My Mama’s Southern Peach Cobbler is the recipe that, during my lifetime, I’ve eaten more than any other recipe and probably have made it more than any other recipe. This is a cobbler recipe that has been passed down through the generations in many southern families. My grandmother passed it down to my mother and then she passed it down to all of her kids. It’s easy, delicious, and just downright fun to make. You can use just about any fruit or combination of fruit. A side of ice cream or whipped cream is a nice finish, and in the case of peach cobbler, ice cream and whiskey sauce is the ultimate Mardi Gras dessert. I hope you enjoy!
And to all you moms out there – Happy Mother’s Day!!!!!
In addition to peach cobbler, I’m sharing some pictures from the first part of our recent road trip – our time in the San Pedro River Valley. Click the link to jump to the road trip.
Mama’s Southern Peach Cobbler
A traditional southern peach cobbler with some slight a changes in ingredients.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup unbleached AP flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon*
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger*
- 1 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 3-4 cups peaches* (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon*
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger*
- 2 cups milk
- 6 cups peaches*
- Preheat oven to 350°.
While oven is heating, cut up the butter into 2 – 4 pieces and place in casserole dish. Put the casserole dish in oven. Remove from oven when melted. Keep an eye on the butter and don’t let it burn. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking power, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk to combine.
- Add milk. Whisk until ingredients are combined. Do not over whisk so as not to kill the baking powder.
- Pour batter into the casserole dish over the melted butter.
- Evenly spread the fruit on top of the batter.
- If you are using canned peaches in a heavy syrup, pour about 1/2 cup syrup over the top of the fruit. If you aren’t using canned peaches, just skip this step.
- Transfer cobbler to the hot oven and bake for exactly 1 hour. Remove and set on a rack. Just for grins, test the center for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s done. If not, cook another 10 minutes.*
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Peaches – Ripe fresh peaches impart the best flavor, but when I can’t get fresh peaches, I’ll use Costco Kirtland canned peaches in the glass jars. When using canned peaches, I’ll pour about 1/2 cup of the peach juice on top. This helps to create a sugary and crustier crust.
Spices – Cinnamon and ginger can be increased to your taste. I prefer a slight hint that complements the peach flavor, not overpowers it. Of course you could omit it altogether like my mother’s recipe.
Cook time – In all of the decades that I’ve been making this cobbler, it has ALWAYS been completely cooked in 1 hour, no matter whether I cook a single or a double batch. If yours does come out undercooked, then you might want to check your oven temperature.
Suggestions for other fruit – Blueberries is another one of my favorites. Other fruits that work great include blackberries, a mix of berries, strawberry/rhubarb, just rhubarb, apricots, and cherries.
If you don’t want to make such a big cobbler, then check out the recipe for this Pear Apple Cobbler for Two.
The San Pedro River Valley
Below is a small taste of our road trip to SE Arizona. We’ll call this Part I.
The San Pedro River “is one of only two major rivers that flow north out of Mexico into the United States and is one of the last large undammed rivers in the Southwest”. (The Nature Conservancy) It is a nesting environment for over 100 species of breeding birds and over 250 species of migratory birds. All of these birds, in such a relatively small place, make this area a prime attraction for bird watchers.
The first picture below is looking east toward the San Pedro River bosque, the green that runs the width of the picture. The San Pedro starts in the State of Sonara in Mexico and flows into the Gila River north of Tucson. The last picture below is looking back at the Mexico mountains that are the headwaters of the San Pedro river.
When looking at the picture below (left), one might laugh that, we in the southwest, would call this a river and not a creek. But yes, it is a river, a small river, but a river just the same. There are actually 14 species of fish in this river. There are also about 84 species of mammals that live in the area and benefit from this source of water. Groves of cottonwoods, both young and old, create the bosque along the length of the river.
Because this is a rather underpopulated area of Arizona, there aren’t a lot of places to stay. However, Bobby did find us a wonderful little Bed & Breakfast – the Casa de San Pedro. It was perfect! A beautiful setting with easy access to the river. The picture below (right) is the inner courtyard that we enjoyed while sipping morning and afternoon tea just outside our room. With all of the flowers and feeders, it was a wonderful place to watch birds. Our B&B hosts were wonderful people. The food was delicious and, every afternoon, four homemade pies were set out for the guests to enjoy. During our two day stay, we had a choice of eight different pies! I did refrain from trying them all, but of the ones I did try, the sour cherry was my favorite. Bobby thoroughly enjoyed the strawberry-rhubarb.
Between the river and the Casa de San Pedro B&B, there was plenty of water and vegetation to create a perfect habitat for birds and butterflies. Below are a couple of pictures that Bobby took of a Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and a Gila woodpecker.
One day we decided to drive to the Arizona – Mexico border to see where the San Pedro crossed the border. Unfortunately, that area was blocked off by Border Patrol so we weren’t able to enter, but I did get this picture of the fence that runs west from the river along the border. Fortunately, the fence stops a few feet west of the river so it doesn’t prevent the movement of fish and habitat upstream.
After spending a few days in this area, we headed northwest toward Tucson, but took a short little excursion up into the Huachuca Mountains. It was on this drive that I took this picture of the mountains in Mexico which, we believe, are the headwaters of the San Pedro River. On up the road into the Huachuca Mountains we stopped at the Carr House and had a great time chatting it up with house host, who was full of knowledge about the area. It was there at the Carr House where we saw our first Magnificent (Rivoli’s) Hummingbird, a hummingbird that is significant larger than any hummingbird I’ve ever seen. Large and beautiful! Unfortunately, a little too fast to grab a picture with my phone.
For Part II of this trip, enjoy traveling through the Tuscon area and the Saguaro National Park and having a spicy breakfast of Red Chile Chilaquiles.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a bowl of my Mama’s Southern Peach Cobbler.
My best friend gave me this same recipe years ago. I’ve made it ever since. It is so easy and is one of the best cobblers I’ve had. I also love to just put blackberries in it. Delicious. Keep passing this one around, it is a keeper.
Thanks Charlotte! It’s an oldie but goodie isn’t it? 🙂 Blackberries sound wonderful, but then I love blackberries. A friend who gives potlucks a lot always requires me to bring one with blueberries. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment! Cheers, MJ
was wondering if you could use apples for this recipe. the peach sounds good also
Absolutely! I’ve made it with apples many times. I like using a crispy apple. Soft apples just get mushy. And actually, you can use any fruit in this. The other night I made this cobbler with frozen blackberries and cherries. Hope you enjoy!
I am fixing this for the church ladies Christmas get together !!! I am so excited. This sounds sooo good.
That is exciting!!! Thanks for letting me know and I know they’ll all love it! Have fun!
Hello MJ,nice looking COBBLER.Speaking of looks of the cobbler,it looks like your crust ,which looks nice by the way,is over the peaches the way im accustomed.Did i read that correctly ,”put the peaches (over) the batter with 1/2 cp of the can syrup”?
Yes you did read it right! 🙂 The crust batter literally “grows” over the peaches as the cobbler cooks, and incorporates some of the peaches within the batter. You get a nice crust on top as you can see.
Thanks the your comments! I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s really a “never fail” recipe and my family and I won’t eat cobbler any other way. 🙂
I not only appreciate your reply,but quick reply.I definantly intend to.Thanks for sharing your recipes.This one is comin up on my hit list.
Have you ever used frozen peaches? I should think that they could be used instead of canned. Wouldn’t they be more like fresh?
Yes, I have used frozen peaches before and they work great. They do get a little mushier than canned or fresh, changing the texture of the cobbler just a bit, but I don’t hesitate to use them if that’s what I have. Thanks for stopping by!
Not a comment I just need to know how you do the fresh peaches, my husband saids my cobbler is to dry
I peel the peaches by cutting the peach in half and then just lifting off the peel. This works for ripe peaches which is what you should use in this cobbler. If the peaches are not ripe, then the cobbler can come out dry. The ripest peaches will add natural juices to the cobbler. Once the halves are peeled, then I slice each half into about 4 slices. Hope this helps.
My husbands family is from the south. His mother gave me this recipe 43 years ago the only.differance is she always used self rising flour and the juice from the fruit not milk.the easiest and most delicious cobble you can make. Thank you for sharing.
It’s a keeper isn’t it? 🙂 I’ve seen many recipes that use the self-rising flour and just peach juice. My mother always just used regular flour and baking powder and fresh peaches from which there was not juice until cooked, so that’s what I do. When I use canned peaches, I do pour some of the syrup over the top of the cobbler, but still use the milk. Might have to try it with just juice some day. Thank you so much for your comment!
Your road trip and the nice B & B certainly made for a enjoyable little adventure. I’ve not been to that part of our country so I enjoyed seeing it through this post. I love peach cobble and must try your family recipe.
Thanks so much Karen! It was a great trip and more to come. 🙂
Peach cobbler is my ABSOLUTE favourite. When I went on a cruise with my mom a few years ago, they had a fruit cobbler on the menu every night. I made friends with the chef so I could order a peach cobbler every night. My hips sure loved that! 🙂
Your holiday looks wonderfully relaxing too, hope you are well dear MJ, sorry I havent been round lately, started a new job and I am finding it difficult to do anything outside that. :/ Hugs to you from a sunshiny North Queensland Australia. 🙂
Thank you so much for dropping by Anna! Congratulations on your new job! Hope you’re enjoying it. What a cruise! Peach cobbler every night. I’d be in heaven. 🙂
What a gorgeous sweet treat and what a beautiful family story behind… I’ve heard so many times about cobblers but have never tasted one. Yours really looks tempting… I might try it one day, especially since you say it can be done with canned fruits too.
Thank you for sharing your holiday photographs! The B&B sounds like a perfect place to stay and…. you know what? Sour cherry is my favourite fruit for baked or cooked desserts (and for jams too), so I think I’d also prefer this pie!
Thanks so much Sissi! So you are another one that has never had a cobbler. Well, blow me away!!! I thought cobbler of some kind could be found everywhere. How wrong I was. Well, it is SO easy and quite delicious. I hope you make it some time.
I finally got around to reading this one MJ! I’m with you (and all the others) on my love of family recipes (especially the ones from my grandma). Your peach cobbler looks and sounds so good. I’ve not made one in years! It’s harder with just the 2 of us.
I LOVE southeastern Arizona, and miss it terribly. We have friends with a winery and vineyard about 45 miles south of Willcox. We would camp in the vineyard and use that as our base camp for the Huachucas and Cochise Stronghold, Bisbee, Sonoita and Elgin wineries, etc. There’s so much to see and do. We loved hiking and birding in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. You’ve got me longing for the desert southwest!
Sounds like it’s hard to have a peach cobbler sitting on the counter, just waiting to be eaten. 🙂 I know…I nibble on it all day.
I’m so glad we finally did this trip. I hadn’t realized how unique and beautiful SE AZ was. I do have to admit that I am not a fan of Bisbee. It was very claustrophobic for me and had to get out ASAP. Glad to could take you back to the Arizona desert!
This really sounds like an awesome trip and a perfect way to get away from it all. Loving that peach cobbler, but most definitely I am a sour cherry pie person. And the good thing is you reminded me that I have some in the freezer that need a home!
It was a great trip and what I’ve shown here isn’t even half of it. 🙂 Sour cherries, tart cherries, sweet cherries – they are ALL good! Thanks Abbe!
This is one perfect dessert! Love it
Thanks Raymund!
I love this kind of old recipes, I have some as well and I make them so often I am sure my kids will make them themselves later on. I’ve never had a cobbler I think, it looks delicious and so easy to make.
It really has surprised me how many people have never had a cobbler. It would be interesting to read its origin. Well, I hope you do try it one day. The kids would love making this. I always enjoyed making it when I was a kid. 🙂 Thanks!
I love, love peach desserts and will add your cobbler to my summer baking list! I cannot wait until those Georgia peaches start appearing at my nearby produce stand 🙂
Georgia peaches – I’m jealous!! Thanks Liz!
MJ, I cannot wait to try that cobbler! It looks soooooo good. And good to know that you can bake this with any fruit. And those are some great pics of your trip to Arizona! Bob is a great photographer! Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. 🙂
Thanks Anne! Yes, that is the nice thing about this recipe…Any fruit works! Bobby is a great photography isn’t he. Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day as well.
My mother used to make rhubarb crumble – I need to remind myself what a cobbler is like. Cheers
Thanks Carole! I personally prefer cobbler over crumble, but that’s just me. 🙂
That looks so good and I am so tempted by it coz I have never tried a cobbler! With this recipe, I guess I can make a start 🙂 Thanks for sharing <3
You’ve never had a cobbler!?!?! Oh my goodness! Then this is a must try! I like this cobbler better than pies. 🙂
I’m a big cobbler fan and peaches in pies and cobblers are fantastic – have to give your recipe a try
Thanks so much Carol. I hope you do give it a try! It’s SO easy!
I love tried and true family recipes that have passed down through generations. It means that they are tested over and over and passed with success! This is a delicious cobbler and I would love to have a piece along with a scoop of ice cream since it is quite warm here!
Totally agree Katerina! Family recipes are definitely the best! Thanks!
What a precious memory; thank you for sharing your Mom’s recipe with us MJ. You know, I’ve never made (nor eaten) a proper cobbler before. It looks *so* good and, fittingly enough, we just happen to have 2 peach trees well on their way! (I think this year’s harvest will be our best yet and we’ll be here to enjoy it this summer) so stay tuned ;-).
Reading the description of your trip and the beautiful natural habitat you found yourselves in just reminds me of how much we have yet to uncover and explore; I find it motivating and exciting; thank you for the virtual tour and the gorgeous views!
You’ve never had a proper cobbler?!?!! Well, it’s time to change that. This cobbler would be awesome with your fresh peaches! When we had peach trees, there was nothing better than using homegrown peaches for this cobbler. I’m jealous of your peach trees, but am thrilled that they are doing well. I need to go around the corner and see if my neighbors apricots made it. She always shares. 🙂
Road trips are the best aren’t they!? We’ve lived in NM for over 40 years and southern AZ has never been on our travel agenda. Now that we’ve seen it, we’re already planning a return trip. More pictures to come. 🙂
Family passed down recipes are the best. Super buttery and comforting with a dollop of ice cream. Will be right over. Count us in!
I can see why this is something you’ve made and eaten more than any other dessert. My God it looks good! Cobbler is such a comforting dessert, almost like a hug from granny.
Your photos made me swoon!
“…almost like a hug from granny” – I love that! I definitely feel my mother’s presence every time I cook it and it. Thanks so much Maureen!
Love time-honored family recipes like yours. That cobbler indeed looks mouth-watering! And your road trip looks a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Yi!
That is a beuatiful cobbler and so mucyh history to it! That is not a river, that is a creek LOL, well for me! Just gorgeous pics what a great trip. I have seen that border wall before. I drove San Diego to Pheonix once and I remember not gettign any English radio stations in lol. So sour cherry and strawberry-rhubarb are 2 of my fave pies!
Thanks Evelyn! I know…when moved from Louisiana to NM back int he 70’s, we could believe something like this was called a river. 🙂
It’s a big fence isn’t it. Keeps better much everything out – people, deer, various cats, and other mammals.
Family recipes are the best! Packed with tradition and flavor, there is nothing better!
Now I must wait for peach season…..
Agree – love family recipes! Thanks Deb!
Your Mom’s peach cobbler looks delicious! Peaches have always been my favorite summer fruit. As soon as I can get my hands on some chin dripping peaches I’m going to try out your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jan! Peaches are also my favorite along with watermelon. Best things about summer. 🙂
Gorgeous photos! And peach cobbler is da bomb! Now you’ve got me longing for peach season … YUM!
Thanks so much Judy! You don’t have to wait until peach season. The canned peaches work great! 🙂
wow look at that golden brown topping! My mouth is watering! Looks like that you had a great vacation, MJ. I look forward to your Mexican dishes!
Thanks for much Angie!
First of all, what a wonderful Mother’s Day post. I
I LOVE your pictures of your trip.
Thank you so much Debra!
What a perfect treat for Mom’s Day. Simple and yummy. Looks like you and Bobby had a fun vacation there. I hope you are having a great week, MJ.
Thanks Ray! We did have a great vacation and yes, I’m having a wonderful week. Cooler than I’d like it to be. I’m ready for warmth. 🙂
Love cobbler. LOVE it. And peach is the best — although I’ll eat any and all. This looks wonderful. Thanks both for it, and your vacation pictures. They’re wonderful!
Thanks John! Peach is the best, isn’t it? And who doesn’t love cobbler. I prefer them over pies any day.