I love a good pie, but making a good pie crust can be a serious challenge. Cobblers, crumbles, and crisps make for a lower-stress dessert, so you can focus on the main course; here are 24 recipes for peach cobbler and beyond.
Fresh Peach Biscuit Cobbler
You probably have bad memories of peach cobbler from a TV dinner or school cafeteria, but it can be so much more. Fresh peaches really are the key, with a buttermilk biscuit batter.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss peaches with 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in dish. Bake 12 minutes while making topping.
- Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in cold butter until pea-size pieces remain.
- Stir in buttermilk just until shaggy dough forms.
- Drop eight rough dough portions over hot fruit, leaving steam gaps. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until biscuits brown, their centers cook through, and filling bubbles through gaps. Rest 25 minutes.
Blackberry Drop-Biscuit Cobbler
When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, I always looked forward to blackberry season in late summer, when every vacant lot was suddenly full of fruit. Out of season, frozen berries work too, but you'll need to add extra cornstarch to compensate for the additional liquid.
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Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Fold blackberries with 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; spread in dish.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rub in butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Stir vanilla into cream; pour over flour mixture. Fold just until no dry pockets remain.
- Drop eight loose dough mounds over berries, leaving surface partly uncovered.
- Bake 40 to 42 minutes until topping is deeply golden and center filling bubbles. Cool 25 minutes.
Cinnamon Apple Cobbler
Rare is the apple dessert without cinnamon; they really are just a perfect pairing. Big slices of apple work best to prevent them from turning to mush.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss apples with brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread evenly in dish.
- Whisk remaining flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in butter.
- Stir in milk; turn soft dough onto floured surface. Pat 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut rough 3-inch squares; arrange over apples with small gaps.
- Bake 48 to 50 minutes until apples are tender, juices bubble, and topping browns. Rest 20 minutes.
Tart Cherry Cobbler
Cherries are my favorite temperate-climate fruit, and sour cherries are my favorite of the bunch. While they aren't the easiest to find fresh, jarred or canned cherries work great here.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Whisk cherry juice, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; fold in drained cherries.
- Pour into dish; bake 10 minutes.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter; stir in milk to form soft dough.
- Drop small dough spoonfuls evenly over hot cherries, leaving several open channels.
- Bake 28 to 30 minutes until biscuits brown and center bubbles steadily. Cool at least 30 minutes.
Mixed Berry Cobbler
With its natural sweetness, it's a bit of a mystery to me why cornmeal isn't used in more desserts. This cobbler uses a cornmeal-based batter with a bit of lemon, baked until crunchy to contrast with all those soft berries.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss frozen berries with 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in dish.
- Whisk flour, cornmeal, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in butter.
- Fold in buttermilk until dough is evenly moistened but still rough.
- Spoon small dough mounds over frozen fruit, leaving center partly exposed.
- Bake 48 to 52 minutes until center filling bubbles for a full minute and topping is golden. Rest 30 minutes.
Blueberry Lemon Cobbler
It wasn't until I was in Maine in the summertime that I realized just how good a blueberry could be. Frozen blueberries are great in a smoothie, but for this dessert, fresh is the way to go.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Toss blueberries with 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in dish.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cut in butter until crumbly; fold in buttermilk just until dough forms.
- Drop dough over berries in nine small mounds.
- Bake 38 to 42 minutes until biscuits brown and blueberry juice bubbles through center gaps. Cool 25 minutes.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Rhubarb is probably my favorite fruit pie filling, and while I prefer 100 percent pure, uncut rhubarb, strawberry works well too. Don't worry if the stalks are still green — the toxins are only in the leaves.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Fold strawberries and rhubarb with 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in dish.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; work in butter until crumbly.
- Stir in cream just until flour is moistened.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of dough over fruit, leaving gaps.
- Bake 43 to 47 minutes until center bubbles and topping is golden. Rest 30 minutes to thicken filling.
Brown Sugar Plum Cobbler
I'll be honest, I've never had a fresh plum from the supermarket in the US that comes anything close to what I've had in France or Japan. However, they still work great for baking, and their natural tartness pairs nicely with brown sugar.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Toss plums with brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread in dish; bake 10 minutes while preparing biscuits.
- Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter; stir in buttermilk.
- Drop eight rough biscuits over hot plums, leaving fruit exposed between them.
- Bake 30 to 33 minutes until biscuits brown and plum juices bubble. Cool 25 minutes.
Pear Ginger Cobbler
If you have a pear tree, you will quite likely have no idea what to do with that much fruit, and while I love fresh pears, you can only have so many.
That's where this cobbler comes in, and a little ginger adds some necessary loveliness, as a plain cooked pear can be rather underwhelming.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss pears with 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in dish.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in butter.
- Stir in cream until sticky dough forms.
- Spoon small dough mounds over pears, leaving gaps for bubbling juice.
- Bake 43 to 47 minutes until pears are tender and biscuits browned through the center. Rest 25 minutes.
Apricot Almond Cobbler
Botany is so often a good guide to flavor pairing — apricot and almond are close relatives, and amaretto is usually made from apricot kernels, not almonds.
This recipe combines apricot with almond flour and almond extract, and you'll wonder why these two flavors aren't used together more often.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Fold apricots with 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in dish.
- Whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cut in butter. Mix almond extract with milk; fold into crumbs.
- Drop dough in eight mounds over apricots.
- Bake 36 to 40 minutes until fruit bubbles and topping is browned with a firm center. Cool 25 minutes.
Fresh Fig Honey Cobbler
I never had a fresh fig until adulthood, growing up in the frozen north, but they're amazing. They don't need much to make them great- just a little sweetness and acidity- so keep them in big pieces to let them shine.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Whisk honey, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; gently fold in figs.
- Transfer figs to dish without crushing.
- Whisk flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter; stir in buttermilk.
- Drop small dough portions over figs, leaving gaps.
- Bake 36 to 40 minutes until topping is golden and thick fig syrup bubbles between biscuits. Rest 25 minutes.
Cranberry Apple Cobbler
Cranberries are one of those fruits where frozen is not a problem, and in baking, they can often be better. This cranberry-apple cobbler contrasts soft chunks of apple with tart, plump cranberries.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss apples and frozen cranberries with 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread in dish; bake 12 minutes.
- Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter; stir in buttermilk.
- Drop dough over hot filling in nine rough mounds.
- Bake 34 to 38 minutes until biscuits are golden, apples tender, and center bubbling. Cool 30 minutes.
Southern Pour-Batter Peach Cobbler
If it's not peach season, you're really better off using canned peaches than the hard, flavorless peaches in the store. This recipe is as simple as can be, with the batter simply poured over the peach filling.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; put butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Heat dish for 5 to 7 minutes until butter melts; carefully remove.
- Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; whisk in milk and vanilla until mostly smooth.
- Pour batter evenly over butter; do not stir layers together.
- Arrange drained peaches over batter; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Do not stir.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until crust rises around fruit and turns deep golden. Rest 20 minutes.
Peach Oat Crisp
I think rolled oats are a great addition to a lot of desserts, and this peach crisp puts them in the spotlight. The contrast between the crunchy, nutty oat crisp and the soft peach filling is only made sharper (and even better) by a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss peaches with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in dish.
- Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Add melted butter; squeeze mixture until some large clumps form.
- Scatter topping evenly over peaches without packing flat.
- Bake 40 to 44 minutes until crumbs brown and peach filling bubbles at center. Cool 25 minutes.
Apple Walnut Crisp
Walnuts are often an afterthought in baking, but they shouldn't be. They're essential in this recipe, both in terms of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss apples with first brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread apples evenly in dish.
- Combine oats, remaining flour, remaining brown sugar, walnuts, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir in melted butter.
- Crumble topping evenly and loosely over apples.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until apples are tender, center bubbles, and nuts are toasted. Rest 20 minutes.
Blackberry Cornmeal Crisp
For crisps and crumbles, cornmeal makes an attractive alternative. The top is crispy and crunchy, and the interface with the filling is like a delicious sweet polenta.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Toss frozen blackberries with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread berries in dish.
- Mix flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; rub in butter until clumps form.
- Scatter crumbs loosely over frozen berries.
- Bake 46 to 50 minutes until topping is crisp and filling bubbles vigorously at center. Rest 30 minutes.
Pear Pecan Crisp
Pears can be a bit bland when you cook them, so don't be afraid to use a heavy hand with the spices. Cardamom works great here, and the pecans provide a perfect contrast.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss pears with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread fruit in dish.
- Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir in melted butter.
- Break topping into uneven clumps over pears.
- Bake 42 to 46 minutes until pears bubble at center and pecans are fragrant. Cool 25 minutes.
Cherry Almond Crumble
While most crumbles are based on butter and flour, this version adds slivered almonds for a unique twist. Be careful with the almond extract — too much almond with cherry starts to taste like artificial fruit (the wonders of food science!).
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Toss frozen cherries with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread cherries evenly in dish.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; rub in butter until large and small crumbs form.
- Fold almonds into crumbs; scatter over fruit.
- Bake 46 to 50 minutes until almonds are golden and center filling bubbles. Rest 30 minutes.
Blueberry Brown Sugar Crumble
Flour, brown sugar, and butter: three things you probably have in your house at any given time, and all you need for the streusel-style topping on this crumble. Don't worry if some blueberries burst while baking; the mix of textures is part of the joy here.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 3-quart baking dish.
- Gently toss blueberries with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Spread berries in prepared dish.
- Whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; work in butter until irregular crumbs form.
- Scatter crumbs over berries without pressing into a solid layer.
- Bake 38 to 42 minutes until browned and bubbling at center. Rest 25 minutes.
Apple Brown Butter Crumble
Probably the dessert most identified with a streusel topping is apple crumble, and apple and brown sugar work beautifully together. A vanilla custard or some ice cream makes things even better.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown butter in a small pan over medium heat until milk solids are amber and smell nutty. Chill until firm but pliable.
- Heat oven to 375°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Toss apples with first brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in dish.
- Mix remaining flour, remaining brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; rub in cooled brown butter to form crumbs.
- Scatter crumbs evenly over apples.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until apples are tender, center bubbles, and crumbs brown. Rest 20 minutes.
Blueberry Buckle
My easy blueberry buckle is the ultimate love letter to summer berries, featuring a tender, buttery crumb and a mountain of spiced brown sugar streusel topping. It is the kind of old-fashioned comfort food that makes the entire house smell like a professional bakery.
Angela Latimer, Bake It With Love
Get the full Blueberry Buckle recipe at Bake It With Love.
Peach Buttermilk Buckle
If you've ever had ripe, fresh peaches drizzled with buttermilk, you know these two things go impossibly well together. This buckle is basically a cake with buttermilk strewn through with fresh peach slices, and a little buttermilk on top is certainly not a bad idea.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; butter a 9-inch square pan.
- Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Separately beat softened butter and granulated sugar; beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Fold in peaches; spread batter in pan.
- Rub remaining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter into uneven crumbs.
- Scatter crumbs over batter.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until center sets and top springs back. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Easy Cherry Dump Cobbler
This is the cheat version of cherry cobbler, with yellow cake mix instead of a homemade batter. Open in case of emergency.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, reserved cherry liquid, and almond extract in dish; fold in drained cherries.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over cherries; break up all large lumps.
- Slowly drizzle melted butter over the entire surface, covering as much dry mix as possible. Do not stir.
- Bake 48 to 52 minutes until top browns and filling bubbles at edges and center.
- Cool 30 minutes before scooping to let filling thicken beneath crust.
Pineapple Peach Dump Cobbler
While this is a bit too much of a mid-century, better-living-through-chemistry recipe for me, it's at the very least an interesting blast from the past. Give it a try to see if you like the flavor profile, and if so, maybe try upgrading to a homemade topping.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F; butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Spread pineapple and its juice over bottom. Distribute peaches on top; sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Cover fruit evenly with dry cake mix; do not stir.
- Scatter pecans over mix; slowly drizzle melted butter over entire surface.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until deep golden with no powdery patches and fruit bubbling at edges.
- Rest 25 minutes before serving to let filling settle.
