Brown Butter Peach Cobbler Recipe | Handle the Heat
Filed Under: Dessert | Summer | Thanksgiving

Brown Butter Peach Cobbler

By Tessa Arias
  |  
July 1st, 2022
4.87 from 129 votes
4.87 from 129 votes

This Brown Butter Peach Cobbler is the most flavorful cobbler recipe you'll ever try. The brown butter peaches, warm spices, and the biscuit-like base and topping make for the ultimate summer treat. Use fresh, frozen, or canned peaches to enjoy this cobbler all year long!

Yield: 9 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes

Tessa's Recipe Rundown...

Taste: AMAZING. Brown butter peach filling loaded with cozy spices. Perfectly sweet, light, and fluffy cobbler base and topping. Truly one of the tastiest desserts I’ve had.
Texture: The ooey gooey peaches complement the soft cobbler base + topping perfectly. Seriously texture heaven. And when topped with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream… YUM.
Ease: This peach cobbler recipe is SO easy to make! The trickiest part might be browning the butter, which I’ve shared step-by-step instructions for how to do below.
Pros: Crowd-pleasing dessert recipe.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.

The smell that will come from your kitchen while you bake this easy Brown Butter Peach Cobbler recipe is intoxicating.

This easy Peach Cobbler recipe might be one of my new favorite desserts.

I love that it can be enjoyed year-round. It’s perfect as a summer dessert when using fresh peaches, and just as delicious during fall and Thanksgiving with frozen or canned peaches.

And it’s such an easy holiday dessert… no pie crust here!

This cobbler recipe is perfect for serving a crowd. Just don’t forget to top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Check out the pink tip box below for all my secrets for making the BEST peach cobbler recipe.

How to Make Peach Cobbler

What is the difference between peach cobbler and peach crisp?

Cobblers are commonly defined as a sweetened fruit filling encased in some sort of cakey biscuit-like dough. Crisps, on the other hand, feature a fruit filling simply topped with a mixture usually containing butter, oats, sugar, flour, and sometimes nuts and spices to create a crunchy crisp texture.

Peach cobbler filling ingredients:

  • Butter – always use unsalted butter in baking! This butter actually gets browned and divided between the filling and the topping.
  • Frozen sliced peaches – find out why I use frozen peaches just below, but you can use any kind of peaches you’d like. You can also experiment with adding in other fruits like blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries, if you’d like. Just make sure to not exceed the amount of fruit called for in the recipe.
  • Granulated sugar – taste a slice of your peaches and increase the granulated sugar slightly if they are tart.
  • Dark brown sugar – provides an amazing molasses flavor in the filling. Use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark brown.
  • Spices – salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and cloves create a perfectly spiced filling. If you don’t have cardamom, simply replace it with extra cinnamon!
  • Cornstarch – helps the filling to thicken.
  • Bourbon – optional, but really packs a punch of flavor that complements the peaches and spices.
  • Vanilla extract – always essential!
  • Fresh lemon juice – helps to brighten the flavors of the cobbler.

Ingredients for peach cobbler base and topping:

  • Brown butter – the butter is browned altogether then divided to use up in both the filling and for the cobbler biscuit.
  • Sugar – essential for a sweet base.
  • All-purpose flour – measured correctly, so you don’t end up with a dense or chewy cobbler topping.
  • Salt – don’t skip this, it brings out the flavors of the dish.
  • Baking powder – this creates a light and fluffy texture.
  • Buttermilk – learn why I avoid buttermilk substitutes and DIY buttermilk in my Buttermilk 101 article.

Is it better to use fresh, frozen, or canned peaches for easy peach cobbler?

I opted for 32 ounces of frozen peaches for this easy homemade peach cobbler recipe because it significantly cuts the prep time, and I tend to prefer eating fresh locally grown peaches just on their own.

However, this recipe can also be made with fresh or canned peaches. If using fresh peaches during peach season, you’ll need about 12 medium ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced before using.

If using canned, you’ll need four 16-ounce cans of peaches that you’ll drain and measure out 32 ounces of peaches. The liquid takes up a lot of the weight of the can so three cans won’t cut it. You’ll have a little extra but that goes great on oatmeal, waffles, in smoothies, etc.

Can you leave the peels on peaches for cobbler?

This comes down to personal preference. I personally prefer to peel my peaches because I’m not a fan of the cooked skins on fruit, but if that doesn’t bother you, you can leave the skin on your peaches.

How to make Brown Butter Peach Cobbler:

  1. Brown the butter. Step-by-step tips for this just below.
  2. Make the filling. Cook the peaches and filling ingredients together in the same pan used to brown the butter.
  3. Make the batter. Whisk together the cobbler batter ingredients. Reserve ½ cup of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter into a 9 x 13-inch pan.
  4. Assemble. Sprinkle the peach mixture over the batter. With a fresh spoon, dollop the remaining 1/2 cup of batter on top of the peaches.
  5. Bake. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Instructions for how to brown butter:

  1. Use a stainless steel sauté pan for best results. Nonstick prevents the butter from browning completely and prevents you from being able to visually see how browned it’s getting. Same with the dark color of cast iron. Something with a wider surface area, like a sauté pan over a saucepan, encourages more browning more quickly.
  2. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter.
  3. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises.
  4. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat.

What kind of pan is best for baking cobbler?

I prefer a glass or ceramic 9 by 13-inch baking dish for cobbler. I prefer glass so I can see how brown the cobbler is getting at the edges. This also creates a nicer table presentation if you’re serving company than a metal pan would. Be sure not to use a baking dish any smaller, otherwise your cobbler will overflow.

How do you make peach cobbler not runny or mushy?

Don’t skip the cornstarch in the recipe and be sure to cook it fully. Cornstarch doesn’t activate its thickening properties until just over 200°F so you want the filling to bubble in the oven. Underbaked cobbler won’t set properly.

How to store homemade peach cobbler:

To store leftover cobbler, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Can this peach cobbler recipe be frozen?

I don’t recommend freezing peach cobbler as it would create a soggy and unpleasant texture. Not to mention it’s quite a large pan to freeze! For best results, make peach cobbler the day you plan to serve.

How to reheat peach cobbler:

To reheat leftovers in the oven, bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Reheating in the microwave will result in more of a soggy texture.

More Recipes You’ll Love:

4.87 from 129 votes

How to make
Brown Butter Peach Cobbler

Yield: 9 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This Brown Butter Peach Cobbler is the most flavorful cobbler recipe you'll ever try. The brown butter peaches, warm spices, and the biscuit-like base and topping make for the ultimate summer treat. Use fresh, frozen, or canned peaches to enjoy this cobbler all year long!

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
  • 6 cups (32 ounces) frozen sliced peaches*
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about half a medium lemon)

For the batter:

  • 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Cinnamon sugar to dust top of batter before baking (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously spray a 9×13 glass or ceramic pan with baking spray.

Brown the butter:

  1. Melt butter in a stainless steel sauté pan or wide saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally. It should become foamy and crack and pop audibly. When the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat. Remove 1/4 cup of the browned butter into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Keep the remaining butter in the pan to cook the peaches.

Make the filling:

  1. Place the pan back on medium heat, and add the peaches, sugars, salt, spices, and cornstarch. Mix until combined. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the peaches are soft and the mix is syrupy. Remove from heat. Add in the bourbon (if using), vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until combined and set aside.

Make the batter:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the prepared ¼ cup of browned butter and the buttermilk until combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring until combined and no clumps are visible. Reserve a 1⁄2 cup of batter and set aside.
  2. Pour the batter (minus the ½ cup set aside) into the prepared pan.

Assemble:

  1. Spoon the peach mixture as evenly as possible over the batter. With a fresh spoon, dollop the remaining 1/2 cup of batter on top of the peaches. Dust with cinnamon sugar (optional).
  2. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Once the cobbler has been removed from the oven, let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve fresh with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Enjoy!
  3. To store leftover cobbler, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat leftovers in the oven, bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

*No need to thaw peaches prior to use. This recipe can also be made with fresh or canned peaches. If using fresh peaches, you’ll need about 12 medium peaches, peeled and sliced before using. If using canned, you’ll need four 16-ounce cans, drained and measured to 32 ounces of peaches (the liquid in the can accounts for much of the weight, so using four cans ensure you’ll have enough. You’ll have a little extra, but that goes great on oatmeal, waffles, in smoothies, etc.).
Course : Dessert
Cuisine : American
Keyword : brown butter peach cobbler, peach cobbler

Photos by Joanie Simon | The Bite Shot

July Baking Challenge

This recipe was the July 2022 selection for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s cobblers:

Tessa Arias
Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Find Tessa on  

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Recipe Rating




  1. #
    Amesy — May 19, 2023 at 10:30 am

    You had me at brown butter! I haven’t made it yet but I know this is the one!

    • #
      Emily — May 22, 2023 at 5:57 am

      Let us know what you think when you give it a try! 🙂

  2. #
    Jenel — November 13, 2022 at 5:17 am

    sooo good! I had to use canned peaches and reduced the sugar, it was wonderful!

  3. #
    Patricia — October 16, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    I made this today for a birthday party and mostly it was a hit with my family. It was a bit too sweet for many of us and the top got so dark I removed it from the oven before the minimum time posted. I gave 4 stars only because we would have liked less sweetness and more peach flavor. I will certainly make this again with more peaches and less sugar.

  4. #
    Connie — August 22, 2022 at 5:18 pm

    This was my first time trying a cobbler, making or eating! It won’t be my last, this was so delicious and easy to make! I used fresh peaches and address a little more than the recipe called for and it was fantastic!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 24, 2022 at 7:27 am

      So thrilled to hear this was such a hit, Connie!!

  5. #
    Kathy T — August 7, 2022 at 3:41 pm

    Fabulous!!! Will definitely make again!!
    Tried many of your recipes , this is my first post
    Thank you for sharing !

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 8, 2022 at 1:58 pm

      Yay! So excited you loved this cobbler so much, Kathy!! Glad to hear you’re enjoying Tessa’s recipes 🙂

  6. #
    Keengreen — August 7, 2022 at 12:48 pm

    This time of year there are a million peach cobbler recipes, and I’ve tried many, but this one is absolutely the BEST one ever!. I made it exactly as written, using a combination of fresh peeled peaches and nectarines, 10 altogether. The brown butter, spices and bourbon smelled heavenly as the cobbler baked and bubbled. I had extra juice when I assembled the cobbler, so I drizzled it onto the scoop of ice cream along side the cobbler. The biscuit base/topping was a perfect consistency and sweetness.
    FYI…be sure to place your glass casserole dish onto a foil-lined sheet pan to catch any bubble-over that might occur. This recipe fills the dish to the tippy top.

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 8, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      So happy to hear that you enjoyed this cobbler so much, Keengreen!! Good tip there, too 🙂

  7. #
    Emily — July 31, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    Delicious, thanks for another great recipe! This one’s a keeper for sure!!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      Yay! So happy to hear this cobbler was a hit, Emily!!

  8. #
    Emily Kertz — July 31, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    I baked this cobbler for my family when we had some out of towners visiting and everyone loved it! It was my first cobbler and it was so tasty! The spices were reminiscent of thanksgiving which I wasn’t expecting. I’d bake this again!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      That’s so great to hear, Emily! Glad your first cobbler-making experience was great, and it tasted delicious, too!

  9. #
    Joanna Cole — July 31, 2022 at 7:42 pm

    Very easy to make! It looks delicious. We will sample and share with friends tomorrow-August 1st.

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:26 pm

      Hi Joanna! So great to hear that this cobbler smelled delicious – hopefully it tasted just as great!!

  10. #
    Kristen — July 31, 2022 at 4:07 pm

    AMAZING! The brown butter sends this cobbler over the top! I grew up in Atlanta and this just brings back so many memories. Thank you for sharing!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:24 pm

      So happy to hear this cobbler was delicious and brought back fond memories, Kristen!

  11. #
    Danielle Rodgers — July 31, 2022 at 1:19 pm

    I baked this for the July baking competition and WOW, it’s so delicious! Super easy, the instructions were simple to follow, and the results were fantastic. Thanks for the yummy dessert! I posted my favorite photo on Instagram at @frenchvanillabaker 🙂

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      Woohoo! So thrilled you loved this cobbler so much, Danielle!! Your picture looks beautiful!!

  12. #
    Mary Ann Bryant — July 31, 2022 at 5:12 am

    Fresh peaches from the farmers market were a challenge to pit and slice but the cobbler turned out great. The browned butter flavor added richness to the sweet fruit. I will try frozen next time.

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:16 pm

      Hi Mary Ann! The frozen peaches definitely cut down on the prep time! I’m glad you enjoyed the cobbler, even if it was a bit more labor-intensive with the fresh peaches!

  13. #
    Robin L. — July 31, 2022 at 4:24 am

    I had never made a cobbler before, so this was my first try. It was so easy, especially with the frozen peaches! Loved the smell while it was baking, and loved the taste even more. Yum!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:13 pm

      Yay! So excited to hear your first cobbler experience was good – and delicious! Thanks for the comment, Robin!

  14. #
    Amanda Bouchard — July 30, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    Amazing!!! Came together so easily! Used canned peaches and it was amazing!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      So happy you enjoyed this cobbler so much, Amanda!!

  15. #
    Karen V — July 30, 2022 at 8:45 pm

    I had to quickly take a photo of this cobbler as the first peach cobbler I made went so fast I wasn’t able to get a picture of it! That is how good this peach cobbler is!! Easy recipe to follow, delicious and has become one of the family’s top favorite desserts!!!

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — August 1, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Karen! I’m so happy to hear this cobbler was such a hit!

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