Fresh peach cobbler is a Southern summertime favorite, but canned or frozen peaches can be also used to enjoy this classic dessert all year long. Whether at a 4th of July picnic or a holiday dinner, everyone will be raving about it and asking for more.

This peach cobbler is delicious when it comes out of the oven and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it is just as tasty served cool. We also love the addition of ground cinnamon or nutmeg for extra comforting flavor, especially in the fall, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Learn how to make a fresh peach cobbler that you’ll look forward to each summer.

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler

The fresh peaches are of course the star of this peach cobbler recipe, but everything works together for the perfect flaky crust and juicy filling. Here’s what you’ll need for this favorite Southern dessert:

• All-purpose flour: Flour is the main ingredient for the cobbler topping. Using another type of flour may change the texture and flavor.
• Sugar: Sugar enhances the browning of the cobbler topping, boosts the sweetness of the peaches, but also helps thicken up the juices in the cobbler filling.
• Baking powder: This leavener gives the cobbler topping a bit of lift so it’s fluffy and light, not thick and dense.
• Salt: A bit of salt is necessary to balance the sweetness of the rest of the dish
• Milk: Milk thins the batter just enough that you can easily spread it over the peaches.
• Butter: If you use salted butter, you should not add any additional salt.
• Peaches: Fresh is obviously ideal, especially if you have access to them in the summer. But you can also substitute the fresh with canned or frozen any time of the year.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice enhances the flavor of the filling to keep it from being too syrupy sweet.
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg: These warming spices are optional, but we like the way they deepen the dish’s flavor and make it more interesting. It’s especially great in the fall when you’re craving something a bit more comforting.

Our Tips for the Best Peach Cobbler

Making a peach cobbler isn’t terribly difficult, but there are a few tricks and tips that will make your cobbler the best you’ve ever baked:

• Easily remove peach skin: Whether or not you remove the skin from peaches for a cobbler is entirely up to you. But if you’re going to do it, follow our tips for how to peel a peach easily. Alternatively, you can remove peach skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
• Make a thicker filling: No one likes a soupy cobbler. If the peach filling is overly juicy, add 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir to combine well, then continue with the recipe. The filling will continue to thicken as the cobbler bakes.
• 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.

Southern Living Community Tips

According to Southern Living community members, this recipe is easily adapted based on your tastes and preferences. For instance, one person recommends reducing the sugar and flour for a more healthful take that doesn’t compromise the flavor.

Another community member suggests spicing it up. “I added both cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe and also added some frozen peaches, leaving some of the water in the boiled mixture when done to add moistness,” the member writes. “Then, believe it or not, [I add] a dash of mild chili powder. It’s a bold move but it works great!”

Several members commented they like a higher fruit-to-cobbler ratio, so they added more peaches. Some even added other fruits, including blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

How To Pick Fresh Peaches

Picking fresh peaches is an important step in making a great peach cobbler. Before you head to the farmers’ market or grocery store, make sure you know how to spot a good one:

• Firmness: A good peach should be firm but not hard. If it gives too much, it’s too ripe. (That peach would be great in a peach milkshake though.) If it gives none at all, it’s not ripe. Just don’t press too hard, or you may leave bruises.
• Skin: Bruised spots will speed up ripening and leave you without great fruit for your cobbler. Skip any that show obvious signs of damage.
• Smell: A ripe peach has a sweet, floral scent. If the peach has no scent, it’s underripe.
• Color: A good peach is yellow-orange with no green spots. Peaches with green spots are edible, but they will lack the flavor and sweetness you want for a cobbler.
• Type: Any type of peach will do, but the best peaches for cobbler are ripe, sweet peaches.

Using Canned or Frozen Peaches

Peach cobbler is unbeaten when you’re using summer-fresh peaches straight from the orchard. But canned and frozen peaches can work too so you can enjoy this dessert any time of the year.

• Canned peaches: Substitute 4 cups fresh peaches for 2 (16-oz.) cans of peaches. Be sure to drain the peaches well before adding them to the saucepan.
• Frozen peaches: Substitute 4 cups fresh peaches for 40 ounces of frozen peaches (that’s 2 1/2 16-oz. bags). Thaw the frozen peaches entirely, and drain them to remove moisture.

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.