Featuring juicy sweet peaches and a buttermilk biscuit-like topping, peach cobbler is the ultimate comforting homestyle summer dessert. For the best texture, cut the peaches into chunks instead of slices, and add an egg wash and a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top before baking. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream for the *best* summer dessert experience.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, more helpful success tips, and a bit of ginger to the peach filling.
We don’t usually think of summer fruit recipes as “comfort food”—that’s a term typically used to describe cold-weather fare—but if there is one, it’s peach cobbler. Juicy peaches with a hint of cinnamon and ginger… under a buttery biscuit topping… served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top… it’s like a hug at first bite. 😉
This dessert recipe has been a reader favorite since I first published it a few years ago. It even preceded my popular berry cobbler recipe! I haven’t changed this peach version over the years, but I now add a little ginger to the juicy peach filling because peaches + ginger are a seriously underrated flavor combo.
One reader, P&C, commented: “Once again, a flawless recipe. We bake with confidence when we use your recipes, even when we have made slight mistakes, we always get a good result. This peach cobbler is among the best, if not the best, I have ever had. ★★★★★“
One reader, Wendy, commented: “This turned out so delicious and beautiful! I liked that the recipe calls for less sugar than other recipes; it was still sweet enough for me, and the peaches really shined. Definitely do the egg wash and sugar-cinnamon topping, it added a nice crunch…. Thank you for this fantastic recipe! ★★★★★“
Let’s Have High Peach Cobbler Standards
In all of my peach cobbler recipe testing over the years, I’ve learned that there are several standards for this classic summertime dessert:
- The peach filling has to be rich and sweet, but not overly sweet.
- Chunks are best, just like I recommend in peach pie, blueberry peach pie, and peach crumble pie.
- Lemon juice balances the sweet peaches and sugar, just like in this peach crisp.
- Use minimal cornstarch to thicken the peach filling, because too much weighs it down.
- The buttery biscuit topping should be crisp on top, but soft and moist underneath.
- An egg wash + cinnamon-sugar on the biscuit topping adds a beautiful golden sheen and a little sparkle (just like we do for pie crust), and also makes for the best texture.
- A hint of ginger (just 1/8 teaspoon!) is the BEST flavor booster for peaches.
So, now that we’ve got that all figured out, it’s actually really easy to make this dessert! No chilling, decorating, or special tools are required for this peach cobbler recipe.
What Are the Best Peaches to Use?
The best peaches for peach cobbler are the same I recommend for other peach recipes including peach pie, fresh peach cake, peach crisp, and peach bread. You want slightly firm (not hard) peaches with zero bruises or soft spots. If your peaches are soft, stringy, and mushy, your filling will taste soft, stringy, and mushy.
#1 Success Tip: Use Chunks, Not Slices
For the best texture, cut your peaches into small chunks. Because peaches are so juicy, slices bake into mush, while chunks retain more of their deliciously soft texture. They’re also easier to eat with a spoon!
Overview: How to Make Peach Cobbler
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through each step and show you some photos so you have success when it’s your turn to make this iconic dessert.
- Mix the filling ingredients together. You need peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a dash of salt. Since peaches are naturally sweet, you only need 1/4 cup of sugar in the filling. Don’t skip the lemon juice—the filling tastes a little flat without it. Spread the filling into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Pre-bake the peaches. Pre-baking the peach filling for about 10 minutes before adding the biscuit topping. Without this step, the peaches could remain firm underneath the topping.
- While the peaches pre-bake, make the biscuit topping. Mix a few basic ingredients together. You need flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until pea-sized crumbles form, like we do to make pie crust. These flour-coated butter crumbles promise a soft and flaky biscuit topping. After that, mix in the buttermilk.
- Top peaches with biscuit dough. Using your hands, form the dough into little patties and place them on top of the warm peaches. Add an egg wash and sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top.
Then it’s ready to bake! A 9×13-inch pan is best for this recipe, but any baking pan that holds 3–4 quarts volume works wonderfully.
Peach Cobbler Biscuit Topping
You need basic ingredients for the biscuit topping. I recommend using buttermilk for an ultra-rich biscuit flavor. It’s what I use to prepare my homemade biscuits and strawberry shortcake, too. If needed, you can use my buttermilk substitute instead.
You can also find recipes that use a cake-like topping, combining cake batter and peaches. I use this method when I make my easy cherry cobbler and my apple cobbler.
Of course it’s all personal preference, but I definitely gravitate towards the biscuit. There’s more crunchy texture and the whole thing tastes wholesome, substantial, and rich, especially when the warm sticky peach syrup and vanilla ice cream topping (a must!) cross paths.
Don’t Overwork the Biscuit Topping
Like when you’re making any type of biscuits or scones, you should be careful not to overwork the dough. Overworking or over-handling this dough will result in a tough and dense topping. We want to keep it flaky and soft, so mix the ingredients together *just* until combined.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients, and then pour in the buttermilk and mix to combine:
The biscuit dough placement on top of the peaches doesn’t need to be exact or perfect. Some peaches can be exposed underneath. It’s a rustic-looking dish that doesn’t require fussy decorating steps.
Before baking, brush the biscuit layer with an egg wash (egg + buttermilk), then sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar. These little extras add a gorgeous golden sheen and sweet crunch. Trust me, this additional step only takes a minute, and the results are more than worth it!
This biscuit-topped peach cobbler is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy fresh peaches when they’re in season. The peaches are obviously the star of the show, and the whole dessert won’t leave you with a toothache. It’s pure, peachy-keen summer goodness.
When peaches are slightly firm (not hard) with zero bruises, they’re ready for peach cobbler. If your peaches are mushy, your dessert will taste mushy.
While I usually do, you don’t have to peel the peaches when making this dessert.
Fresh peaches are best for cobbler, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Readers have raved about this dessert using frozen, thawed peaches. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
Many readers have asked about mixing in blueberries, cherries, plums, pluots, nectarines, etc. You can absolutely swap fruits, or use a mix of fruits, as long as you have a total of about 10 cups (1.5–1.8kg). I particularly love equal parts blueberries and peaches here. You may also like this mixed berry cobbler.
I brush the biscuit topping with an egg wash (egg beaten with some buttermilk), so it’s golden-brown, crisp, and shiny. You can skip the egg and brush with just buttermilk if desired.
Fresh Peach Cobbler
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy sweet peaches and buttery biscuits come together in this classic summer dessert. Cut the peaches into chunks for the best texture, and use this easy buttermilk biscuit topping for the best flavor. The egg wash promises a golden crisp topping.
Ingredients
Peach Filling
- 10 cups (around 1.8kg) peeled chopped fresh peaches (1- to 1.5-inch chunks)
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (7g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Biscuit Topping
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, cold*
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk or buttermilk
- optional: 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3- to 4-quart baking dish works.
- For the filling: Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside as you prepare the topping. Keep the oven on.
- For the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbles. A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick! You could also pulse in a food processor. Pour in the buttermilk, and gently mix until evenly combined. Dough should be slightly sticky once completely combined, but if it’s too dry, add 1 more Tablespoon of buttermilk.
- Assemble the cobbler: Take handfuls of dough and use your hands to gently flatten out into patties. Place dough all over the top of the warm peach filling. There’s no special trick to this—just flatten the dough in sections and cover most of the peaches.
- Brush the top of the biscuit dough with egg wash, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if using.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and peach filling is bubbling around the edges. To test for doneness, stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Remove cobbler from the oven, and set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: I don’t recommend preparing this recipe ahead of time because the biscuit topping won’t rise as much if it is not immediately baked. You can, however, freeze the prepared peach filling for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, mix in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (it will be so juicy, and this helps thicken it); then pre-bake as instructed in step 2. You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable/Fruit Peeler | 9×13-inch Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Pastry Brush | Cooling Rack
- Frozen or Canned Peaches: Fresh peaches are best for cobbler, though you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Readers have raved about this dessert using frozen, thawed peaches. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.
- Buttermilk: You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough cold whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, cold lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the topping won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- To Make Without Egg Wash: The egg wash helps the dessert reach that golden-brown, crisp goodness. You can skip the egg and brush with just buttermilk instead.
- Other Fruits: Many readers have asked about mixing in blueberries, cherries, plums, pluots, nectarines, etc. You can absolutely swap fruits, or use a mix of fruits, as long as you have a total of about 10 cups (1.5–1.8kg). I particularly love equal parts blueberries and peaches here. You may also like this mixed berry cobbler.
- Individual Cobblers: Instead of baking as one big dessert, you can make individual peach cobblers by dividing the layers and baking in several oven-safe ramekins. Bake time depends on the amount of food in each ramekin. Bake on a large baking sheet until the filling is bubbling and biscuit topping is golden brown. It’s easier to bake as a whole and simply serve in individual ramekins, though!
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this for my husband’s company picnic. It was wonderful. First time I’ve ever used a cobbler recipe that wasn’t my grandmother’s. Since then I’ve also used it for blueberry cobbler, my favorite! Love your site. Everything I’ve tried has been a success, and I’m having so much fun trying new things.
I love cobblers at buffets. Just the basics. Wondering if I left out the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger if this would take like those. A friend made peach cobbler once and it had a bunch of seasonings and I didn’t really like it. Maybe it was those ingredients?
Hi Angela, peach cobbler can certainly have a lot of flavor and spices in it, but this is a pretty mild amount. I like the peaches to take the main stage. You can certainly reduce them OR leave them out if you’d like. Even a little sprinkle of cinnamon would be great, and not overpowering at all.
I also forgot to add that I did not peel the peaches. There really isn’t a need to do this step. Very yummy cobbler!
I made this recipe last night, and I did modify the original a bit. I made a 15×10″ pan and increased the recipe to 1.5. I added 2-3 tbsp. more brown sugar and about a tsp. extra corn starch. I did brush the top of the biscuit topping with egg/milk and sprinkled cinnamon sugar. I should have baked it longer than 45 minutes, because the underside of the topping was still gooey in some areas. I served this with vanilla ice cream and my coworkers absolutely loved this cobbler. I would definitely make this again, but I would bake it longer than I did this first time.
I am obsessed with this biscuit topping recipe! Last night I made it with a rhubarb strawberry filling and am delighted by the results — I haven’t even finished eating that one yet and am already making plans to make the peach one next.
I always assumed that a cobbler would be a lot more difficult than a crumble or a crisp, but this is such a straightforward recipe that even as a baking novice, I had no trouble.
It’s also very forgiving — I have a lot of dietary restrictions and had to make a couple substitutions. Gluten-free cup-for-cup replacement flour, and made the buttermilk with soy milk & lemon juice. This is always a bit of a crapshoot with baking, and I didn’t have high hopes going in, but it worked fantastically with this recipe. You don’t get “pea-sized crumbs” quite as easily with the batter, but you can’t tell from the result.
Thanks for a great recipe! There are going to be a lot more cobblers in my family’s future thanks to you.
Will frozen peaches work?
Hi Cindy! Frozen peaches would be just fine in this cobbler, no need to thaw. The bake time will be slightly longer.
If I made it in an 8 or 9 in square pan, how long would the bake time be?!
Hi Sara, you can halve the recipe if using an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan.
I would love to make this and surprise my hair stylist with a peach cobbler (her fave) for her birthday … ONLY she’s gluten free … Is there a way to adapt this recipe or have you a great gluten peach cobbler recipe? Thanks for you assistance.
Have a Wonderful day
Hi Donna, we haven’t tried a gluten-free version of this cobbler, but let us know if you give anything a try!
I’d like to scale the recipe down for a couple. If cutting it down to a half or a third, how would that change the baking time for the biscuit layer? Thanks!
P.S – Thanks for the recipe! I’ve made this once before and it was very well received.
Hi Jax, the bake time should be about the same, but maybe a few minutes less. We’d keep a close eye on it!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I have made both your peach pies as well and turned out amazing! We have fantastic Niagara peaches out right now so working my way through about 4 bushels. I would like to make individual 5inch round cobblers, how would the baking time be affected and would I still cook the peaches first or would they overcook in the smaller containers? Any help would be appreciated
Hi Karen, you can definitely make these in individual cobblers! We would recommend slightly baking the peaches before adding to the ramekins. We’re unsure of the exact bake time for the individual ramekins. We do recommend placing the ramekins on a baking sheet before placing them in the oven. Let us know how it goes for you!
I made this for my husband’s company picnic. It was wonderful. First time I’ve ever used a cobbler recipe that wasn’t my grandmother’s. Since then I’ve also used it for blueberry cobbler, my favorite! Love your site. Everything I’ve tried has been a success, and I’m having so much fun trying new things.
I want to make this Peach Cobbler for a BBQ I am invited to but the hostess is allergic to cinnamon! Can I just use a little more ground nutmeg or another substitute?
Hi Armida, yes that will work just fine!
Your recipes never fail me. I just got a large box of Colorado peaches and made this cobbler this morning. A lot of my peaches were pretty ripe so I didn’t pre-cook the peaches and it still came out perfect! Thank you Sally!
Can I cut the peaches into slices instead of chunks? My peaches are not perfectly ripe and I worry they won’t get soft enough as chunks…
Hi Sofia, the peaches will be flimsier when sliced. You can cut them how you desire!
This recipe had great flavor. The only change I would make is to either double the peach mixture or half the biscuit topping, it ended up a bit dry and felt a bit out of proportion. I think next time I’d use a smaller dish and half the topping. Nobody was mad about it tho! Still a good dish!
Can I prepare,refrigerate and bake when ready to eat?
Hi Denise! This is one of those recipes that should be prepared and baked right away. The biscuit topping won’t rise as much if it is not immediately baked. See recipe notes for a few other make ahead options.
WOW! WOW! WOW!
I made your fantastic recipe today and brought it for dinner at my parents and we absolutely adore it! I replaced nutmeg with cardamom, because hubby doesn’t like it and added some fresh lemon zest to the peaches, well because we’re Italian and we have to put lemon zest in everything or almost! But other than that, I didn’t change anything! It’s crispy, moist, tender and the taste is the absolute perfect combination between sweet and sour. Served warm with good vanilla ice cream is simply the best summer dessert ever!!!
Thank you so much!!! ♥️♥️♥️
I only have 12 small peaches. Is there any way to make this work in the recipe?
Hi Audrey, you need about 10 cups of peaches total for this recipe. If your peaches don’t yield that amount, you can try halving the recipe and using an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan instead.
You can tell this was written in the 2010s! Recipes then were often overly sweet with little salt to balance things out. The biscuit topping was too sugary (almost like a cookie) for me. Next time I make this I’ll use closer to 1/8 cup sugar and 1 tsp salt. I’m looking forward to making this again with my adjustments.
This recipe is awesome and easy. I literally did not even know how to peel a peach (run under hot water and rub the skin til it comes away) and I don’t have a pastry cutter and I had never even made a dough before & it came out perfectly. This site makes me feel like a good cook
Hi Sally- I’d love to make a peach crisp. Would I be better off using this rexipe and using the topping from yourapple crisp recipe OR using the apple crisp recipe and switching peaches for the apples? I am wondering if you have tried either! I didn’t see a peach crisp recipe! Thanks in advance. PS I can’t imagine baking with a non- Sally recipe!!
Hi Catherine! Here’s our favorite Peach Pecan Crisp recipe – the pecans are a fantastic compliment to the sweet peaches!
This was incredibly delicious! One quick question- I had more cobbler than peach and while some may like that, I would have preferred more peach. Next time I make this I think I will double the number of peaches I use, is there anything else I will have to change to do this? Thank you
Hi Cecelia! If you double the peaches next time, we would double the other filling ingredients as well. Bake time will be longer to cook through the extra fruit. If you notice the cobbler topping is browning too much, tent with foil while it finishes baking.
Do the peaches need to be completely ripe?? Thanks!
For best flavor, yes!
Peach cobbler has long been my favorite summer breakfast/lunch/dessert haha. Living in hawaii… peaches are a little tough to come by. Do you think this could be made with mangoes??? I’ve got plenty of them and the textures are pretty close!
Hi Kenny, we haven’t tested it ourselves, but we can’t see why not. You may want to tinker with the amount of sugar based on how sweet your mangoes are. Let us know what you try!
1. What can I do if my peaches are not sweet?
2. Could I use canned peaches with this recipe?
Hi Mari, you can use canned peaches in a pinch. The flavor and texture of the peaches will be different of course. If you can, buy the canned peaches without sugar added in the syrup and drain and blot the excess moisture before using. If using canned peaches with sweetened syrup, you might want to tinker with the amount of added sugar. The filling should still be plenty sweet enough if using fresh peaches that aren’t quite as sweet, but feel free to play with the added sugar amounts if desired.
I used this recipe to make peach cobbler with the first peaches from my tree! It was delicious as all of Sally’s recipes are. The only substitution I made was to use 1-to-1 gluten free flour. The biscuit was crisp and not too sweet and the peaches were spiced just right. Thanks for another great recipe!
So good!! I made this using brown butter tonight and it was delicious. The topping is AMAZING, I’ve been dreaming of this cobbler topping for years and have not been able to get it down but this is perfect.
Made this last night using thawed frozen peaches and have to say this is THE cobbler recipe I’ve been searching for! Flavor is spot on, not too sweet but sweet enough, cobbler not too biscuit-y or too cake-y or too thin. Quick and easy too— can’t ask for more! A favorite tip for incorporating butter into biscuits or pie pastry: grate it from the cold stick with large-hole flat grater (microplane extra course is perfect) onto the flour mixture, tossing some of the flour onto the grated butter a few times during grating, means less time/effort using pastry cutter after and tender flaky results 🙂 Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe!!
My first try at one of Saly’s recipes although I’ve been a subscriber for months. I had some fresh frozen peaches from last years crop and needed to make room for this years rhubarb so thought I’d give this recipe a go. Oh my goodness! This came out so delicious. I halved the recipe for just two of us. I drained the frozen peaches to lessen the liquid and the prebake helped with that as well. The topping came out beautifully and a bit crunchy which was yummy. I didn’t do the egg wash but did add the cinnamon sugar. This is a wonderful recipe and I know I’ll use it again as CO has a big peach crop every hear which you just can’t resist.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this cobbler, Cindy — we’d love to know what else you decide to make next!
Any reason why I couldn’t make the filling the night before?
Hi Gin, you can try making the filling the night before, but it might just be a little juicier. Not a bad thing in a cobbler, though!
Would it be okay to make this the night before and then heat it up in the oven?
Hi Amanda, cobbler is best prepared and baked right away. See recipe notes for a few make ahead options. Hope this helps!
Sorry – I meant to say actually bake it the night before, store it in the fridge, and then warm it up in the oven right before serving.
That should work just fine then!