Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe (How to Make Peach Cobbler)– This easy homemade peach cobbler with canned peaches or fresh peaches is the perfect Southern old fashioned recipe made with sweet spiced peaches and homemade butter pie crust! Different from this Southern Blackberry Cobbler, this cobbler is baked right in the oven until golden perfection. And if you love this, you will certainly love my Sweet Potato Cobbler, Peach Cobbler Cheesecake and Peach Cobbler Bread Pudding too!
Homemade peach cobbler is my all time favorite dessert, and Big Mama’s was a masterpiece. She loved to surprise me with one whenever I visited. I sometimes surprised myself with how much I could eat in one sitting especially if it was topped with homemade vanilla ice cream!
The moment I first tasted peach cobbler is a moment etched in my memory that I can’t seem to ever forget. Just imagine ripe peaches, zests and syrupy sweetness bubbling beneath the delicate lattice of a buttery and flaky pastry. It doesn’t get any better! Also check out this Web Story!
Ingredients
This is the classic done right and done the old fashioned way. Southern peach cobbler can’t get any better than this. Though I have made peach cobbler more times than I can count, it really doesn’t require more than a few ingredients.
- Canned or fresh peaches
- Salted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
WHAT KIND OF PEACHES ARE THE BEST FOR COBBLER?
To start, you begin with the peaches which can either be fresh, frozen or canned. I will give you more details below but you can really select anything you prefer here.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PEACH COBBLER FILLING?
The peaches will need additional ingredients to create a lovely syrup. This is what really makes the difference between this being a pie and a southern cobbler. The additional juices really take it to another level. The filling ingredients below develop on your stove top and thicken to create a substantial syrup to drown those peaches in.
SOUTHERN PEACH COBBLER CRUST
For the crust, things can get a bit more complicated. I have seen everything from a biscuit topping to crumble topping or in my version pie crust. Most soul food peach cobblers will have a pie topping. I have tried them all, and this is my absolute favorite.
The pie topping is what truly makes it authentic and southern in my opinion. The lattice crust is essential as well though you can have fun with this and modernize it.
How is this Homemade Peach Cobbler?
I know for a lot of people, making a homemade peach cobbler seems quite intimidating but this one shouldn’t. Though this does involve a lot more steps than usual, there are ways you can make this easier.
First this southern peach cobbler recipe starts with canned peaches, which I discuss a bit more about below, and also you can sub a premade refrigerated pie crust if you really run out of time or don’t want to tackle the homemade version below. Cutting corners will also help you cut the time on this recipe as well.
Peach Cobbler with Canned Peaches
Now don’t frown at canned peaches being used in this recipe. My mama made peach cobbler year round with canned peaches so we could taste this deliciousness anytime we wanted. If you want, you can purchase organic canned peaches. I personally like to use canned peaches in a light syrup so I can develop my own syrup.
I drain most of the syrup from all of the cans except for one and add additional liquid through melted butter. It gives the peaches that buttery flavor without making too much sauce.
Peach Cobbler with Fresh Peaches
If you want to go the fresh peach route, you can do that as well. I certainly love to use fresh peaches in the summertime as soon as they are in season. In the Midwest, peach season begins around July and August so that’s the best time to grab them for this recipe.
However I hate using peaches when they aren’t in season. It just isn’t the same. For the equivalent you will need about 3 3/4 cups of peach slices.
To easily peel peaches, drop them in a large pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds then quickly remove them placing them in ice water to cool them down so they don’t cook. At that point, the skin should easily come off.
You will need to add more butter and sugar and lessen the amount of flour to create more syrup when using fresh peaches. You won’t be starting with the light syrup from the canned peaches so you will need to adjust for this.
Make sure you taste the syrup and get it to the thickness and sweetness you prefer when making this adjustment.
Vegetarian and Vegan Options
For a vegetarian option, you can use a vegan butter substitute in the pie crust. For a vegan option, you can use a flaky vegan pie crust recipe, or use a crumble topping made with oats, flour, sugar, and vegan butter.
Storing and Reheating
Southern Peach Cobbler is best eaten the day it’s made, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place the cobbler in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Tips
If you’re new to cooking, don’t worry! Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Use ripe peaches for the best flavor.
- Don’t overmix the dough for the pie crust, as this can make it tough.
- Don’t be afraid to get creative with the pie crust toppings. You can use a lattice pattern, a criss-cross pattern, or even cut the dough into decorative shapes.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you don’t have all of the ingredients on hand, don’t worry! Here are a few ingredient substitutions that you can make:
- For the pie crust, you can use salted or unsalted butter.
- For the peaches, you can use fresh peaches or canned peaches in syrup.
- For the cinnamon, you can use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- For the nutmeg, you can use allspice or ground cloves.
What else is needed for Southern Peach Cobbler?
To develop sweet spiced peaches and syrup, I also add granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. I find that adding brown sugar gives a little too much strong flavor with the addition of molasses.
Additional spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg are also added to the bunch. I don’t add as much cinnamon to my recipe because I believe nutmeg is the major spice for peach cobbler. My Big Mama and Mama don’t really ever add cinnamon to their peaches but I find a hint really helps spice it up just a bit.
A full tablespoon of pure vanilla extract rounds out the filling. Make sure you use real vanilla extract and not imitation. You can truly taste the difference. If you really want to up the ante on vanilla, try vanilla bean paste.
When the peaches are done and the syrup is developed, I like to allow them to cool a bit to thicken. Now you will have to play it by ear to decide how much syrup you add to your peach cobbler.
The more you add, the saucier it will be though some will thicken more and more in the oven as it bakes. However you want to add as much as possible so it will have a nice syrup left once it cools. I use pretty much all of mine sometimes and then maybe leave ¼ in the pot other times depending on how I’m feeling.
Finally I go with a perfect pie crust recipe made with all butter. I have a wonderful tutorial on how to make this here. It is important that you keep all of your ingredients very cold when making this so it comes out exactly like you want it to.
An egg wash topped with ground cinnamon is the final Southern touch to make your peach cobbler as authentic as possible. The egg wash will ensure you have a golden brown crust. The end results are perfection. This is the peach cobbler that will impress all of your friends.
PEACH DESSERT RECIPES
Southern Peach Cobbler (How to Make Peach Cobbler)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 3 can peaches in lite syrup (if using fresh peaches- see notes above in post) 29 ounces each
- ½ cup salted butter 1 stick
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
For the Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes 2 sticks
- ½-⅔ cup very cold water
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water.
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
For the Filling:
- Drain two of the cans of peaches and add just peaches to a large pot. Add the remaining can of peaches with lite syrup along with butter to a large pot over medium heat and allow everything to melt together.
- Once butter completely melts, stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and allow peaches to come to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove 3 tablespoons of peach syrup from large pot and place in a small bowl. Whisk flour into small bowl of peach syrup until completely combined creating a slurry then stir into the pot of peaches.
- Cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until syrup thickens and coats the back of a spoon then remove from heat and allow to cool down and further thicken while you make pie crust.
For the Pie Crust:
- In a medium sized bowl, add flour, sugar and salt and whisk together to combine.
- Next add your butter cubes to flour and using your pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until various sized crumbs appear.
- Slowly add the cold water into the flour until a ball of dough forms. Start with ½ cup and add more water if you need it. Knead the dough quickly to bring it together. Don't worry if there is any flour left in the bowl.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, cut into 2 sections and round into balls. Cover each ball tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 35-45 minutes to rest.
To assemble:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove dough from fridge and add a bit of flour to a working surface or clean counter and place dough on it. Unwrap one ball of dough. Using a rolling pin, quickly roll dough out to about ⅓ inch thickness and place on the bottom and up sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove just the peaches from the pot and spoon on top of dough. Next pour the remaining syrup to the peaches (if you like less syrup you can use less. Totally up to you but I wouldn’t use less than 2/3s since it will continue to thicken when baked).
- Roll out the final dough ball and decorate the top of the peach cobbler how you see fit with the dough.
- Brush the top of the dough with egg wash then sprinkle slightly with ground cinnamon.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is beautifully golden brown. Cool down and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you use real vanilla extract and not imitation. You can truly taste the difference.
- If you really want to up the ante on vanilla, try vanilla bean paste.
Nutrition
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Awesome recipe
I hate cooked fruit so I never eat cobbler, certainly never made one. But I made this recipe for my new husband and he ate the whole pan by himself. That was several months ago, and now he’s requested it for Thanksgiving! Thank you for making me look like I can cook. Congratulations on your new book!
Love, love , love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times. Once with fresh peaches and once with canned. They were both delicious!!
I’m excited to find this recipe,it is more like my mom’s than I’ve ever seen. She didn’t use a recipe, she just made it from feel and memory, she is gone now so this is much appreciated. She always used fresh peaches and almond extract instead of vanilla.
Hello Beautiful!
I followed most of your instruction to make my peach cobbler this morning with fresh peaches. However, I used yellow cake mix instead of dough. I mixed and cooked the peaches as you instructed. Thank you for your great recipes. Thanks to “Big Mama and Mama” for teaching you. We love you ladies! I have tried other recipes and they all worked great! I altered the pound cake using all the ingredients you suggested but instead of adding each egg and other ingredients, I made a two step pound cake. This is the only method that I have used to bake a great cake! I add each ingredient into the mixing bowl one at a time. Once all ingredients are in, I mix the ingredients with my stand mixer until everything is incorporated, this takes about five minutes total mixing time! My family and friends love this cake. I have taken a break from making it for the last three months but will probably make it again next weekend. Again, thank you for your great recipes! Love you!
Thanks for the recipe.
Woweee! My mom and I made this tonight for the family and it knocked our socks off! She picked up fresh ETX peaches this morning so we upped a few ingredients, as you suggested, and ended up doubling the peaches. So, so marvelous! Easily a five-star recipe, and I’ll be making this crust from now until the end of time. Thanks so much for sharing it!
What would the measurements be is I used frozen peaches? Would it be the same at fresh?
Yes they would be.
The peach cobbler was a hit, I used canned peaches and followed the directions exactly. I substituted for a store bought crush to save time. This is my go to recipe from now on. Thank you
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and about to be four…so good!!!