The Best Peach Cobbler Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use canned or frozen peaches for cobbler? ›

If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Readers have raved about this dessert using frozen, thawed peaches. Canned peaches are not ideal because they're already too soft and mushy.

Not coating the fruit in some starch.

The result is a soupy cobbler with a soggy top. Try this: Add one to two tablespoons of cornstarch to the filling. Partnered with a little sugar and lemon juice, this will make a lush sauce for the fruit.

You shouldn't have a problem with Peach Cobbler being gummy if you use fresh fruit unless you overcook it. Canned peaches, however, can result in a gummy filling because the peaches are already softer to begin with and bathed in heavy syrup. Make sure to thoroughly drain the peaches before using.

A good cobbler should get most of its sweetness from the fruit, not the filling. You don't need to kill the dish with sugar, so avoid recipes that call for half a cup or more. If it's not quite sweet enough for your taste, you can always add a scoop of ice cream to the rest.

6-8 medium peaches (~4 cups) = 2 (16-ounce) cans. 6-8 medium peaches (~4 cups) = 40 ounces frozen peaches.

The Best Peaches for Baking: Freestone Peaches

Freestone peaches are those gems you bite or cut into and the pit falls right out. They can be yellow or white, and are the variety that's most commonly sold at grocery stores and farmers markets.

Pies have, at a minimum, a bottom crust with the fruit placed on top, while a cobbler has the fruit on the bottom and a dolloped dough on top instead. The doughs used are also different, with a pie typically using a rolled-out pastry versus the dropped biscuit topping of a cobbler.

The method for the topping goes like this: Combine equal parts flour and sugar, and add enough melted butter to make a dough. This makes a very sweet cobbler with a topping somewhere between a sugar cookie and pie crust.

Use your probe thermometer! According to Kitchn, when the center of your cobbler reaches 200 degrees F, it's done. Since you have a tool that ensures your cobbler is cooked through, there's one more tip that will make your cobbler experience even better. Let your cobbler rest for a bit before serving.

(bakers tip: it's pretty hard to overcook a cobbler, so don't be afraid to leave it in there for longer than 30 minutes - if the top is browning too quickly and the juices still aren't running clear, tent the crisp with foil and continue baking.) Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Why did my cobbler turn out like cake? ›

Raw, the batter will look a little sparse when dolloped on top of the peaches, but it will rise and spread out as it cooks. If you use enough batter to completely cover the fruit, you'll end up with a cobbler that's far too bready, more like an upside-down cake.

Improper cooking can also create a doughy, inedible crust, or a crust that is so dry even the saucy interior can't revive it. The crucial step to perfecting this treat is to bake it at the right temperature. Since this dish is topped with a biscuit-like dough, you never want to bake cobbler at a very high temperature.

Adjust your sugar: If your peaches are extra ripe, juicy, or overly sweet, scale back on the sugar in the cobbler filling by 1/2 a cup. This way, the filling will still thicken nicely and not turn runny.

Let the peach cobbler cool.

I know it's going to be difficult to wait, but you have to wait at least half an hour to give the cobbler a little time to set up so the syrup can thicken and the peaches won't burn your tongue with the first bite. Serve with vanilla ice cream when ready.

Bottom line: When it comes to peaches, whether they're fresh, frozen or canned, "all these products contribute to a healthy diet," says Bruhn, who was not a researcher on the study. So, eat 'em up.

Freezing peaches is a little easier and quicker and produces wonderfully sweet and delicious peaches to put in your freezer. Canning peaches produces jars of peeled and halved peaches for your pleasure.

Cut the peaches: Pit the peaches and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss with lemon juice: Place the sliced peaches and lemon juice in a bowl and toss to throughly coat. Freeze: Lay the peaches out in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours.

Sure, they don't dazzle quite like the platonic ideal of the season's finest fresh fruit, but frozen peaches are harvested and preserved at their peak, so they're packed with flavor. (Plus, there's no risk of smushed skin or bruising, which seems to always happen to the fresh ones whenever I buy them.