Recipe for Peach Cobbler

5 from 7 votes

This old-fashioned peach cobbler is a classic Southern dessert made with fresh juicy peaches and a sweet crust.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: peach cobbler, Peach cobbler recipe

Servings:

Calories: 380kcal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (to butter the baking dish)
10 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (from approximately 5 pounds or 14 to 15 fresh ripe peaches)
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread 2 tablespoons butter evenly over the sides and bottom of a 9x13 baking dish then set aside.
Pit, peel and slice the peaches into ½ inch thick slices. Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the light brown sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger until the cornstarch is evenly distributed with the other ingredients.
Add the sugar mixture and vanilla extract to the sliced peaches. Gently stir to coat all the peaches with the sugar mixture.
Transfer the sugar coated peaches to the prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes on the center rack of the oven. While the peaches are baking, prepare the cobbler topping.

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, or two butter knives, until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the buttermilk and gently fold the mixture just until no dry pockets remain. The dough will be shaggy, soft, and slightly sticky similar to a buttermilk biscuit dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough or it can become tough when baked. Drop the cobbler dough evenly over the peaches after their initial 15 minute bake.
In a small bowl stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the cobbler topping. Return the cobbler to the oven and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until the cobbler is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.
Allow the peach cobbler to rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Freestone peaches are the easiest to remove the pit, peel and slice for this recipe. If using yellow cling peaches (a common grocery store variety), you will need to cut around the pit using a small sharp knife before peeling and slicing.
Choose fresh peaches that are still slightly firm and have a fragrant smell. If the peaches are too firm, they will be hard to remove from the pit. If they are too soft, they will become too mushy when baked.
Frozen unsweetened peach slices can be used if fresh peaches are out of season and unavailable. Be sure to thaw completely and pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the recipe so they do not give off too much excess moisture when baked.
I do not recommend using canned peaches as they are typically already sweetened and too soft for a long bake period. They tend to become so soft that they do not hold their shape and fall apart when baked.
Prebaking the peaches, before adding the cobbler topping, allows the peaches to cook down slightly and soften before being topped. You can skip this part if your peaches are already quite ripe and soft. You may need to reduce your total cook time to 35-40 minutes if doing this.