Juicy sweet peaches and buttery biscuits come together in this classic summer dessert. Peach cobbler is the ultimate comforting dessert, celebrating the season’s fresh flavors. Cut the peaches into chunks for the best texture and use this easy buttermilk biscuit topping for the best flavor.
What Peach Cobbler Should Be
Up until this past week, let’s call it The Week of Cobbler, I only made classic peach cobbler a few times. Each cobbler was good, but certainly nothing I would rave about. In my recent recipe testing, however, I learned that there are several peach cobbler standards:
- The peach syrup has to be rich and sweet, but not overly sweet.
- The peaches shouldn’t be too flimsy and definitely chunks not slices.
- Chunks are best, as seen in my peach pie and peach crumble pie.
- Lemon juice balances the sweet peaches and sugar.
- Minimal cornstarch to thicken the peaches because too much weighs them down.
- Definitely a crisp biscuit topping with a moist interior.
- But not too crisp! And not undercooked!
- The biscuit should have a beautiful butter flavor. Bland ruins it all.
- Golden sheen and cinnamon-sugar on the biscuit are necessary.
- Top with vanilla ice cream or even fresh whipped cream.
It sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? Well, it’s easier than you can imagine.
Overview: How to Make Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler combines juicy sweet peaches with a simple biscuit topping. The biscuit is crisp on top and buttery soft underneath and tastes phenomenal on top of the succulent brown sugar peaches. It’s so much easier than peach pie, but just as satisfying. Let’s break down each step:
- Peel the peaches and cut into chunks. Peach chunks easily fit on your spoon and they don’t become as flimsy as peach slices. Peach chunks are also the best for peach bread, peach bars, and peach pie, too.
- Mix the filling ingredients together. You need, peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Since peaches are naturally sweet, you only need 1/4 cup of sugar in the filling. Spread the filling into a 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 we do 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.
- Bake until the topping is lightly browned.
Peach Cobbler Biscuit Topping
There are plenty of ways to make peach cobbler. There’s a cake-like variety which combines 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 and rich, especially when the warm sticky peach syrup and vanilla ice cream topping cross paths.
I love that the biscuit topping is made from basic ingredients. And I know you’ll appreciate that too! I strongly recommend using buttermilk for an ultra-rich biscuit flavor. It’s what I use to prepare my homemade biscuits, too.
The biscuit dough arrangement on top of the peaches doesn’t need to be exact or perfect. Some peaches can be exposed underneath. It might not look pretty, but this peach cobbler smells awesome as it bakes! Before baking, brush the biscuit layer with a little egg wash (egg + buttermilk), then sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. These little extras add a lovely golden sheen and extra flavor. Highly recommended!
This biscuit-topped peach cobbler is rustic, comforting, and extremely simple without overcomplicating things. The peaches are obviously the star of the show and the whole dessert won’t leave you with a toothache. It’s fresh and pure summer goodness.
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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 combine 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
- 8–9 medium peaches, peeled and cut into 1-1.5 inch chunks (about 10 cups)
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (7g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Buttermilk Biscuit Topping
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & 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 (115g) 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 the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the peach chunks, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until thoroughly combined. Spoon filling into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside as you prepare the topping. Keep oven on.
- Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick! While slowly stirring, slowly drizzle in the buttermilk. Mix until evenly combined. Take handfuls of dough and gently flatten out. Place dough all over the top of the peach filling. It doesn’t need to be perfect or look pretty– some peach filling can be showing.
- Brush the top of the biscuit dough with egg wash, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if using.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until lightly browned and biscuit topping is cooked through. (Stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping, if it comes out clean– it is cooked through and the cobbler is done.) Set the pan on a wire rack, then 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 4 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This is one of those recipes that should be prepared and baked right away. 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 before using. It will be quite juicy, but that’s not a bad thing in cobbler! You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.
- 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.
Keywords: peach cobbler
I just made this peach cobbler!! It was very fun and so delicious!! Would definitely recommend it to everyone!! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
You are my go to for ALL desserts! Love them and your special tips. Can I mix peaches with frozen blue berries or frozen strawberries? Is combo cobbler as good as a single fruit?
Yes! I love the combination of peaches and blueberries and use them in together in many recipes! As long as you have a total of about 10 cups of fruit you can mix them up.
Hello Sally,
I’ve tried some of your recipes, and they are delicious! I was wondering if I can use heavy whipping cream instead of the buttermilk?
Thanks Sheila! You need buttermilk here. You can try using heavy cream in the buttermilk substitute described in the recipe notes, but the topping will be very heavy. I recommend whole milk used in the sour milk substitute instead.
Can you halve this recipe? And if so, what size pan would you use? Thanks!
Sure can, Emily. And 8 or 9 inch square pan should work.
Can I bake this the day before serving? Or does it need to be eaten right after baking? And should I reheat it day of? Thanks! Love your recipes and cant wait to try this one!
Hi Arielle, it’s best served the day it’s made but you can reheat the next day to serve. Reheat, covered with aluminum foil, at 300°F (149°C) for about 15 minutes or until warm throughout.
Wonderful recipe!! Thank you for including the cup amount with peaches, super helpful. Here in Florida our peaches tend to be smaller (every bit as good) as other states, so I had to use twice as many.
★★★★★
Everyone needs to try this cobbler recipe. The peach filling is easy to throw together. I used frozen and thawed peaches and it was great. The biscuit topping was defintiely no fuss as Sally describes and easy to shape onto the filling. Served with whipped cream. Great way to use up last summer’s peaches. Thanks SAlly!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I love your recipes-every one I’ve tried has turned out great! I want to make your peach cobbler recipe for my co-worker’s birthday this week, but I can’t find fresh peaches in the store this time of year. Can I use frozen peaches? Is so, would I need to make any adjustments to the recipe?
Hi Jill! Frozen peaches would be just fine, no need to thaw. The bake time will be slightly longer.
Sensational! Have never made a cobbler before and everyone loved it. Made it just like you wrote, love that it is a tad less sweet. Will make again for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
★★★★★
Could I cut this recipe in half? I don’t have quite enough peaches
Yes, that should be fine! Enjoy!
perfect! we totally love this recipe, as it’s cooking right now the biscuits are just gorgeous. Thank you, this was simple!
★★★★★
I just made this cobbler and it is AMAZING!! Thank you so much for sharing!! The only thing I did differently was add a bit more buttermilk but other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect!
This was easy to make & absolutely delicious. I, too, found I needed to add more buttermilk than called for; some, not much more. Next time – tomorrow – I’ll add an extra peach, too. The wash & touch of cinnamon/sugar on top was pretty.
★★★★★
I made your recipe as directed and everything was perfect. I sift my flour and fill my cup up. Don’t forget to toss dry ingredients together before adding buttermilk. I didn’t have nutmeg, so added just a hint of pumpkin pie spice, super yummy. I did use egg was with buttermilk and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It was a hit
★★★★★
Amazing recipe! The peaches off my tree are quite juicy, so I upped the cornstarch to 3 Tbsp. It was perfect. I also cut the butter into the flour, then stuck it in the freezer while the peaches did their 10 minutes. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks!
★★★★★
I don’t think you can go wrong with cobbler, whether it be the kind with a cake like topping or what not. But I’ve been looking for a ‘sweet biscuit’ type for a long time.
Happy to say this one is it!! Thank you Sally, this is going into the file.
I made it with some fresh Georgia peaches yesterday and we all had too much of it! Delish!
★★★★★
Can I use strawberries? Should I change something in the recipe?
Hi Beyza! You can use strawberries instead. I would replace the brown sugar with regular white granulated sugar. Feel free to leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg in the filling, too.
I made this for our Labor Day dessert and it was unbelievably delicious! I had some local orchard peaches left and I did not have time to bake a pie. My almost 90-year old dad loves peach cobbler & I have been looking for a good recipe and I can emphatically say I have found it. I knew if I looked at your website I would not be disappointed. Your recipes rock Sally.
Thanks for this fabulous recipe and all the time you take on this website.
Made this today using almond extract. It was perfect! I always prefer almond over vanilla with peaches.
This peach cobbler was absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to keep trying more and more of your recipes!
Great recipe. I made it tonight using some white peaches that didn’t ripen well. But they were stars in this cobbler! Whole family enjoyed it. I’ll be back to try more recipes! 🙂
Hi!!
I want to let you know, I made this today (I replaced the peaches with fresh blueberries) AND it was DELICIOUS.
thank you for sharing your recipes!
Love your website & all the detailed information you share with each recipe. I prepared this Peach Cobbler today & took it to a family party & it was a huge success. Absolutely delicious with vanilla ice cream. Thank you so much for perfecting all of your recipes so those of us baking them know we are in for a treat.
My boyfriend and I are visiting his family in North Carolina right now and I made this and your chocolate chip cookie skillet for a large dinner get together, I was a little nervous making peach cobbler for southerners since I’m from Michigan. But we all agreed it was the BEST peach cobbler we’ve ever had! Everyone has been raving about both desserts for days now 🙂
How ripe do the peaches need to be before I use them in this recipe? I really want to make this recipe for dessert tomorrow but my peaches aren’t totally soft yet. Should I just wait? —I really hope not!!
I would wait at least 1 more day. A little soft is best 🙂
Hi, Sally, Last Monday I made your peach pie recipe for a special dinner with family; they just loved it! Today, I made your peach cobbler recipe and it’s fantastic!
Thank you so much!