What makes this the Best Ever Peach Cobbler
Did you know that California and South Carolina both produce more peaches than Georgia? It’s true. Georgia gets credit for being the state to commercialize peach production in the U.S. though, so a big thank you to the Peach State. I love anything that is a crumble, cobbler, crisp or pie. One of the first recipes ever posted on House of Nash Eats was a delectable Blackberry Nectarine Crumble (which is also wonderful with peaches in place of nectarines). But as of yet, no cobblers! That changes today with this Fresh Peach Cobbler that is the epitome of summer dessert (okay, possibly tied with Strawberry Shortcake). Obviously we’re big on peaches at our house. They are my favorite fruit and some of our other favorite peach recipes are Southern Peach Pie, Old-Fashioned Fresh Peach Ice Cream, and Raspberry Peach Italian Cream Sodas.
What is Peach Cobbler?
A cobbler is a fruit dessert with a biscuit or cake-like topping baked over the fruit filling. It’s close cousins are crisps (a crumbly oat topping) and crumbles (a similarly crumbled topping but with no oats), and a little farther off is peach pie. However, some folks get loosey goosey with their dessert names and I’ve seen recipes for Southern peach cobbler that are basically peach pies with only the top crust, and others that involve pouring a cake batter made with self-rising flour over melted butter, then spooning syrupy cooked peaches over the top of that where the batter rises up to the top as it bakes. I don’t know that anyone can really say what a traditional Southern peach cobbler may be with much authority and it honestly might depend on what part of the South you were raised in! One thing I DO know is that when making a peach cobbler, it’s important that it tastes like perfectly ripe summer peaches. The kind where if you eat them out of hand the juice drips pink and sticky down your wrists. You don’t want to overload your cobbler with spices or thicken the peach filling too much! Cobbler is supposed to be juicy and more syrupy than a pie since there’s no bottom crust in a cobbler that you need to worry about cooking through and becoming soggy.
Peach Cobbler ingredients
Ripe, Fresh Peaches – They should be firm to the touch with just a slight give, not mushy and not rock hard. Sugar – You’ll need both light brown sugar and granulated sugar for the filling and topping. Salted Butter – I always use salted butter in my baking. Ground Cinnamon – It’s not a lot, but a small amount compliments the peaches beautifully and tastes incredible in cobbler form. Cornstarch – This is my thickening agent of choice for this dessert, although you could use flour as your thickener by doubling the amount in place of the cornstarch. Lemon Juice – This balances out the flavors, keeping things bright, while also keeping the color of the filling vibrant. Baking Powder – A little leavening agent helps the cobbler topping rise a bit. Hot Water – This should either be boiling or very, very hot tap water.
What are the best peaches for cobbler?
Sometimes you don’t have a choice with the types of peaches your store has or ones you can find at the farmers market, but if you can find Freestone peaches, they are the best for baking. Freestone peaches are good for baking and cooking because the flesh easily separates from the pit making this peach easy to peel and slice.
How to make this Fresh Peach Cobbler Recipe
Notes to make the Best Ever Peach Cobbler
Know going into this that peach cobbler filling won’t set up as much as peach pie filling. We’re going light on the cornstarch here – just enough to barely thicken the filling so it isn’t totally runny but not enough to make it gummy or more jelly-like. You are going to be scooping out juicy peaches and pieces of cobbler topping with a spoon rather than a spatula. It’s not going to hold up because it’s not intended to and that’s alright! Just spoon some of that syrupy peach filling over the top. Just don’t fret if it looks like there is too much juice in the bottom of the pan as you are serving. Cobbler is a much less formal affair than other desserts and I’m totally okay with that. It’s going to be difficult with the heavenly aroma and the sight of the bubbling juices and beautifully golden topping to resist devouring the cobbler on the spot, but you have to wait at least half an hour to give the cobbler a little time to set up so the syrup can thicken and the peaches don’t scorch your tongue at first bite. I aim for between 8-10 cups of peeled and sliced peaches, but in all honesty, I don’t usually measure the fruit when making a cobbler. I just start peeling and slicing until it looks like a lot of peaches and then call it good. A good fresh peach cobbler is also the perfect dessert as we transition into fall as peaches come into season on the tail end of summer in most places and this cobbler has hints of the ubiquitous fall-favorite seasoning of cinnamon. We go really light on the cinnamon here since we’re still clinging to summer with this peach cobbler. But that little bit of cinnamon is just enough to remind you that Fall is around the corner, like when you are outside in the evening and realize there is a cooler breeze than you thought and you might need a sweater for the first time in months!
How to serve Fresh Peach Cobbler
Serve your fresh peach cobbler warm with a big scoop of ice cream. Some people opt for whipped cream over ice cream but either way the warm cobbler with the contrast of the cold cream is just about perfect.
How to store Peach Cobbler with Fresh Peaches
I would recommend storing your fresh cobbler in the refrigerator once the cobbler has cooled completely. Cover it in plastic wrap or tin foil and it will stay good for 2 or 3 days. Any longer than that and it might start turning a bit soggy.
More Peach Recipes For Peach Season
Peach Panzanella Salad Southern Peach Pie Perfection Raspberry Peach Pie Peaches and Cream Slab Pie
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
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Peach Ice Cream
Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
Fresh Peach Pie
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