This cast iron peach cobbler is a 30-minute, easy summertime dessert. Lightly spiced fresh peaches get layered with a Bisquick batter and topped with coarse sugar, creating a crispy yet soft topping when baked. Serve the peach cobbler skillet straight from the oven with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a simple but decadent dessert.
To me, peach cast iron cobbler is comfort food. It's fruity with a soft, dumpling-like cobbler with caramelized brown sugar on the bottom. The smell of baking peaches and batter is like a warm hug.
I love making this in the summer when peaches are at their peak ripeness, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can also use canned or frozen peaches, so you can make this comforting skillet peach cobbler when it starts getting cold outside, too.
For more peach inspired recipes, try:
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple - This peach cobbler is so easy to make. The cobbler topping may seem daunting, but it actually only uses two ingredients - Bisquick and milk - making it really easy to make. And unlike a pie, you won't need to make and roll out a crust. Just mix the fruit and spices and layer on the cobbler batter.
Comfort food - Baked peaches with warm spices and soft cobbler topping is the ultimate comfort food. It really tastes like something your grandma would make in the best way possible.
Cast iron - There is something special about baking in a cast iron skillet. Not only does it conduct heat very well which helps create a delicious caramelized peach syrup on the bottom of the cobbler, but it also looks so rustic when you pull the bubbling dish out of the oven. Serve it straight from the pan - just make sure to place an oven mitt or a towel over the handle which will stay hot for a while after coming out of the oven.
I love to make this savory turkey pot pie with puff pastry in the cast iron pan, which is the perfect savory comfort food to go along with peach cobbler!
Cobbler vs Crisp
Cobblers and crisps are similar in that they both have fruit filling that gets covered with some sort of sweet topping, but they are not actually the same thing. A cobbler is a dessert with a fruit layer on the bottom that gets topped with some kind of batter, biscuit dough, dumplings, or pie crust. Cobblers have a softer topping that usually soaks up some of the fruit juices.
Crisps also start with a fruit filling that gets topped with crumbled sugar, butter, and flour topping that gets crunchy when baked. The crisp topping is often made with oats, similar to streusel.
Ingredients
- Peaches. Use peaches or nectarines; they can be peeled or unpeeled. Look for semi-ripe fruit. If it's too ripe the peach layer will turn to mush.
- Bisquick. Good old store-bought Bisquick is used in this recipe.
- Milk. Use your preferred milk in this recipe, dairy free also works.
- Spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are used to give this skillet peach cobbler a warm flavor profile.
- Cornstarch. This is necessary to thicken the peach juices and crease a nice, syrupy sauce.
- Coarse sugar. This adds a nice crunch to the top of the dish, but is not necessary for a delicious final outcome. Look for turbinado or Demerara sugar.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
How to Choose Peaches for Peach Cobbler
First, you'll want to use a peach that is slightly ripe but still has a bit of firmness. If the peach is overly ripe, it will turn very mushy during baking! If you can find freestone peaches, use those! Freestone means the flesh removes itself easily from the stone so you can cut it in half and remove the pit without issue.
In clingstone peaches, the flesh "clings" to the pit, making it nearly impossible to cleanly separate the peach from the pit. If you can only find clingstone, simply cut the flesh off of the pit on each side (making 4 cuts) and then slice. If you try to separate the peach in halves, you'll end up with a squashy mess.
Clingstone peaches are typically available from May to early June, and freestone peaches can be found from mid-June to mid-August. Note that these typically aren't labeled in grocery stores, so you'll want to go by month of purchase or ask a grocery attendant.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use canned peaches in place of fresh.
- Make with or without the peach skins, depending on your preference.
- Add store-bought pie crust on top of the peaches instead of Bisquick dumplings for another regional version of peach cobbler
- Use frozen peaches straight from the freezer - do not thaw.
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, bake the cobbler in a dutch oven or casserole dish.
- Add chopped pecans on top for added crunch.
- Mix 1 cup of blackberries or blueberries in with the peaches.
- Add ½ ounce of bourbon and mix into the peaches.
How to Bake a Cobbler without a Cast Iron Skillet
If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can still definitely make this cobbler! There are a variety of baking vessels you can use, and here's what I'd recommend:
- Dutch oven
- 9x9 inch baking pan
- 9x13 in casserole dish (double the recipe)
- 10" cake pan
- Ramekins or smaller oven-safe vessels to make individual peach cobblers
How to Make This Recipe
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One: Halve and pit the peaches. Slice each half into 3-4 pieces.
Two: Mix together the sliced peaches with the sugar and vanilla and toss to combine.
Three: Whisk together the cornstarch and spices, and toss again to coat completely.
Four: Slather the cast iron skillet with melted butter on the bottom and sides.
Five: Add the peaches and all of their juices.
Six: Mix together the Bisquick and milk until a thick biscuit batter forms.
Seven: Use two spoons to dollop pieces of biscuit dough all over the top of the peaches, leaving space in between.
Eight: Sprinkle the tops of the dough with coarse sugar for extra crunch and sweetness, then bake, cool slightly, and serve.
Expert Tips
- Butter the pan very well - don't skimp. The butter combines with the brown sugar to create a caramel during baking.
- Scrape all excess juices, sugar, and cornstarch our of the bowl when pouring the mixture into the pan. These ingredients make the peaches saucy.
- Make sure the peaches are bubbling quite a bit before removing from the oven. This ensures they are cooked all the way through and that the corn starch is activated to help thicken the sauce.
- Tent the cobbler with foil if the tops of the biscuits begin to brown too much before it's finished baking.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes to allow the juices to begin setting up.
Recipe FAQs
You can do either! The peaches will cook long enough that the skins will become soft and easy to bite into. But if you prefer no skins, you can peel or boil, blanch, and slip the skins off before slicing.
They should be starting to get soft but still hold some firmness. Using peaches that are too ripe will result in a soggy cobbler.
Peach cobbler is done when the peaches have released their juices and there is bubbling around the edges and the biscuits are golden brown.
Storage
Store the peach cobbler in the skillet covered in foil at room temperature for up to three days. Alternatively, store it in the fridge for one week.
Reheat scoops in bowls in the microwave, or add the entire skillet back to a 350℉ oven until the peaches are warmed through and the juices have loosened (about 10-15 minutes).
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📖Recipe
Cast Iron Peach Cobbler
Equipment
- 10" cast iron skillet or similar sized casserole dish
- 2 Large mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 8 peaches or nectarines peeled or unpeeled, pitted and sliced into 3 or 4 pieces per half
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom
- 2 cups Bisquick
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Pit and slice the peaches and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and toss gently to combine.8 peaches or nectarines, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg, then add to the peaches and toss to combine. Set aside.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom
- In another bowl, mix together the bisquick and whole milk until a thick batter forms.2 cups Bisquick, ⅔ cup whole milk
- Butter the bottom of a 9-10” cast iron skillet, then add the peaches, including any sugars or juices left over in the bowl.2 tablespoon butter
- Spoon the dough over top of the peaches in dollops, leaving some areas where the peaches show through.
- Sprinkle the coarse sugar over top of the dough, then bake for 30 minutes until the peach juices are bubbly and the biscuit topping is lightly browned.1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- Allow the cobbler to cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream or milk.
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