t wait to try this recipe !
I love all your recipes!
★★★★★
My husband and father (and myself) said this is the best peach cobbler they have ever had. Sally’s recipes are just flawless – a standard! So delicious. I added my cinnamon in to the biscuit dough, that was the only change!
I boiled the peaches for 20 seconds and then shocked them in ice water and they peeled incredibly easily!
★★★★★
I am so happy to have found this recipe! I use a lot of recipes from an old cookbook passed down by my grandmother, and cross-referenced with the recipe from this site for peach cobbler. I ended up using a mix of slices and chunks, and my dad says this cobbler was perfect – just like his grandmother made! It turned out amazing even though I use gluten-free and dairy-free substitutes!
★★★★★
Can I use a food proccessor instead of a pastry cutter for the topping?
Hi Christina, You can but be careful not to overwork the dough. You can also just use two forks!
Hi Sally,
Peaches are not in season so I may have to resort to canned peaches. Would I handle these the same way as fresh peaches?
Hello Sally I made this recipe and it was DELICIOUS! I totally recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great,AWESOME and totally addicting peach cobbler
You’re blog is the best Sally!
Thanks for such an amazing recipe and keep coming up with more!
Thanks!
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious. My first peach cobbler. Making again this weekend.
★★★★★