This Peach Cobbler recipe comes to you from a Southern lady I know who is everything you imagine a Southern lass to be: a big personality, big laugh, big heart, and a very (very!) big appetite for life and food.
You’ll love how the syrup is made using peach juices, rather than just a plain sugar syrup. Peach flavour to the max!
Peach Cobbler
Fruit cobbler is a traditional American dessert that pushes everybody’s comfort food-lovin’ buttons. Peach cobbler especially is a solid favourite, particularly in the Deep South.
There’s two main types of peach clobbers – those with a batter topping, and the ones with the American biscuit / Aussie scone type toppings.
I way prefer the latter. It’s kind of crumbly on the outside and fluffy on the inside, wafting with the smell of cinnamon. The topping is a perfect match for soft, juicy and warm peaches swimming beneath in a peach syrup that’s not too sweet!
What you need for the Peach Cobbler Filling
First up, here’s what you need for the peach filling (hint – it involves big fat juicy ripe PEACHES! 😂):
Peaches – As emphasised above, ripe and juicy is the key here!
This recipe will work beautifully as written with other stone fruits, including white peaches, nectarines and plums.
As for canned peaches (because I do not blame you if you can’t wait until summer to try this!), they will work just fine too. Just read the recipes notes for how to adjust the recipe to use canned peaches.
Sugar – This is tossed with the peach slices to make them sweat so they drip peach juices. The juices are then used to make the syrup for this Peach Cobbler. Because a peach syrup that tastes of peaches trumps plain and bland sugar syrup any day … and twice over during summer!
Cornflour / cornstarch – This is used to thicken the peach juices to turn it into a syrup that coats the peaches.
Lemon – For a touch of tang that balances the sweetness. It doesn’t make the syrup sour, it just adds freshness.
Salt – As with almost everything sweet just a touch of salt brings out the flavours.
Ingredients for Peach Cobbler Topping
And here’s what you need for the topping for the Peach Cobbler:
Flour – The recipe calls for plain flour but you can substitute with self-raising flour if that’s what you’ve got. Just skip the baking powder and baking soda.
Baking powder and baking soda (bi-carb) – Yes, this is one of those irritating recipes that calls for both but for good reason. I personally think the combination makes the topping lighter and better than just using one or the other. The baking soda is more powerful than baking powder so it gives a boost to the rise when it first goes in the oven.
Butter – OOPS! Missing from the photo! 🙂 Cold cubes of unsalted butter are rubbed into the flour to make the topping dough. It’s just as you would do for Southern biscuits / Aussie scones which is essentially what the topping for this peach cobbler is.
Yogurt – Adds wetness into the batter without making it thin. We want a really thick batter so it can be “crumbled” across the surface of the cobbler.
Sugar – For sweetness. Not too much, just 1/3 cup. We’re mainly relying on the natural sweetness from the peaches!
Demerara sugar – This is a larger-grained type of sugar with a light toffee taste, sprinkled across the surface to add a nice textural crunch! If you don’t have it, any sugar you have is fine.
Cinnamon – Also for the topping. The hint of cinnamon here is just divine!
How to make Peach Cobbler
The nice thing about this peach cobbler is how the peach juices are used to make the syrup for the dish. There are easier and quicker recipes out there that don’t do this step but believe me when I say it makes it taster!!
Peel and slice peaches – Peel then halve the peaches. Remove the stone and cut each half into 4 wedges (so each peach gets cut into 8 wedges in total);
Macerate – Toss peaches in sugar then leave for 40 minutes to let them sweat. This is called macerating. If they are ripe and juicy, they should drop plenty of juices!
Drain – Drain peaches in a colander set over a bowl.
1/4 cup peach juice – Measure out 1/4 cup of the peach juices and pour it back into the bowl. If you are short, top it up – preferably with peach juice, otherwise with water. But if you used ripe peaches, you should not have this problem!
Syrup for cobbler – Mix the reserved peach juice with cornflour and lemon juice.
Toss peaches in syrup – Then add the drained peaches and toss to coat.
Baking dish – Pour the peaches and juice into a medium glass or ceramic baking pan – mine is a 28 x 18cm / 11 x 7″ oval. It is best not to use a metal pan as it may turn the peaches brown.
Parbake – Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven. The purpose of this step is to give the peaches a head start because they take longer to cook than the topping.
While the peaches are in the oven, get started on the topping!
Topping and assembling
The topping for this Peach Cobbler is made much in the same manner as American biscuits / Aussie scones. Because that’s essentially what it is!
Rub in butter: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Then rub the cold butter in with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, use a food processor – about 10 x 1 sec pulses.
Mixture after adding butter: This is what it should look like after rubbing the butter in.
Gently fold through yoghurt: Add yoghurt and gently mix through with rubber spatula until dough is formed. Stop mixing when the yoghurt is mostly mixed through with some streaks of flour still visible (they will disappear when topping).
Use a light touch. Not overworking the batter is essential here so you don’t end up with a tough, dry topping!
Top peaches: Crumble big lumps of the topping across the surface. Don’t fully cover the surface or else the syrup won’t reduce and thicken.
Sprinkle with demerara sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven. The cobbler is done when an instant-read thermometer shows the centre of the biscuit topping as 95°C/203°F and the top is a lovely golden colour.
The exact cook time depends on how thick the biscuit layer is so it is best to use a thermometer. But if you don’t have one, just check by breaking the topping open in the middle.
Rest for 20 minutes to allow syrup to thicken. Don’t worry, it will still be perfectly warm for serving.
Peach cobbler ready to be baked 
Peach cobbler fresh out of the oven
As with all warm pudding-like desserts, serving with ice cream is absolutely not optional! I pretend that cream is an acceptable alternative (I even suggest it in the recipe to tick that box), but it’s a filthy lie. Cream is a poor substitute.
Because nothing, I repeat nothing, can beat the combination of creamy, cold ice cream melting all over a warm dessert. Especially when that warm dessert is a Peach Cobbler! – Nagi x
PS. Just a reminder to fellow Aussies and others shivering through winter with not a local peach in sight, this can be made with canned peaches! Otherwise, try my other warm winter puddings: Apple Crumble, Butterscotch Pudding, Sticky Date, Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding, Baked Apples or Rice Pudding!
Watch how to make it
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Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
- 1.5kg / 3lb (8) yellow peaches (ripe and juicy!), peeled, stone removed, cut into eight wedges (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup caster / superfine sugar
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (plus more as desired)
- 1/8 tsp salt
Cobbler topping:
- 1 1/4 cups flour , plain/all purpose
- 1/3 cup caster / superfine sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb) (or extra 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 85g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt (or sour cream), full fat
Topping:
- 1 tsp demerara sugar (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Serving:
- Ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions
- Macerate peaches: Put peaches and sugar in a large bowl and toss together. Leave for 40 minutes to macerate, to let the peaches leach juice and sweat.
- Preheat oven: Partway through the maceration, preheat oven to 210°C/410°F (200°C fan).
- Drain peaches: Drain in a colander, saving the juices.
- Syrup: Measure out 1/4 cup (65ml) juice and put in a large bowl. Add cornflour, salt and 1 tbsp of the lemon juice to the peach juice. Mix well.
- Mix with peaches: Pour peaches into the syrup, toss to coat. Taste – it should be a bit tart, slightly sweet, but not overly sweet. Add more lemon or sugar to adjust to your taste (fresh peaches always vary in sweetness!).
- Parbake peaches: Pour the peaches and juice into a medium glass or ceramic baking pan. Mine is a 28 x 18cm / 11 x 7" oval dish (Note 2). Bake 12 minutes, then remove.
Cobbler topping:
- Rub in butter: Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Add butter and rub it in with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs (Alternatively, food processor via 10 x 1-sec pulses).
- Gently fold through yogurt: Add yogurt and gently mix through with rubber spatula until a dough is formed. Stop mixing when yogurt is mostly mixed through with some streaks of flour still visible (they will disappear when topping).
- Top peaches: Crumble lumps of the topping across the surface. Don't fully cover the surface, to let some heat through else the syrup won't reduce and thicken.
- Sprinkle with demerara sugar and cinnamon.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven. The cobbler is done when an instant read thermometer measures the centre of the biscuit topping as 95°C/203°F and the top is a lovely golden.
- Rest to thicken sauce: Rest for 20 minutes to allow syrup to thicken – it will still be perfectly warm for serving.
- Serve with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Just another Friday morning in the Life of Dozer – at the park with his mates!
OMG! Could be the best dessert I’ve had for a long time!
On my personal mission of creating a Nagi recipe every week ( actually this is my 3rd this week alone!).
What a winner once again! Havent found a bad recipe so far.
I scaled this recipe down easily for 2 people and used a tin of peaches.
Absolutely delicious!
So excited as to which recipe to try next – I’m addicted to this website!!
What a great mission – how cool is that!? I’m so glad you loved this one, what’s next Bronwen? N x
Just put this bad boy in the oven, totally trashed my kitchen in a fun way preparing everything, smells and looks divine. Cleaning up while it cooks and fills the kitchen with aromas of promise and delight!
Don’t forget the ice cream Alan!! N x
Made this for Sunday dinner with fruit given to us by a neighbir — something called “plumcots.”. OMG was it ever good!
Woah, amazing Marcy!! N x
To Ace Davis. In NZ and Australia this is what we call Cobbler. I used to make APPLE cobbler years ago and can’t wait to try the peach version, Nagi it looks delicious and I feel sad that you can’t seem to get a break from people who seem to think they know it all when you are just so nice about sharing recipes. I wonder if they would say those things to your face rather than hide behind the keyboard, it’s appalling and you can’t hear the tone in which it was said
Hi Nagi, do I still need to parbake the peaches if I’m using tinned? Thanks!
Made this tonight with tinned peaches and loved it. I only had a large 800g tin so used those and halved the rest of the recipe. Turned about superb and can’t wait to try it with fresh peaches. Just wished I had more tinned peaches on hand as there just wasn’t enough.
That’s great to hear Natalie, I’m so glad it was a hit! N x
Definitely want to make the peach cobbler but as out of season in Aus now will used tins one. how many grams of tinned peaches please?
ps – love your recipes they are my go to for just about everything.
Hi Michelle, I’ve just updated the notes for this 🙂 N x
Hey Miss Davis…I think we could probably debate the definition of cobbler until the cows come home! This recipe is just like the one my Southern grandmama made all my life (born and raised in Georgia both me and her!) And its very similar to the blackberry one at the Dillard House in north Georgia and the one from Agnes and Muriel’s in Atlanta and Miss Edna Lewis used to make hers with a pie crust topping – there are more ways to make cobbler than to skin a cat so I am sticking with my guns saying this is Southern – but I would love to get your recipe and try yours too – I can never have too much cobbler!
This was the best cobbler recipe I have ever tried! The topping was dynamite!
WAHOO!!! Thanks Heather! N x
This was absolutely delicious! Yum 😋
I’m so glad you loved it Kathy!!! N x
That southern lady must be from up north, that’s not cobbler, it’s peach shortcake cooked in a dish. Cobbler is a batter that’s poured into a hot dish of butter to sear the crust, then fruit is sprinkled over the top, where the batter rises around it. Please stop calling everything BUT cobbler “cobbler” – a 50 year southern chef that uses my great great grandmothers late 1800s cobbler recipe that’s in every southern church cookbook in the 20th century
Hey Miss Davis…I think we could probably debate the definition of cobbler until the cows come home! This recipe is just like the one my Southern grandmama made all my life (born and raised in Georgia both me and her!) And its very similar to the blackberry one at the Dillard House in north Georgia and the one from Agnes and Muriel’s in Atlanta and Miss Edna Lewis used to make hers with a pie crust topping – there are more ways to make cobbler than to skin a cat so I am sticking with my guns saying this is Southern – but I would love to get your recipe and try yours too – I can never have too much cobbler!
Sorry, darling, but you couldn’t be more mistaken. It is a cobbler… in the USA,in the south, in the Midwest, in the southwest, in Europe, too. Shortcakes (as opposed to the sponge cakes sold in the grocery stores) are a short pastry TOPPED with fruit, usually fresh, but sometimes cooked.
Hello Nagi. This Australian lives in Venezuela. I bought ripe peaches this morning, because here when you see, you buy. nest time nothing there. I need them to make the cobbler in 7 days time. Until where in the recipe can I prepare the fruit to keep in the refrigerator? Thanks if you can help. If I could ponly have one cooking b;log, I would choose Nagi at tineats. No other compares, although many are now trying to copy.
Many thanks. Raymond
Hi Raymond, I would just store the fruit in the fridge until you’re ready to make this. You don’t want to leave them to macerate too long. N x
Hello Nagi. Many thanks for taking the time to reply regarding storing the peaches for the cobbler. A very sensible suggestion as well. Thank you again.
Looks yummy, Nagi are you intending to do another fundraiser for your people? Count me in if so. Best wishes to all in NSW from us in the west.
It was a blockbuster! Everyone at home loved it. Thanks a ton
Wahoooo, that’s awesome Elizabeth! N x
Nagi – you bring such light to my life!! I love your emails; your whit, humour and love of dogs 💜💜
Today I’m making your Beef & Guinness stew for a friend of mine who is a chef. I’ve always been worried about cooking for him – not coz he’s mean, but because until I ‘met’ YOU, I was a hopeless cook!! And now, I invite him over regularly for dinner, safe that I can at least come up with a tasty and enjoyable meal!
Thank you so much for all that you do xoxoxox
Oh that’s fabulous to hear Christine – thanks so much for the awesome feedback!! N x
yay! peaches!! can’t wait to try. thanks heaps, nagi!
I hope you love it Ana!! N x
It was a blockbuster! Everyone at home loved it. Thanks a ton
Hi Nagi,
Love your recipes! Could this be done with apricots also?
Cheers,
John
Hi John, I find apricots a little dryer, but yes you could! N x
so love your recipes!!! can you pls let us know how many and what size cans of peaches we could buy for this lovely recipe? I am in Australia and can’t wait to make it until summer!!
Yes please…My question too!
Found it, answered further down….5 x 400g tins….thats a massive amount!
It is, but the recipe calls for 1.5kg of fruit – remember that tinned fruit is only about 50-60% fruit inside there unfortunately! N x
*smile* Since there is rarely sugar in this house nor dessert on the table I can but say yours looks very moreish ! BUT am glad to see how bags of goodies sent keep your gang together at this complicated time . . . and also to see Dozer happy with his mates outside his usual wet playground . . . and, off topic, hope you felt very proud of your birth country last night watching the Opening Ceremony so beautifully conducted under such difficult conditions in Tokyo where now the weather may further ‘punish’ the situation . . .
Thanks so much Eha!! ❤️ N x
Looks delicious Nagi, even if the skies are grey this looks so summery. Are you going to do another fundraiser to help with your food bags? Count me in. 👏👏