Fresh Peach Cobbler Recipe
This Fresh Peach Cobbler recipe is everything I want in a summer dessert. There’s plenty of juicy peaches and a buttery, golden brown shortbread cookie-style topping that practically melts in your mouth. And the best part is there’s no need to peel the peaches. Be sure to serve it warm with vanilla ice cream!
It’s tough to find a more satisfying summer dessert than this Fresh Peach Cobbler Recipe. You simply can’t beat the juicy peach filling, and the shortbread-style cookie topping that takes cobbler to new heights!
When peaches are at their best, they’re so sweet and juicy that they don’t need much help. This cobbler filling has loads of fresh peaches and just enough sugar to enhance their natural sweetness. There’s a bit of cornstarch to thicken all of those delicious juices as they bake, and some fresh lemon juice to brighten all the flavors.
Instead of a traditional biscuit topping, I make a simple cookie dough-style topping with just flour, sugar, baking powder, melted butter and vanilla.
The dough is chilled while the peach filling is prepared, then it’s dolloped over the fruit in generous pieces and pressed down slightly to flatten. As the cobbler bakes, those pieces become golden and crisp around the edges while staying tender and buttery inside — almost like freshly baked cookies on top of warm peach filling.
This dessert is rustic, ridiculously easy, and one of my favorite ways to make the most of fresh summer peaches.
If you prefer a classic biscuit topping, try my peach blackberry cobbler. You can also use that topping for this recipe as well!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s packed with fresh peaches. You’ll need about 3–3 1/2 pounds, or about 6 large peaches, so this recipe is all about the fruit.
- It’s like peach cobbler topped with cookies. The buttery shortbread-style topping is golden at the edges and tender in the center.
- No peeling the peaches. Leaving the skins on saves time, and they soften beautifully as the cobbler bakes.
- The topping is incredibly easy. There’s no cutting in cold butter, rolling dough or cutting biscuits.
Recipe ingredients
- Peaches. You’ll need 3–3 1/2 pounds of fresh peaches, or about 6 large peaches. Once sliced, you should have approximately 8 cups. There’s no need to peel them! Peach skins soften during baking, and skipping that step makes this homemade peach cobbler so much easier. For the best flavor, use peaches that are ripe and fragrant but still firm enough to slice.
- Sugar. You’ll need 1/4 cup of granulated sugar for the filling, and 1/2 cup for the cookie-style cobbler topping.
- Lemon juice. A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice brightens the peach filling and balances out the sweetness. You can swap it out with bourbon for depth of flavor.
- Cornstarch. One tablespoon of cornstarch thickens the peach juices as the filling cooks, creating a juicy filling without making it overly thick or gummy. If your peaches are very soft and overripe, consider adding 1/2 tablespoon more cornstarch as they can release a significant amount of liquid as they bake.
- Flour. All-purpose flour provides the structure for the shortbread-style cobbler topping.
- Baking powder. A small amount of baking powder gives the cookie topping a bit of lift so it’s tender rather than dense.
- Salt. Balances out the sweetness of the cobbler.
- Butter. Melted butter makes this topping especially simple — no pastry blender or cutting cold butter into flour required.
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla gives the buttery topping that classic sugar-cookie flavor that works so well with fresh peaches.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make peach cobbler
This peach cobbler recipe is extremely easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. There’s no need to peel the peaches as they soften while they bake, and the cobbler topping is made with melted butter, so no pastry blender is required.
Pro tip: Use ripe peaches! Underripe peaches don’t release enough juice as they bake, which can result in a dry, mushy filling instead of a juicy, saucy peach cobbler. For the best texture and flavor, use peaches that are fragrant and give slightly when gently pressed, but are still firm enough to slice.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Tips for the Best Peach Cobbler
- Use ripe but firm peaches. They should smell fragrant and give slightly when pressed, but they shouldn’t be so soft that they’re difficult to slice. If your peaches are not ripe, the filling will be dry and mushy, so be sure to use ripe, juicy peaches!
- Don’t peel the peaches. Peach skins soften during baking and add color, texture and flavor while saving you an extra step.
- Chill the cobbler topping. This firms up the melted butter and helps create those distinct cookie-like pieces on top.
- Look for bubbles in the center. Don’t rely on the golden topping alone to determine doneness. The peach filling should be actively bubbling so the cornstarch has a chance to thicken the juices.
- Let it rest before serving. Fresh-from-the-oven cobbler will be very juicy. Giving it time to cool allows the filling to set up.
Recipe FAQs
Use ripe, fragrant yellow peaches that give slightly when gently pressed but are still firm enough to slice. Underripe peaches won’t release enough juice as they bake, which can result in a dry, mushy filling, while very soft, overripe peaches can make the filling too watery.
No! There’s no need to peel the peaches for this cobbler. The skins soften as they bake, and leaving them on saves time while adding color and texture to the filling.
The topping should be golden brown and the peach filling should be bubbling around the edges and in the center. Those bubbles are important because the filling needs to get hot enough for the cornstarch to fully thicken the peach juices.
Once completely cool, cover the cobbler and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or warm a larger portion in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
- This peach cobbler is delicious warm or at room temperature, and it’s especially good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as it melts into the warm peach filling.
- Homemade whipped cream or coconut milk whipped cream are also excellent toppings.
More summer fruit desserts you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Fresh Peach Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 3/4 cups butter 12 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the filling:
- 6 large peaches pitted and sliced; 3 – 3.5 lbs or about 8 cups sliced; see note 1
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch see note 2
Instructions
Prepare the cookie topping
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Stir in the vanilla, then stir in the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt until just combined. Refrigerate the topping while you prepare the filling. Refrigerating the topping allows the melted butter to firm up, which prevents the dough from spreading too much and gives it its cookie-like texture.3/4 cups butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1.5 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Prepare the peach filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13×9" baking dish. Set aside.
- Halve the peaches, pit them, and slice into 1/2" slices and place them in a large bowl. There's no need to peel the peaches as the peels soften as they bake. Add the 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch and toss gently to combine.6 large peaches, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pour the peach filling into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Remove the topping from the refrigerator. Break the dough into large pieces or dollops and sprinkle them evenly over the peaches, leaving some of the fruit exposed. Press down on the dough to flatten it slightly.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges and toward the center. The filling will be quite juicy when the cobbler first comes out of the oven and will thicken as it cools. Cool slightly before serving, about 20 minutes, to allow the peach filling to set.
Notes
- Pro tip: Don’t use underripe peaches. They’ll soften as they bake but won’t release enough juice, resulting in a dry, mushy filling. Ripe but still slightly firm peaches will give you the juiciest, most flavorful cobbler.
- Add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch if your peaches are very soft and juicy.
- Consider adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the peach filling for warm depth of flavor. The lemon juice may also be substituted with bourbon as desired.
- Store leftover peach cobbler in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and rewarm before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
