This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe is the perfect comfort-food dessert. Simmer sliced peaches in a rich sugar syrup, then layer them over a pancake-like batter and bake until golden. Make it in 1 hour with fresh peaches in the summer or use frozen peaches to enjoy this recipe year-round.
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This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe comes from a great-aunt on my dad’s side of the family.
Magdalene and her husband lived on a farm in North Carolina, and Magdalene was the kind of woman who cooked and baked most of her recipes by instinct and feel. She just knew when she’d added enough milk to her biscuit dough or how much sugar needed to go in a pie based on how sweet the fruit was.
She was famous for her peach cobbler. But, given the aforementioned “baking by feel,” the directions my mom got when she asked for the recipe were bare bones at best.
Momma wrote, “Work on this!!” at the top of the page for this cobbler in her recipe binder. She never got the chance to work it out, so I did it for her.
This recipe makes a Southern-style peach cobbler, where sliced peaches are simmered in sugar syrup before spooning them over a thin batter. The batter puffs up in the oven to surround the peaches, making for a buttery, sweet dessert that’s perfect for summer.
It’s also ready in 1 hour from start to finish, so you can throw it together any day of the week.
Stephie’s testing notes and tips
- Add brown sugar to the sugar syrup for a richer flavor. Even though Magdalene’s original recipe just called for granulated sugar, I like swapping some of that for brown sugar. Similar to adding brown sugar to the filling in my peach blueberry pie recipe, it deepens the flavor of the peaches for a richer end result.
- Use ripe, but firm peaches. Since the peaches are simmered in a sugar syrup before baking, avoid over-ripe peaches that will turn into mush here. Save those for making the best peach ice cream recipe and use peaches that are ripe but still a bit firm instead.
- Trust the process. Don’t stir when you’re layering the batter and peaches into the baking dish. Pour the batter on top of the melted butter, then spoon on the peaches and their syrup. I know it’s tempting to stir, but resist the urge. I promise it all works out in the oven.
Got self-rising flour?
Magdalene always used self-rising flour when making her old-fashioned peach cobbler. I adjusted the recipe in the printable recipe card below to use all-purpose flour, since that tends to be more common these days.
If you do have self-rising flour, substitute it 1-for-1 for the all-purpose flour and omit the baking powder and salt listed in the recipe.
Using frozen peaches
This peach cobbler recipe is incredible with fresh peaches when they’re in season, but you can easily used frozen sliced peaches any other time of year.
I recommend letting the peaches thaw before making the syrupy peach mixture. Add the peaches and any accumulated juices to the pot along with the water and sugars, then cooked as directed.
Homemade Peach Cobbler
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided use
- ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cinnamon for topping (optional)
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the peaches, ½ cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.4 cups peeled and sliced peaches, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar, ⅓ cup water
- While the peaches simmer, add the butter to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the butter is melted.½ cup unsalted butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth. The batter will be very thin.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter into the pan. DO NOT STIR. Spoon the peaches and their syrup in an even layer over the batter. Again, DO NOT STIR. If desired, sprinkle the top with cinnamon.Cinnamon
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. It is done when the edges of the cobber are golden brown and the batter at the top of the cobbler is set and springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool slightly before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Ingredients
- If using frozen peaches, allow to thaw before making the syrup, adding the thawed peaches and any of their juice to the saucepan with the sugars and water.
- If you have self-rising flour, you can use 1 cup of self-rising flour in place of the all-purpose flour and omit the baking powder and salt.
- You can add a pinch of nutmeg to the top of the cobbler along with the ground cinnamon if you like. I have also sprinkled the top with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon; the spices in the blend all pair nicely with peaches.
Storage
- Store covered at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Storage and reheating tips
Old-fashioned peach cobbler is the very best the same day it is baked, but leftovers will keep for a few days. Store covered at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I like to reheat portions in the microwave for about 30 seconds before enjoying with a scoop of ice cream.
More summer fruit recipes
If you like this old-fashioned peach cobbler, be sure to try my family’s other cobbler recipes. Mixed berry cobbler has a pie crust style topping, while my blackberry cobbler recipe has a drop-biscuit topping.
If you have an excess of fresh summer peaches, try them in peach hand pies or spoon them over the shortcakes from my classic strawberry shortcake recipe.
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >