Late Summer Peach Cobbler

Tuesday evening, Eli brought home a half peck or so of perfectly ripe peaches – part of a half bushel his parents had purchased at a roadside market the day before. Because it was a busy week, and we had social engagements the next two evenings, and the refrigerator was already full, they sat in a bag on my kitchen table until Friday evening, when they silently cried out to me to be used before they were too far gone.

And so – peach cobbler.

Now, there is peach cobbler and there is peach cobbler. I’ve made a few, and I do think there is one ingredient that can make a peach cobbler extra special: pure maple syrup. There’s something about maple syrup that brings out the flavor of the peaches. I don’t know why, and I don’t really care. I just know it’s true.

You can make a good peach cobbler without maple syrup, of course. But I don’t recommend it. And once you’ve had a peach cobbler with maple syrup in it, I bet you won’t either.

As always, when putting this together, I tried to be as healthy as possible with my ingredient choices. Where usually you’d find all-purpose flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour for extra fiber. Where you’d usually find full-fat buttermilk, I used a mixture of nonfat milk and nonfat Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt is a great healthy addition to baked goods, and will easily stand in place of sour cream or creme fraiche as well as buttermilk).

It was a lovely cobbler – sweet, tender peaches topped off by a golden-brown, slightly sweet biscuit crust. I admit I served it unhealthfully with a side of Jeni’s Pistachio Honey ice cream (find them at Art of the Table if you live in the Grand Rapids area), which I thought complemented the peaches perfectly (I also considered the Salty Caramel). You may prefer vanilla instead – and indeed, what’s more perfect than perfectly plain vanilla ice cream alongside baked peaches?

My only caveat: save this for when peaches are in season locally. Don’t bother with winter grocery store peaches that were picked before they were ripe and then coaxed into that half-sour, blandly flavored delusion of ripeness that is the sad fate of an off-season peach. Wait for July or August, when they’ve been picked from the tree only just in time to save them from falling, when their skins are almost bursting, when you can bite into one and have to cup your hand under your chin to catch the juice.

Late Summer Peach Cobbler


Half a peck (about 12-15 good-sized) ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons cornstarch (feel free to use a little more if there is a lot of juice to contend with!)
1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup pure maple sugar, evaporated cane juice, or light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I use Greek yogurt, which is thicker)
1/4 cup milk (nonfat is fine if you wish)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch until there are no more lumps. Toss the syrup mixture with the peaches in a large bowl until the fruit is well-coated. Pour into a deep casserole dish or a 9″ x 13″ pan, depending on how deep you want your cobbler to be.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or a pair of sharp knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the yogurt mixture. Fold together gently with a wooden spoon or paddle until well combined. Mixture should be quite wet but not runny or soupy, rather like drop biscuits. If it seems too dry, add a little more milk.

Drop the biscuit mixture by small spoonfuls on top of the peaches until the peaches are covered.

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake 45-55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and baked through completely (test as you would a cake – a toothpick inserted into the biscuit topping should come out clean if it is done).

Remove from the oven and allow to “set” for about 20 minutes. For the best experience, serve with ice cream.

Serves 8.

Want to print this recipe? Click here.

P.S. I took the photo for this post with my new Nikon D5100! I have a long way to go as a food photographer, but here’s to a better camera for starters!