Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• Fresh Peaches. You’ll never catch me making peach cobbler with canned peaches. I like the fruit to still have a bit of a bite, and canned peaches just turn to absolute mush.
• Brown Sugar. I use dark brown sugar in this recipe – mostly because I almost exclusively buy dark brown and it’s what I always have on hand. If you only have light brown sugar, that’s FINE!
• Cinnamon. This brings the fall flavor in the most perfect subtle way. It’s really the best recipe for end-of-summer/early fall when the peaches are perfectly juicy and ripe!
• Cornstarch. This will help absorb any excess liquid from the peaches and create more of a saucy vibe rather than a pool of liquid.
• Salted Butter. We’re using SALTED butter in the topping because salt makes sweet things taste good! If all you have is unsalted, no problem, just add an extra pinch of salt.
• Candied Pecans. Finely chopped and mixed into the topping for a nice crunch.
• Heavy Cream. This goes into the topping AND brushed onto the topping to help it bake up to the perfect golden brown.
• Raw Sugar. Could also be labeled turbinado sugar. I sprinkle this on the topping right before baking for an added crunch. Brown sugar is a good substitute if you don’t have any raw sugar.
• Ice Cream. For serving. It’s technically optional, but also very not optional. Classic vanilla, salted caramel, butter pecan … the world is your oyster.

How to make Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Prepare the peaches.

Remove the pit from 7-8 peaches, then slice each peach into 8 slices. You want to keep the slices a little thick, otherwise they’ll cook down too much in the oven and become mushy. Add the peaches to a large bowl along with the vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Toss to coat peaches. (You can also do this right in the cast iron to use less dishes, but it will be full and harder to toss.)

Pour the peaches into a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Mine is this 11″ enameled cast iron from Le Creuset. Depending on the ripeness of your peaches, cook for 6-10 minutes. If your peaches are more firm, it’ll take close to 10 minutes. If your peaches are more ripe and beginning to soften, cook them a little less. The peaches will continue to cook down and soften in the oven, so don’t over do it here – you basically just want the sugar to dissolve and the peaches to soften slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Make the Topping.

Dice the butter into small chunks and then place in the freezer to get super cold. In a medium-large mixing bowl, add the flour, pecans, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add the very cold butter cubes and then toss to coat in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to press the butter into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly, as pictured below. Mix in 1/2 C of the heavy cream until combined. It should be slightly sticky similar to a sugar cookie dough.

Take small handfuls of the topping into your hands and flatten them slightly, then place all over the top of the peaches, letting some of the peaches peek through. Once all the topping is on, I like to sprinkle on a few roughly chopped pecans to the top to let everyone know that the cobbler contains nuts! Then, brush the top with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw (turbinado) sugar.

Bake, Cool, & Serve.

Bake the cobbler at 350 for 23-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Remove it from the oven and let cool for 25-30 minutes before serving. This will let the liquid in the peaches thicken up a bit, so don’t skip!

Plate it up with a scoop of your favorite ice cream and enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler FAQs

• Can I use canned peaches? I think that fresh peaches are the way to go when making peach cobbler. Canned peaches are already so soft, so when they’re baked they really just turn to mush.
• Can I make this recipe gluten free? I have not tested it yet, but you should be able to make this recipe gluten free by swapping out the all purpose flour with a 1 to 1 gluten free flour like this one from King Arthur Baking.
• How to store leftovers? This recipe will keep covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just reheat it when serving so it’s nice and warm!
• Can I make this nut free? Yes! You can absolutely just omit the pecans to make it nut free. You could also swap the pecans for a different nut like walnuts or almonds if you prefer!