Insanely Easy Peach Cobbler
Do you want to learn how to make an easy peach cobbler at home? These are the tested and tried methods of making your own delicious dessert.
Peach season is such a wonderful time of the year when you can go to the farm or farmer’s market and purchase fresh peaches. Or when they are out of season, you can buy canned peaches to remind you of the beautiful summer-time weather. You can eat your peaches fresh or with ice cream, but what else can you do with them? Bake them into a lovely, warm cobbler that reminds you of the beautiful countryside.
This wonderful recipe reminds me of home, making my own peach cobbler with peaches from the farm, and the area that I grew up in. This recipe only has five peach cobbler ingredients but with these simple five ingredients, you will be enjoying peaches in a whole different way at any time of the year!
This post is all about how to make an insanely easy peach cobbler.
What Makes a Cobbler?
Cobbler received its name from the look it gives once baked: a cobbled street. Cobbler is different than a pie because it has batter versus a pie which has a crust. The batter separates when it is baking, and you can begin to see the contents through it. This is due to dropping or spooning the contents onto the batter.
Cobbler vs. Crisp vs. Crumble… What’s the Difference?
Cobbler: a cobbler typically features a fruit filling topped with a biscuit-like or cake-like topping. The topping is dropped or spooned over the fruit in small clumps, resembling cobblestones, hence the name “cobbler.” The texture of the topping is soft and cakey, similar to a scone or biscuit.
Crisp: a crisp, features a fruit filling topped with a streusel-like (crumb topping) topping made from a mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and sometimes oats or nuts. The topping is crumbly and crisp when baked, with a texture similar to a granola or oatmeal cookie.
Crumble: a crumble is similar to a crisp but may not always include oats in the topping. The topping is made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter, resulting in a crumbly texture when baked. Crumbles tend to have a finer texture compared to crisps, with a buttery and sweet flavour.
In some places a crisp and crumble can be used interchangeably for the same dessert. Just remember that cobblers differ more from crumbles and crisps because a cobbler has either batter or a biscuit-like dough, and crumbles and crisps have a streusel (crumb topping) like topping.
What Form of Peach Should I Use?
Canned Peaches: the most convenient method of making peach cobbler and can be made at any time of the year and not just during peach season. You can make a delicious peach cobbler with canned peaches without sacrificing quality or taste. I recommend light syrup or juice for the option of liquid in the can when purchasing.
Fresh Peaches: a lovely seasonal option if you can purchase them from the farmer or even grow them yourself. Merely slice them up and set them on top of the cobbler batter and let the juice from the peaches run over the cobbler. Free stone peaches are the easiest type of peach to slice up as the fruit does not stick to the pit. See below on how to remove the skin from your fresh peaches.
Frozen Peaches: a peach cobbler recipe with frozen peaches is a great way to use your stored peaches. Because they have been frozen, once you thaw them, they will have accumulated liquid in the bag. Do not get rid of that liquid as you can pour it over the cobbler the same way that you would with the canned peaches. Do not worry, it will not be too runny.
I personally have tried all of these options, and they all work well in this recipe without sacrificing taste or texture so it is really up to you and what version of peach you have at your disposal.
How Do I Remove the Skin From my Fresh Peaches?
You will need to blanch your peaches to remove the skin from your peaches.
Blanching is the process of scalding your vegetables or fruit in boiling water for a very short amount of time and transferring them quickly to a very cold bowl of water or an ice bath. This allows the skin to fall off very easily.
These are the steps to blanch and prepare your peaches.
- Boil a pot of water, then insert your peaches for 30 seconds.
- Remove and transfer your peaches to an ice bath. The skins should then easily slide off and now the peaches are ready to be sliced.
- Slice your peaches evenly as this allows for a more even baking of the peaches.
Using a free-stone peach makes slicing and cutting your peaches much easier as the pit of the peach will not stick to the flesh and make slicing difficult.
Are Canned Peaches Just as Good as Fresh Peaches?
I would say yes. Peach cobbler recipes made with canned peaches can be just as amazing as peach cobbler made with fresh peaches. Fresh peaches are a lovely treat and amazing to use in your peach cobbler, but if you live in an area where peaches cannot grow naturally, or you missed peach season, you should not have to miss out on being able to bake your own peach cobbler. Canned peaches will taste just as good, so good that you will have a hard time telling the difference between canned and fresh peaches.
How to Serve Your Peach Cobbler
Serve your warm peach cobbler with a side of vanilla ice cream in the summertime or with a nice cup of hot tea in the wintertime. You can also reheat the next day and enjoy just as much as having it served freshly baked. Your peach cobbler can be stored for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Tips
- Because the peach juice sits on top of the batter when you insert a knife to test for doneness it will most likely always be a little wet. If the knife is only slightly wet and the top looks well done and browned, the cobbler is done baking and needs to be removed from the oven.
- If preparing your own peaches, make sure that they are sliced uniformly to allow the dish to bake evenly. This will allow the fruit juice to be spread throughout the dish and infuse it with flavour.
- You can change the taste of the peach cobbler by adding just a dash of cinnamon to it.
- You can double the recipe easily. Use a 9×13 pan instead of a 9×9 to bake it in and increase the bake time for the cobbler.
Ingredients
Self-Rising Flour: self-rising flour allows the batter to rise and is the foundation of the cobbler. It gives the cobbler a light, fluffy texture. Note if you do not have self-rising flour, use all-purpose flour and add 1 tsp. of baking powder as a substitute.
Granulated Sugar: granulated sugar adds sweetness to the cobbler and amplifies the sweetness of the peaches.
Butter: butter adds richness and flavour while giving the batter a beautiful creaminess towards its texture.
Milk: milk adds moisture and helps to combine everything together into a lovely batter.
Sliced Peaches: the sliced peaches are the star of the recipe and sit right on top of the batter to give it a gorgeous finish.
Cinnamon (Optional): cinnamon complements the sweetness of the peaches and adds depth to the cobbler. If you are looking to add something a bit extra this is good way to do it. Do not add too much as only a small amount will change the taste. You can put in a 1 tsp. max of cinnamon or else it will be too overpowering.
Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
- ½ c. butter softened
- ¾ c. granulated sugar
- 1 c. self-rising flour or 1 c. all-purpose flour with 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. milk
- 1 can of sliced peaches do not drain
- Optional: dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃/Gas Mark 5.
- Cream softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Add flour and mix together well.
- Pour in milk and beat mixture on high with handheld mixer until batter is mostly smooth.
- Pour batter into a greased 9x9 dish.
- Place peaches on top of batter and pour peach juice on top of the batter and peaches.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.