Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

My Black folks’ Southern peach cobbler tastes like the warm hug of a summer Sunday afternoon. The kind where somebody’s Big Mama just pulled it out of the oven, the air is thick with cinnamon and sugar, and folks are already lining up with their bowls in hand!

In comparison, a regular peach cobbler is… fine. Sweet peaches. One top crust. Maybe a little cinnamon if someone’s feeling fancy. It gets the job done, like a store-bought card with no signature. But a Black folks’ Southern peach cobbler? Now that’s a whole different experience, more like a handwritten letter passed down through generations, smudged with flour and flavored with memory.

Black Southern peach cobbler

Where a regular cobbler might taste one-note sweet, a Black folks’ cobbler hits a full chord: sweet, spiced, tangy, buttery. The peaches? Lush and syrupy, tender but not mushy, kissed with brown sugar and spiced just right with a soulful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and a hint of ginger. Every bite of fruit tastes like it was marinated in memories that are sweet, juicy, and bold, like they’ve been soaking up sunshine and stories all day.

And that crust? Lawd, that crust! Flaky, buttery, and golden brown, old-school biscuit-style that, when baked, soaks up and surrounds the peachy syrup like a sponge. The edges are caramelized to perfection, giving a crispy-chewy contrast that’ll make your eyes close and your shoulders dance!

Ingredients

For the peach cobbler filling

• Fresh sliced peaches – Peaches are the key fruit in this dish, providing its core flavor and essence. Select ripe peaches for the sweetest taste, as they are also easier to slice. Don’t worry about taste-testing each peach—this soul food recipe has plenty of sugar and spices to balance out even the most tart peaches!
• Brown sugar – Brown sugar does not caramelize like white granulated sugar. Instead, it adds an extra dimension of flavor due to its molasses content.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger – Enhance the natural sweetness of the peaches with these seasonings, creating a soulful flavor.
• Cold water and cornstarch – A mix of cornstarch and cold water proves indispensable to achieve the desired thickened consistency for the filling. 

For the Bisquick batter

• Bisquick – The foundation of the crust relies on modern, premixed biscuit dough, specifically Bisquick mix, which ensures a perfectly fluffy texture in every bite.
• Milk, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract – Key to richness and depth, the blend of milk, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract is essential.
• Melted butter – This ingredient crowns the cobbler, adding a final touch of indulgence. 

Pro tips: Check the recipe card below for making homemade Bisquick from scratch. Substitutions like gluten-free Bisquick or plant-based milk do not compromise the authentic taste of this Southern cuisine!

Fresh vs canned peaches 

If you’re in a pinch, drained canned peaches can be substituted for fresh ones, and I’ve even been known to use frozen peaches with a few simple adjustments. However, I don’t recommend using peach pie filling. It’s essential to season your canned or frozen peaches with the soul food spices called for in my recipe, not the overly sweet, pre-seasoned flavors you’ll find in typical canned fillings. Trust me, your cobbler deserves better.

How to make Southern peach cobbler 

Peach cobbler is a cherished dish rooted in African-American soul food history, born from the creativity of enslaved Black cooks who transformed simple ingredients into comfort and culture. Traditionally repurposed from leftover biscuit dough, dropped over sliced peaches, and layered in the bottom of a cast-iron pot baked over hot coals, this iconic dessert has certainly evolved! Today, it’s easier to make with self-rising dough like Bisquick, delivering that same soft, airy, and simply delicious crust every time.

1. Melt the butter in the baking dish while the oven is preheating and set aside.
2. Mix the peach filling ingredients: peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. 
3. Add the cornstarch to the cold water, stir, and pour into the peach mixture.
4. Whisk the batter ingredients: Bisquick, milk, sugar, and vanilla. 
5. Pour the Bisquick mixture over the melted butter in the baking pan, then pour the peaches, bake, serve warm, and enjoy!

🎙Listen to the recipe on The Soul Food Pod episode: Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

Serving warm or cold

Peach cobbler is best enjoyed warm and doesn’t need refrigeration if eaten right away. And when it’s served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down the sides? Now that’s church!

Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

While a regular cobbler might taste one-note sweet, a Black folks’ peach cobbler sings in harmony: sweet, spiced, tangy, and buttery. The peaches are lush and syrupy, kissed with brown sugar and a soulful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of ginger. And the crust? Lawd, that crust! Flaky, golden, and buttery, it soaks up the peachy syrup like a sponge, wrapping every bite in rich, Southern comfort.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Food

Servings: 8

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Shaunda Necole • The Soul Food Pot®

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Equipment

• 2 mixing bowls
• 9×11" baking dish

Ingredients

Ingredients for the peach cobbler filling

• 4 cups peaches ripe and fresh, peeled and sliced (or two 28 oz. canned peaches, drained)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger minced
• ¼ cup water cold
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Ingredients for the cobbler batter

• 2 cups Bisquick *See the notes below for how to make homemade Bisquick from scratch
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup sugar granulated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup butter melted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the butter in the baking dish and then place the dish in the oven to melt the butter while the oven is preheating.
• Remove the melted butter from the oven after a few minutes and set it aside.
• Peel and slice the peaches into quarters, and then halve the quartered peach slices. (If using canned peaches, use a colander to drain the peach juice before slicing them).
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ingredients for the peach filling: peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
• Add the cornstarch to the cold water and stir until smooth.
• Pour the cornstarch mixture into the peach mixture.
• Stir the peach mixture to combine the ingredients and then set aside.
• In a second medium-sized bowl, whisk the ingredients for the cobbler batter: Bisquick, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
• Pour the Bisquick mixture over the melted butter in the baking pan.
• Then, pour the peaches into the Bisquick mixture (the dough will rise around the peaches as it bakes). 
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. Watch the cobbler while baking, and bake until the cobbler dough is golden brown.
• To test whether the cobbler is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the dough. If it comes out clean, it is done. This is important because you don't want the dough under the top crust to still be raw.
• Serve Southern peach cobbler warm, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How to make homemade Bisquick (makes 5 cups)
This recipe calls for 2 cups.

• 4 cups of flour
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ¾ cup of shortening

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold in the shortening.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 1mg

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