Easy Buttermilk Peach Cobbler

By Melissa Clark

Updated Aug. 16, 2024

Easy Buttermilk Peach Cobbler
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
70 to 80 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
60 to 70 minutes
Rating
5(1,005)
Comments
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This easy peach cobbler is made by layering ripe, juicy fruit over batter rather than nestling it under biscuits or pie dough, giving it a tender, cakelike texture. Browning the butter before merging it with the batter adds nutty, caramelized notes, while buttermilk gives it a lovely tang. Fresh summer peaches (or other stone fruit like nectarines, apricots and plums) are ideal here, but frozen fruit also works well. Serve this warm or at room temperature, preferably on the same day as baking.

Featured in: Peach Cobbler, 2 Ways: Spectacularly Simple and Simply Spectacular

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2pounds fresh peaches, pitted and sliced (peeling is optional), or 6 cups frozen peach slices
  • ½cup/110 grams packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 to 3teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter
  • 1½cups/187 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar, more for sprinkling
  • 1tablespoon baking powder
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1½cups/355 milliliters buttermilk
  • ½ to 1teaspoon flavoring, such as freshly grated nutmeg, citrus zest, ground cinnamon, ginger or vanilla, or ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

399 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 50 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 501 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large (10- to 12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat, combine the peaches, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and the liquid thickens slightly, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour peaches and liquid into a bowl and set aside. Taste a peach slice; if it seems flat, add another squeeze or two of lemon until bright and lively.

  2. Step 2

    Using the same pan (you don’t need to wipe it out), melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, and let it cook until it smells very nutty, turns golden brown and flecks of dark amber appear, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve the brown butter in the pan.

  3. Step 3

    In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in buttermilk and any flavorings you like, and mix just until combined.

  4. Step 4

    Scrape the batter on top of the brown butter in the pan, but don’t mix it in. The butter will rise and cover some of the batter at the pan’s edges, and this is good. Scatter the peach slices and their juices on top of the batter without stirring. Sprinkle with a little more sugar if you like, for crunch.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until the cobbler is golden brown on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,005 user ratings
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Comments

Baker Lee

Brown the butter after making the batter because the butter will continue to cook and burn after you’ve taken it off the heat. This way you can pour the batter into the browned butter as soon as the butter reaches the correct level of brown ness.

Ceilidth

Ripe peaches need almost no sugar, brown or white. A cup and a half of sugar destroys the peach flavor. A biscuit based cobbler soaks up the juice of the ripe peaches and is sweet enough without more than a tablespoon or two of sugar in the batter.

Tracey T

I asked Melissa and she responded that the large skillet is 10 to 12 inches.

Debbie N.

I can't eat gluten and try to minimize added sugars, but even my adapted version of this was a huge hit with folks who are used to traditional desserts. So I wanted to share. I subbed 1 cup buckwheat flour + 1/2 cup King Arthur's g/f flour for the white flour, and 2 Tb. coconut sugar with the fruit and 1/2 cup coconut sugar in the batter. Oh, and I used frozen plums and blueberries instead of peaches, and added a couple of bay leaves and thyme sprigs to the butter for flavor. No sugar topping.

Anna

Yum. I have made this at least four times maybe more. Last summer with peaches and this summer with apricots. I do use less sugar and sometimes whole-wheat flour, it is always amazing, especially just out of the oven!

Angela S

I made this last night - fantastic! Super easy recipe, used less sugar (2/3?) in the batter and it was perfectly fine. I made this in a 12' non-stick skillet and it was super full and slightly overflowed—I may have used a little more than 2# of peaches though. Will make again and possibly swap out the fruit.

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