Swanning in on a bed of pillowy cake with a buttery edge, good old-fashioned peach cobbler is always the queen of the summer dessert table. And why wouldn’t it be? Sweet and soft, it pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream and long conversations. Use canned peaches if you must, but there’s something about the unbeatable taste of fresh peaches.
This recipe is particularly special to me. I lived in Georgia for several years while completing my graduate degree, and still love the state deeply. Today, my husband and I make a yearly sojourn to Palisade, Colorado, a town on the western slope that’s been famous for its peaches since the early 20th century. This blend of my past and present means I look forward to making cobblers every peach season.
This recipe is part of my comfort food from every state series. Check out all the state comfort food recipes!
Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Since dribbling peach juice all over my minuscule kitchen my sophomore year of college, I’ve made this recipe countless times. To my mind, it’s not Georgia peach cobbler if it’s not made the classic way, with lots of butter and a cake-like texture. Many of us experience cobbler for the first time as canned peaches in syrup baked between two premade pie crusts baked in a 9×13 pan. No disrespect to the church ladies of my youth, but once you have it the classic way, you won’t go back. Here are my two tips for leveling up classic cobbler.
Two Types of Sugar
Most cobbler recipes are quite simple with their ingredients. I didn’t want to mess with the basic formula or expected flavors, but rather deepen them. This line of reasoning led me to using two types of sugar in my cobblers. A cobbler has three basic parts: a fruit syrup and a cake batter resting on a bed of melted butter. Plain white granulated sugar has just the right taste for the fruit syrup, while light brown sugar adds warmth to the cake batter.
Add a Little…Spice
Most cobbler recipes call for a quick sprinkle of cinnamon over the top before putting the cobbler in the oven. To anyone outside of the UK, that does not even approach enough spice. I use three classic spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a blend. The spices go into both the batter and the syrup, ensuring an even distribution of flavor.
How to Make Peach Cobbler
Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Equipment
- 9×13” baking pan
- medium saucepan
- Medium mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- Trivet
- Oven mitts
Ingredients
- ½ c butter 1 stick, 4 oz
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 4 c fresh peaches peeled and sliced
- 1 c white (granulated) sugar
- ½ c water
- 1 ½ c all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 c light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 c whole milk
Instructions
- Place the butter in the 9×13" pan and place it in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350℉. The butter will melt as you complete the other steps. (Note: if you are a new baker and a little bit slow, wait to do this until after you've mixed up the batter, as the butter may get too hot and over-brown. It's better to wait a bit while the butter melts than scorch it!)½ c butter
- Mix together your spices with a fork in a small bowl.1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves
- In a medium saucepan, combine peaches, white sugar, water, and about half of the spice mixture.4 c fresh peaches, 1 c white (granulated) sugar, ½ c water
- Heat to boiling stirring continuously, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the peaches are simmering, whisk together the rest of the spice mixture, flour, baking powder, salt, and light brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Make sure to get rid of any lumps from the brown sugar.1 ½ c all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 c light brown sugar
- Slowly stir in the milk until the batter is smooth and there are no pockets of flour.1 c whole milk
- When the peaches are done simmering, turn off the heat and set them on a cold burner.
- Get your pan out of the oven (the butter should be melted) and set it on a trivet, or on top of your stove.
- Carefully pour the batter over the melted butter. DO NOT mix them together. You may use a rubber spatula to gently push batter over any holes or towards any empty corners. The melted butter will swirl around the batter – that's what you want!
- Spoon the peaches and their syrup over the batter.
- Bake at 350℉ for 30 minutes, or until a fork inserted into the cake part (not a peach!) comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream.
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