
Warmly spiced peaches topped with sweet flaky biscuits, this Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler is a quintessential summer dessert!
Fresh summer peaches shine in this Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler. With warm spices, a brown sugar sauce, and flaky sweet biscuits, unsuspecting dinner guests may never guess this dessert is gluten-free!
This recipe can be made with frozen peaches as well so you can enjoy it year-round!
I've been thinking a lot lately how nostalgia and memories affect the food we like to eat and our experience of it.
How I love eating chili because it reminds me of all the times my mom made it for me when I was little. Or, how chocolate chip cookies remind me of my grandma, who always had a freezer and cookie jar of cookies stocked up for us on our visits.
Of course, as we grow older we find other foods that we like and enjoy, but there's something extra comforting and nourishing about the foods that have all the special memories attached to them.
Summer fruit cobblers are such a nostalgic food for me. Whether we made them with fresh-picked blueberries, apples, peaches, or even plums, they were one of my favorite summer desserts growing up.
Desserts we enjoyed after busy days playing outside, going to the pool, or reading books; with family and friends on the weekend or just as a family on a weeknight.
Back then, we often baked our cobblers were in a cake pan and topped them with Bisquick. I remember seasoning just lightly with cinnamon and nutmeg and am pretty sure we used margarine (oh, the late 90's) for a baking fat.
These days, my cobblers of choice are made with coconut oil or (occasionally) butter. I treat myself with a homemade biscuit that really-- no, really -- isn't that much harder than a box mix. I am liberal with that sweet cinnamon, and I go for a gluten-free topping whenever I can.
After all, if we can get the nostalgic flavors and memories of childhood with the healthier and more beneficial for us ingredients and techniques of the present, why not indulge?
This recipe is...
- Warmly spiced
- Flaky
- Buttery (but made without butter!)
- Tender
- Juicy
- Fresh
- Easily made with fresh or frozen peaches
- Lower in sugar
- Gluten-free
- Easily made vegan or dairy-free
- Perfect for potlucks
- ... or family dinners
- ... or just because!
This iconic dessert is iconic for a reason. Now you can have that legendary flavor and cobbler experience without all the gluten!
Recipe ingredients:
The star of this recipe show is peaches, so find the best ones you can get your paws on, or just go for some good quality frozen peaches!
Otherwise, this recipe is made mainly with pantry staples:
- Coconut oil
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Ground cinnamon & nutmeg
- 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Buttermilk
Ingredient substitutions:
Substitute the following ingredients in if you wish, but please pay special attention to my caveats and notes. 🙂
Butter -- don't have or can't find coconut oil? You can use unsalted butter in its place. Just make sure the butter is cold before cutting it into the flour mixture.
Buttermilk
- If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a scant tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup and filling the cup up the rest of the way with milk to the ¾ cup line.
- You can also use almond milk or another nut milk to make your buttermilk to make this recipe dairy-free!
Fruit -- you can make this recipe with other fruits if you'd like. Blueberries, blackberries, plums, and apricots would all be delicious. Just make sure to keep your total fruit measurement at around 6.5-7.5 cups!
What type of peaches are best for peach cobbler? Can you use frozen peaches?
The peaches are the main focus of this recipe, so the better quality and sweeter peaches you can find, the better! Recently, I've found great peaches at our local farmer's market, Trader Joe's, and Costco.
Either way, you want to choose peaches that are pretty ripe. Not so ripe that they are all juice when you cut them, but enough that they're sweet and succulent when you bite into them.
And yes, you can use frozen peaches for this recipe, meaning it's a great recipe to make year-round! If using frozen peaches, you will probably need to simmer them an extra minute or two, however.
Do you need to peel the peaches?
No, you do not need to peel the peaches. I don't peel mine because it seems like unnecessary work, I like the color of the peach peels, and the peels have some extra vitamins and nutrition in them.
You can, however, peel the peaches if you prefer them that way!
How do you peel peaches?
Here's a simple and easy way to peel peaches:
- Bring a dutch oven full of water to a boil
- Add 2-3 peaches at a time to the water and boil for 20-30 seconds
- Remove the peaches from the water
- Let the peaches cool for a few minutes (and repeat steps 2 and 3 with the rest of your peaches)
- Gently, being careful not to burn yourself, peel the peach skins off the peaches
What is 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour and where do you buy it?
1-to-1 baking flour is a baking flour substitute for all-purpose wheat flour that contains no wheat or other gluten products. Most importantly, this flour is formulated to measure out exactly like you would measure flour, meaning that you don't need to do any fancy baking conversions!
I love Bob's Red Mill's 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. You can buy it at Whole Foods, most major grocery store chains here in the United States, or on Amazon.
How to measure your 1-to-1 gluten-free flour:
As I always say, this may sound like I'm being needlessly particular, but the best way to measure flour is by weighing it! Measuring flour by scooping is notoriously inconsistent and can greatly affect your baking results.
Thankfully, you can get a great food scale on Amazon for right around $10. So do yourself, and the rest of your baking, a favor and grab one of those so you can weigh the flour for this recipe.
Can you also make this cobbler in a baking pan?
Yes, if you don't have a cast-iron skillet you can bake this cobbler in a baking pan. Just simmer your peaches, sugar, and spices as directed but in a large non-stick skillet and then pour them into a greased 8 x 13" baking pan before dropping the biscuits on. Bake the cobbler for 30-35 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown.
Can you make this cobbler with traditional all-purpose wheat flour?
Yes, you can make this with traditional all-purpose wheat flour. Use the same amount (1 ¾ cups, or 180g) and follow the recipe as directed. Know that if you use all-purpose wheat flour that your recipe will no longer be gluten-free, however.
How is cobbler different from crisp?
Cobbler is different from crisp in that it is tops with a sweet biscuit dough instead of a buttery flour or oatmeal streusel.
Tools you need to make this peach cobbler:
- 12" cast-iron skillet
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wet measuring cup
- Whisk or fork
- Pastry cutter (optional)
- Medium-size mixing bowl
How to make this healthier peach cobbler...
Let's start with the peaches:
We're going to quickly cook them down with brown sugar and spices before we add the sweet biscuit cobbler topping.
- Heat up a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil to the skillet and melt.
- Once the coconut oil is melted, add the peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pan. Stir the peaches until the sugar and spices are evenly distributed and let the peaches come to a simmer. Simmer the peaches for 7-8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, or until the peaches are softened and the juices are thickened. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Next, let's make the biscuit topping:
The key to making this cobbler topping is to use cold coconut oil and buttermilk and to not over-mix the dough. Over-mixing it is what can make the biscuits tough and chewy, so we want to err on the side of (what looks like) under-mixing. I like to mix my dough until it looks like it's about 80% mixed in.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder with a metal whisk or fork. Add the remaining ¼ cup coconut oil to the flour and cut it in with a fork or pastry cutter until the coconut oil is broken down to the size of small peas.
- Slowly pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture, stirring with the fork as you go. Mix the flour and milk together a few times, or until there are just a few streaks of flour remaining. Note: we want it to look like the milk is only about 80% mixed in and this is OK! This will keep the biscuits nice and tender, as overmixing them makes them tough and chewy.
Next, let's put the cobbler together and bake it!
Here are the steps we've all been waiting for: compiling the cobbler and getting it in the oven!
- Spoon the batter in 2-4 tablespoon scoops over the peaches, spacing the scoops 1-2 inches away from each other.
- Add the skillet to the oven and bake for 32-35 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the peach juice is thickened.
- Enjoy the cobbler hot or let it cool for 30 minutes - 1 hour before serving. Serve with it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
How do you serve this cobbler?
This cobbler is best served the day-of, as the biscuits will be the most tender and fresh then.
Serve this cobbler for dessert serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It's totally delicious on its own, too!
Can you double or triple this recipe?
Yes, you theoretically can double or triple this recipe, but you would need extra cast iron skillets and/or baking pans (see my note above) to do so.
How long does this recipe last and what is the best way to store it?
Leftover peach cobbler lasts covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. As mentioned previously, however, it is the best the day that you make it, as the biscuits will get soggy when stored longer than a day.
Can you freeze peach cobbler?
Yes, you can freeze peach cobbler. Here's how:
- Cook the peaches on the stovetop as directed.
- Let the peaches cool.
- Move the peaches to a freezer-safe container and freeze the peaches for 2-3 months.
- When baking your cobber: preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add the frozen peaches to the cast-iron skillet or greased 8 x 13" baking pan.
- Bake the peaches for 20 minutes.
- Make the sweet biscuit topping. Remove the peaches from the oven and sprinkle it on top of the frozen peaches.
- Bake the cobbler for another 30-35 minutes, or until the peach sauce is thick and bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown.
Looking for a peach crisp recipe? Check out my Gluten-Free Peach & Blueberry Crisp!
Other gluten-free baking recipes you might like:
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
- Gluten-Free Banana Oatmeal Cake
- Fudgy Date Brownies
- No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake
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Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler (Cast Iron Skillet Recipe)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, DIVIDED
- 5 large (or 6.5-7.5 cups) peaches, sliced
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ¾ cup (or 210g) 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup cold buttermilk*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (365 degrees if at high altitude).
- Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the skillet. Stir the peaches until the sugar and spices are evenly distributed. Bring the peaches to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, or until the peaches are softened and the juices are thickened. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until combined. Add the remaining ¼ cup coconut oil to the flour and cut it in with a fork or pastry cutter until the coconut oil is crumbles to the size of peas.
- Slowly whisk the buttermilk into the flour mixture until there are just a few streaks of flour remaining. Note: we want it to look like the milk is only about 80% mixed in and this is OK! This will keep the biscuits nice and tender, as over-mixing them makes them tough and chewy.
- Spoon the batter in 2-4 tablespoon scoops over the peaches, spacing the scoops 1-2 inches apart.
- Add the skillet to the oven and bake for 32-35 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the peach juices have thickened.
- Enjoy the cobbler hot or let it cool for 30 minutes - 1 hour before serving. Serve with it with vanilla frozen yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.
Notes
*To make your own buttermilk, just add a scant tablespoon distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill the cup with milk to the ¾ cup line. Stir and rest for 5 minutes, or until the milk curdles.
Using other fruit. You can use or mix in other fruit if you'd like, too. Blueberries, blackberries, apricots, and even plums work. Whatever combination you use, just use a total of 6.5-7.5 cups of fruit.
How to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free: keep this recipe dairy-free and vegan by using nut milk instead of dairy milk.
You don't need to peel the peaches for this recipe. If you want to, however, place whole peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then, remove, let cool for a few minutes, and carefully peel the skin off.
You can also make this recipe with unsalted butter if you prefer. Just make sure your butter is cold before cutting it in.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 190Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 1mgSodium 205mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 25gProtein 2g
Nutrition Disclaimer: This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
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