Best Peach Cobbler

By Alex Ward

Updated April 16, 2024

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Erin Jeanne McDowell.
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Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Rating
4(4,535)
Comments
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Everyone has a different idea about what a cobbler should be. Biscuit-topped? Double-crusted? Cakelike? We’re not here to cast a vote, merely to present a simple Southern cake-style cobbler that makes the most of ripe summer peaches (or the frozen ones languishing in the back of your freezer). All you really need is a bowl, a saucepan, a baking pan and a spoon. This recipe is all about showcasing the fruit, so when you transfer the batter to the pan, it will not completely cover the bottom, nor will it cover the top of the peaches. As it bakes, the batter will rise up along the sides of the pan and through the peaches, developing a crisp exterior and tender interior. If you'd like a taller cobbler with a higher cake-to-fruit ratio, do as many readers do, and double the batter.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

  • 2 pounds ripe peaches or 6 cups frozen sliced peaches (no need to peel)

  • 12 tablespoons butter (1 ½ sticks)

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (See Tip)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • ½ cup milk

  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)

51 grams carbs; 38 milligrams cholesterol; 335 calories; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 238 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 39 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, pit and slice the peaches. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Add the sliced peaches and ½ cup sugar. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and syrupy.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar with the remaining 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk until combined.

  3. Step 3

    Add 8 tablespoons of butter to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and place it in the oven. When the butter is melted, reserve ⅓ cup of the batter and set aside. Add the rest of the batter to the pan, using a spatula to spread it out as much as you can. It will not fully cover the bottom of the pan. That’s O.K.

  4. Step 4

    Spoon the peach mixture evenly over the top of the batter. Using a clean spoon, dollop small bits of the reserved batter over the peaches, and spread around a bit with the back of the spoon. (It will not fully cover the peaches. Again, that’s O.K.!)

  5. Step 5

    Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Tips

  • This recipe originally called for 1 cup self-rising flour. If you use self-rising flour, leave out the baking powder, and add ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of ¾.

  • This cake is best the day it's made as the crisp exterior softens when covered with plastic wrap or foil for storage. Still, it makes a great breakfast.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,535 user ratings
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Comments

DWF

Definitely Southern style, and as my family is from Georgia I used Georgia peaches at maximum ripeness. The 9X13 pan is too large for the quantity of batter called for in the recipe. Yes, the batter spreads out but there's still not enough to come out looking like the pic above. A solid recipe, true to Southern cooking standards except it doesn't include a half teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg that would push the results to Southern culinary gold star level. Increase batter/add spices!

Gurukaram

Yum - made it twice now. Cut the sugar by 1/2 cup overall and the butter by 2 TBS this time and it came out great. Rich, sweet and decadent both times.

Aurelia

I agree with others to decrease the sugar and butter and to double the amount of batter. Also, you don't need to peel the peaches. I left mine unpeeled and it turned out fine.

LvM

As others have said- too much butter, too much sugar. Those are my two favorite ingredients- but I will halve the quantities next time I bake this. And I will bake it agin bc it is easy and delicious!

wrenhunter

Took the general advice and: - made a half recipe – used the full amount of batter – did not peel the peaches – added 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp allspice Fantastic! I wasn’t ready for the caramelization — almost like a tarte tatin. This is a keeper! One thing I didn’t see mentioned: the consistency of the batter. I subbed buttermilk for the milk, and the batter felt thick. So I added whole milk until the it was just a bit thicker than pancake batter.

Zozoxoe

This is very similar to a recipe I have used from Gourmet magazine from August 2004, an adapted Dori Sanders recipe. For me, the measurements of butter and sugar are obscene. (Imagine your 9x9 pan with just 1 1/2 sticks of butter and all that sugar sitting in it!) I usually use approx 2 tbsp of butter to melt in a 9x9 pan, and approx 1/2 cup sugar. I want to actually taste the peaches! If you think it’s going to be juicy, I add a little bit of tapioca. You can use all types of fruits and berries. It is best the day of, but still tastes good later.

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