Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

Black folks Southern peach cobbler is the perfect dessert for family gatherings, potluck suppers, and late-night sweet tooth cravings.

This cobbler is perfect for dessert or a special snack, loaded with fresh, juicy peaches and topped with a light and airy cinnamon sugar crust. It’s so delicious, you may want to eat it all. All by yourself!

Black Southern peach cobbler

Black folks Southern peach cobbler recipe is a staple Southern dessert usually served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as the cobbler topping. 

After centuries of making it, this dish has evolved into a soul food delicacy, influenced by the unique seasonings, spices, and flavors characteristic of Black folks’ cooking.

Peach cobbler is deeply rooted in African-American soul food history. Enslaved Black folks who cooked on Southern plantations are the ones to give credit for the significant contributions to the many beloved American dishes we love and enjoy today.

Southern peach cobbler is one of those iconic dishes traditionally made with biscuit dough, perhaps leftover from breakfast. The dough was dropped over sliced peaches, placed at the bottom of an iron pot, and then baked in an open hearth over hot coals for… Presto! Peach cobbler.

Let us honor the cooks from generations past. Today, we celebrate our ancestors for the culinary traditions they created, which have become a cherished part of soul food culinary cuisine!

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, you can substitute drained canned peaches for fresh ones. However, I do not recommend peach pie filling. It’s essential to season the canned peaches with the soul food seasonings specified in this recipe rather than using the flavors typically found in a canned filling.
Check out my recipe for Southern peach cobbler made with canned peaches.

Or a cobbler made with frozen peaches!

How to make Southern peach cobbler 

This recipe is even easier today because you’ll use self-rising dough (i.e., Bisquick), which always produces a soft and airy crust. It’s simply delicious! 

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 Soul Food Pod episode: Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

Keep the podcast conversation going about Southern peach cobbler HERE!

Southern peach cobbler is incredibly delicious, especially when made the soul food way. It’s no surprise that it’s considered a staple dessert in Southern America, so much so that it has its own day of recognition: the Georgia Peach Council has proclaimed April 13th as National Peach Cobbler Day!

Serving warm or cold

Peach cobbler is a delicious dessert best enjoyed warm. If you make it and want to eat it right away, there is no need to refrigerate it.

However, if you plan to store the cobbler for later consumption (within 2-3 days), be sure to place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. This will help preserve its texture and prevent it from becoming mushy due to its sugar content.

Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe

This soul food dessert and the darling favorite of the South is loaded with fresh, juicy peaches and topped with a light and airy cinnamon sugar crust. A cobbler so delicious, you may want to eat it all. All by yourself!

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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

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Equipment

• 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°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

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. 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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The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide

What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!

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