Fresh Peach Cobbler - This easy to make peach cobbler recipe is sweet and sticky, from scratch goodness! Make it ahead of time, and serve it warm with some rich vanilla ice cream for a real crowd pleaser.
There really is no better feeling for a chef as when a recipe is just right, and the table falls silent as everyone digs in and mercilessly destroys a dish that you just served. This fresh peach cobbler recipe is a perfect example of that moment in time.
Late in the summer season and into early fall, fresh peaches appear in stores and farmers markets. Here in Colorado, Palisade peaches are king. They really just beg to be cooked with brown sugar and bourbon. These delicate, fuzzy, sweet and tart stone fruits have resisted the globalization of seasonal foods. They're only around for a little while, so snatch them up while you can!
This fresh peach cobbler recipe is kind of a cousin to the raspberry buckle that we posted earlier this year. They are both essentially a sweet, casserole dish version of a pie. They also both pair very well with some vanilla bean ice cream, as seen in the pic!
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What You're Going to Need!
- Flour - All purpose.
- Butter - Always unsalted for cooking or baking, so that the salt level is under your control, European style is preferred for it's higher fat content.
- Brown sugar - Light.
- Fresh peaches - See the substitution section, but seasonal fresh peaches are such a delight, take advantage when they are available.
- White sugar - Different sugars yield different types of sweetness, but pure sugar is needed here.
- Cinnamon - Powdered.
- Half and half
- Bourbon - This is our preference for liquor, pairing very well with the peaches, but see the variations section for others.
- Salt - never underestimate the power of salt in desserts, it really makes the fresh peach flavors pop.
- Baking soda - without this, the crumbly goodness of the crust would not occur.
- Pan release spray - going through all of this trouble only to have it stuck to the pan would be a shame.
- Corn starch - here to thicken the golden and sticky sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda and sugar. Cut the cold butter into pieces.
- Work the 4 oz. of cold butter into the flour mixture using your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles wet sand, and will hold together when you squeeze it.
- Carefully add the half and half, creating a wet biscuit like mixture (you can use your hand or a mixing spoon if you prefer) at this point be careful to not over work the dough or add more flour, it will become tough.
- Set the mixture aside and start the peach mixture. Make sure you preheat your oven to 350℉ and spray your casserole dish with pan release so you are ready to bake your cobbler.
- Slice your peaches into uniform pieces.
- Melt 4 oz. butter in the sauté pan over medium heat, and add the sliced peaches. Stir carefully coating the peaches with the melted butter.
- Add the remaining salt, the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice, and Bourbon to the pan.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine, being careful not to over cook the peaches. Cook for 3 minutes or so. just until the mixture starts to thicken.
- In a small bowl combine the corn starch and cold water, creating a smooth mixture. Carefully stir the corn starch mixture into the pan and cook for another two minutes or so, until thickened.
- Pour the thickened mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Place dollops of the wet biscuit mixture on top of the peach mixture, leaving some space in-between the dollops.
- Place the casserole pan on a sheet pan into a 350℉ oven for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling! Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Make the Best Fresh Peach Cobbler
Preparing the Fruit and Dry Ingredients
- First, cut and core your peaches. We used our Colorado local Palisade peaches, but any fresh and sweet variety will work, (see substitution notes for frozen).
2. Place the flour, white sugar, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl, and cut your cold butter into uniform, small pieces.
Combining the Butter and Dry Ingredients
3. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and begin mixing by hand. Push and squeeze the butter into the flour, being careful not to over mix.
4. This is a very important image. It shows the consistency of the flour mixture once the butter has been incorporated appropriately. See how the flour clumps from the butter, forming the appearance of damp sand? Notice the two lumps in the shape of the interior of a clenched hand.
Finishing the Dough, Melting butter
5. Next, we will work in the half and half. Notice that the consistency is still sticky and somewhat wet.
6. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter in the recipe gently.
Cooking the Filling
7. Add your peaches to the pan.
8. Now we add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and my favorite, a shot of bourbon. The rich and oaky flavor of the liquor adds a lovely depth of flavor.
Filling & Completion
9. Cook all of this together gently to form a unctuous and thick syrup. Then add the corn starch and water mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer to thicken.
10. Pour this mixture into a casserole dish to fill to ¾ capacity.
Topping with Dough & Baking
11. Evenly place small nuggets of the prepared crust batter over the top, making sure to leave some spaces for the fruit mixture to bubble through and caramelize. Place into a 350 degree oven with a cookie sheet under liner.
12. Remove from the oven when the crust has developed golden brown peaks, and the syrupy filling has bubbled and reduced slightly.
Chef tip
When mixing up the dough for the topping, make sure that you don't over mix. if it's mixed up too aggressively, it will get tough. Pay close attention to the consistency described in the process pictures and notes. The dough should be just barely together, don't keep mixing past that point!
Substitutions
- Peaches - fresh peaches are best, but they are not always in season, see the recipe notes about using frozen.
- Liquor - we adore bourbon in the season two taste home, but feel free to sub dark rum, another type of whiskey, or even brandy. Of course liquor can also be skipped in lieu of fruit juice of your choice.
Storage & Helpful Hints
This cobbler will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Make sure to place a sheet pan under this dish in the oven! You wouldn't want to have this syrup spill to the bottom of your oven. Trust me, it's happened to me, and not only did I have to do battle with the smoke detector, but cleaning that up later was rough...
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Yes, you can! However, it will require that you cook the filling a little bit longer and add more corn starch in order to reduce the added water from the frozen peaches (see the recipe card notes for more information).
Jason says
So incredibly delicious.