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
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.
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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.
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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!
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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!!!
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I made this after having a few drinks of Rum and it was still perfect “)
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I would do; peaches, condesen milk, and geltatin sin sabor.
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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!
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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!
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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
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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Absolutely delicious. My first peach cobbler. Making again this weekend.
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