A Classic Southern Dessert — Peach Cobbler

Photo courtesy of Kendra Reeder/Shutterstock

Peach cobbler is an extremely popular dessert throughout Southern U.S. Normally topped with a sweet scoop of vanilla ice cream, the dessert is perfect to make for family gatherings or celebrations. 

Peach cobbler has been around since the 1800’s when American settlers didn’t have access to fresh fruits and extensive pie dough ingredients. Instead, they used preserved fruit, that was typically canned topped with biscuit dough and cooked over an open fire to create a make-shift version of a pie, known as cobbler. 

In the early days of the peach cobbler, most of the original chefs were African American pre and post emancipation, which is why the dish carries a lot of history in the Black community. It was a recipe passed down for generations.

The dish became so popular that the Georgia Peach Council named April 13 as Peach Cobbler Day to celebrate the sweet treat.

Fun fact: Georgia is known as the “Peach State” because it is the origin of the first commercial peach production in America. 

If you’d like to make this at home, follow the steps below!

Recipe

1. In a pot over medium heat, add water and let come to a boil. Score your peaches and let them boil for 3-5 minutes or until tender. 
2. Remove from the pot and place in an ice bath. Once cool, peel, chop into slices and set aside. 
3. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, 1 cup of granulated sugar and mix. Then, slowly add the cold milk and mix until the batter is smooth. 
4. Next, add the peaches to a pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Let simmer and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. 
5. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
7. In a large baking dish, add a stick of melted butter to cover the pan. Add about 80% of the batter to the baking dish. Next, add the peach mixture. Cover the peaches with the remaining batter.
8. Bake for 40 minutes on 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden and crispy. 
9. Top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 6 peaches
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 cup cold milk, whole
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg 
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving