Peach Cobbler Skillet

It’s Summertime in the South which means one thing-peaches are in season and it’s time for homemade peach everything. We can’t let the season go by without making a fresh peach cobbler. All you need is love…and a few ingredients.

My easy to make peach cobbler skillet features fresh peaches and a homemade pie filling. The cobbler topping is simple and comes together in less than 5 minutes. This recipe is the perfect dessert for serving at backyard barbeques and fish fries all summer long!

In my house “cobbler” means the fruit dessert with a cake like topping-not biscuit, not pie, not a crisp or a crumble. Our recipe uses the crazy crust method that is popular among southern bakers.

Yes, this is worth a trip to the road side stand or local farmer’s market for a basket of fresh, ripe juicy peaches. There is no reason to skip out on the joy that is fresh peach cobbler. Store bought canned peaches just can’t come close. I mean, sure you can use them, but it’s not the same. I’ve tried this recipe both ways and fresh always wins.

Ingredients for a peach cobbler skillet:

4-6 fresh peaches, 1 cup self rising flour (bleached white flour-I prefer White Lily brand), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk (I use whole milk), 1/4-1/2 cup butter (I use salted)

Tools you may need:

A medium to large cast iron skillet or glass pyrex dish. I use a 9 x 13 if I’m making this to take to an event.

How do I make it?

To begin, peel the peaches and cut them into chunks. Add the pieces to a medium sized pot and add 1/2 cup of sugar, and some cornstarch dissolved in cool water (about 2 tsp of cornstarch in 2 tbsp water). Let the peaches cook down and make a syrup with the sugar. Remove from heat. This will take about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put the butter in the skillet and in the oven to melt. I like to let it get a little brown-but that’s just a preference of mine. Just melted is okay too.

While the butter is melting, prepare the batter. Whisk together 1 cup of self rising flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of milk.

Pour over the melted butter (no need to stir together-just let it do it’s thing). Spoon the fruit and filling over the top, again, don’t stir. The batter will rise to the top and cover the filling as it bakes.

Put the skillet back in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes or until the top of the cobbler is golden brown around the edges and the center looks set.

You can also sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar, and it will change the texture just a little bit, adding a slight crunch to the topping.

Any tips to help me with this? 

• Make sure that the flour you use is bleached white flour. Unbleached flour will not yield the same results!
• If you don’t have self rising flour, for this recipe you can substitute all purpose flour + 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.
• I like our cobblers on the thinner side where the fruit shows through. I typically use a 9×13 pan if I’m making a cobbler to take to an event. At home, I’ll use half of this recipe in a medium sized iron skillet. For a thicker cobbler, you can use a medium cast iron pan instead of the larger one, or an 8×8 baking dish.

Ideas for Variations:

You can use this same recipe to make just about any kind of fruit cobbler. If you don’t have peaches, try strawberries or blueberries for a great summer dessert.

Looking for more desserts with fruit? Try these recipes next!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread (Cake)

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Struesel Topping