When summertime rolls around and the days start heating up, one thing that helps make up for the sticky discomfort is peaches.
Now, I like peaches. I like them fresh, sliced with a little brown sugar and milk. I like them in muffins, in oatmeal, in cinnamon rolls… and did I mention fresh?
But around here, if we have peaches, there’s one thing that always gets requested: peach cobbler. Sometimes I think I could make it every single day and no one would complain. I doubt I’ll test that theory—but I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to talk me into it. 😊
What makes peach cobbler so special—at least to me—is that it’s basically summer in a pan. You get the soft, bright flavor of peaches, the warmth of nutmeg and cinnamon, and the rich depth of vanilla, all paired with the buttery crunch of the buttermilk topping. It’s practically unbeatable.
And in our house, everyone has their favorite part. The kids go for the fruity pockets. I like a solid mix of topping and fruit, especially with those sweet drippings you get when you’re last to serve and scraping the pan. And Tim? Tim always gets a corner or edge piece—the one with the well-browned, butter-crunchy topping I make just for him.
Now, I had thought that I had my perfect peach cobbler recipe all figured out and set in stone. I use buttermilk, never regular milk, for the topping. The peaches always get freshly grated nutmeg, none of that store-bought ground nutmeg. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t get a good cobbler by using slightly different ingredients. I’m just saying that if I tried it, I think my family would accuse me of fraud or something.
The last peach cobbler I made, though, threatened to change some of my “set in stone” ways. You see, we didn’t have enough buttermilk. And I didn’t even have any regular milk to stretch it with. So I gathered up my courage and tried something I wasn’t positive would work. I added enough sour cream to get the buttermilk to the amount I needed and hoped for the best.
When I pulled it out of the oven and dished it up, I asked Tim his opinion of the substitution. He said it wouldn’t work as a substitute, but I had to start doing it that way from now on. Success!
So, in honor of summer, peaches, and Tim’s crunchy-corner approval, here’s my go-to peach cobbler—with a slightly unexpected twist.
Peach Cobbler With Buttermilk-Sour Cream Topping
Ingredients
For the fruit:
4 cups Fresh Peaches, peeled and sliced*
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract*
1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg (or 1/4 tsp ground)*
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional, to taste)*
For the topping:
3/4 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
8 tablespoons Butter, melted in the pan
Optional:
1 tablespoon Sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter in an 8×8* baking dish and place it in the oven to melt while you prepare the topping and fruit.
In a bowl, combine the sliced peaches with the sugar, vanilla, and spices. Set it aside to let the juices develop.
In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the buttermilk and sour cream until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Once the butter is completely melted, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls over the hot butter. Do NOT stir. It’ll look messy, but that’s what you want.
Gently spoon the peach mixture over the batter. Again, no stirring!
If desired, sprinkle the extra tablespoon of sugar over everything for a slightly crispy finish.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and cooked through. Let it cool slightly before serving.
Best served warm. Great with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream, our family’s favorite.
Recipe Notes
If you want to double this recipe, it still works great. Just use a 9×13 and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Home canned peaches work great too, but you might want to drain some of the liquid off them before adding the other ingredients.
My family likes the spice a little more than some people, so feel free to use less nutmeg and cinnamon if desired. And I’ll be honest, I never measure the vanilla, nutmeg, or cinnamon. I go by what smells right, so these measurements are estimates.
A great variation is to add some raspberries to the peaches for pops of color and tartness.
Whether you serve it warm with ice cream or sneak a bite cold from the fridge the next morning (guilty), I hope this cobbler brings your people to the table the way it always does mine.
Bringing Life 