Easy Peach Cobbler

In the heat of the summer, I often turn to no-bake desserts like my peach icebox pie and millionaire pie. But if there’s one dessert that I’ll switch the oven on for, it’s a cobbler. Recipes like this Southern-style peach cobbler and strawberry cobbler are my favorites. This homemade peach cobbler needs six ingredients, is quick to prepare, and is always a hit at the neighborhood barbecue or church potluck.

This is the BEST peach cobbler recipe (she says humbly). Make it with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches. The peaches become caramelized and gooey beneath the sweet, buttery dough topping. Served warm with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream? The dream.

Why Make This Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

• Fresh or frozen. I make it with frozen peaches because they’re always perfectly ripe and readily available. Plus, I’m a sucker for convenience. But, fresh peaches and even canned work beautifully in this recipe.
• Beginner-friendly. This easy peach cobbler takes minutes to put together. The filling is sweet and juicy, and the flaky, biscuit-like dough on top reminds me of a classic pie crust, without the chilling, rolling, and blind-baking required to make a pie.
• The perfect summer dessert. Take a peach cobbler along to a picnic, cookout, or Sunday brunch. It’s light and sweet, delicious with 2-ingredient ice cream or dolloped with whipped cream.

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler

These are the simple ingredients needed to make this easy peach dessert. For the complete list with recipe amounts, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Peaches – I use frozen peaches. The trick is to thaw them completely and pat them dry to avoid a watery cobbler filling. You can also make this peach cobbler with drained canned peaches or fresh peaches when they’re in season.
• Sugar – I use granulated sugar in the cobbler dough, and I sprinkle extra sugar on top before baking for a delicious, sweet crunch.
• Flour – Self-rising flour is best for this recipe. If you don’t have it, you can make a homemade self-rising flour substitute from all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Quick Oats – Oats are an optional ingredient, but I love the texture that they bring to the dough. Quick oats work best with the baking time for this cobbler. 
• Butter – I always bake with salted butter, but unsalted is fine to use.
• Milk – Any kind (whole milk, 2%, etc.).

Should I Peel the Peaches?

Peeling the peaches for cobbler recipes is a personal preference, and it doesn’t impact the flavor of the finished dessert at all. A perk of frozen peaches is that they often come with the peels already removed. If your frozen peaches have peels when you’d prefer they didn’t, you can remove them once they’re thawed.

If you’re using fresh peaches for this cobbler, an easy way to remove the peels is to boil the peaches whole for 1-2 minutes, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath. This helps loosen the peels. (Pro tip: This flash-boiling trick works for peeling tomatoes, too!).

How to Make Peach Cobbler

Crisps, cobblers, and crumbles are the best way to enjoy the satisfaction of a juicy pie filling without the effort of making a whole pie. Just add the peaches to a baking dish, top with a layer of dough, and bake.

• Spread the peaches in the pan. Start by spreading the thawed and drained peaches evenly in a greased baking dish.
• Make the topping. Next, cream together the butter and sugar, and add in the flour and oats to form a crumb. Then, add in the milk and mix to make a thick dough.
• Assemble the cobbler. Drop spoonfuls of the dough topping over the peaches. It’s fine if there are gaps where the peaches peek through!
• Bake. Give the whole thing a generous sprinkle of sugar to finish it off. Bake this peach cobbler in a preheated 350ºF oven for 30 minutes, until it’s golden, bubbly, and delicious.

Tips for a Perfect Peach Cobbler

• Fresh vs. frozen peaches. If you’re using fresh, simply use an equal amount of sliced (and peeled) peaches in place of the frozen peaches in this recipe. Canned peaches will also work, just make sure you use the ones that come in water and not syrup. Drain them well before you use them for the filling.
• How to tell when a cobbler is done: This peach cobbler is finished baking when it’s golden brown, and the fruit is bubbly.
• Why isn’t my cobbler bubbling? If you notice that your cobbler isn’t very bubbly, it could mean the peaches were a bit too firm or under-ripe. I’d try melting a couple of tablespoons of butter and drizzling it over the cobbler to help bring some of the juiciness back to the filling as it finishes baking.
• Fix a runny cobbler. A loose filling could be a result of peaches that didn’t thaw completely, or fruit that’s extra ripe and/or juicy. The easiest fix for a runny cobbler is to allow it to cool completely before serving. This gives it a chance to set and thicken. 

Variations

This classic cobbler is delicious as-is, or you can change up the recipe depending on the ingredients you have on hand. These are some ideas:

• Spices. Stir a little ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg into the peaches.
• Different fruit. Swap peaches with fresh or frozen nectarines, plums, pears, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or cherries.
• Pie filling. Try a version with cherry pie filling, or make an apple cobbler with apple pie filling in the fall. I also have a pumpkin cobbler.
• Dried fruit. Toss raisins, dried cranberries, or currants with the filling.
• Bake it in a skillet. Try my skillet peach cobbler with a decadent sugar cookie topping. Or, bake this recipe in a cast-iron skillet for a rustic touch.

Serving and Storing Homemade Peach Cobbler

This cobbler travels well, making it an easy dessert to make ahead. It’s delicious served at room temperature or warmed up, and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so it’s my dessert of choice for summer meals, potlucks, picnics, and cookouts.

• Storage. Leftover cobbler will hold up fine at room temperature for a few hours. To extend the shelf life, store your cobbler airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheating (optional). If you’d like, warm up the cobbler in the oven or the microwave for a few minutes, or until warmed through.
• Freeze. This peach cobbler can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, store the cobbler wrapped tightly in plastic wrap with an extra layer of foil, or in a freezer-safe container with a lid. Allow the cobbler to thaw in the fridge before reheating and serving.

More Summer Dessert Recipes

• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie
• Berry Crisp
• Cherry Pie
• Banana Cream Pie
• Cheesecake Dip