Peach cobbler is a dessert of LEGEND in my family. Growing up, my Grammy made homemade peach cobbler every summer. We loved it so much that my sister started requesting it for her birthday instead of cake. For as much as I adore peach cobbler, between already having baked my favorite homemade Peach Crisp and Baked Peaches, two from-scratch fruit pies (both using my foolproof Whole Wheat Pie Crust), and our constant “emergency” ice cream runs, I thought it might be best for the summer desserts and me to take a break for the season… Then, a windfall of fresh peaches landed (quite literally) on my doorstep, courtesy of this local company. The universe doesn’t bless you with 15 pounds of sweet summer peaches and expect nothing in return. For karma, for the summer bucket lists, and for the good, sweet things that life gives us, Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler needed to be!
I can’t overstate how dead-easy and ridiculously delicious this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler recipe is. It almost feels like cheating. It is THAT simple and THAT good. This recipe is based on my Grammy’s famous old-fashioned peach cobbler. It is easy, perfect, and I suggest you bake it with the immediacy that the short, hallowed season of fresh peaches deserve. In the event that you still have camping on your summer bucket list (we do, though at this point in the season, we might be pitching our tent on our back patio), I’ve included directions to cook this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler over a campfire below.
How to Make Perfect Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler From Scratch
Forget the Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler with sprite, with cake mix (or pancake mix), with Bisquick, or with anything artificial. Making Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler from scratch is E-A-S-Y and deeply worthwhile! I bet you have everything you need for it in your pantry right now.
The Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler Ingredients Are:
Butter. My Grammy’s recipe calls for a full stick; I trimmed it down to 6 tablespoons with lusciously buttery results. Flour. I used a mix of white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour for the sake of sneaking in a few whole grains. Feel free to go for 100% all-purpose if you care to be a peach cobbler purist. (It is summer, after all.) Sugar. My Grammy’s recipe uses sugar in both the peach filling AND in the cobbler topping. I used honey in the cobbler filling instead. I adore honey and peaches together, and it leaves me wiggle room for an extra scoop of ice cream. Milk. Any kind of you like! Grammy uses whole milk. I used almond milk because that was what we had in the refrigerator. Both work deliciously.
And of course the star ingredient of the show…
PEACHES! I love this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler with fresh peaches most of all.
In-season, ripe peaches are the stuff of summer dreams. If you can get your hands ripe, fresh peaches, I beg you to use them to make this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler…and I might even say that if you can’t get them, wait until next summer and make this recipe a priority. That said, if you can’t find fresh peaches and need peach cobbler in your life STAT (understandable), you can use canned peaches. Buy the best quality you can find and drain away any excess syrup first (this is how Paula Deen’s Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler recipe is written, so there must be some tasty truth to it). If you’d like to make this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler with frozen peaches, I suggest using only frozen peaches that you know were picked in peak season. Sometimes the bags of smoothie-style peaches can be flat.
Find yourself with a fresh peach surplus? You can freeze them now, then treat yourself to peach cobbler at a future date. (Here’s a great tutorial on how to freeze peaches.)
So…What Is Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler?
It depends on who you ask. While all cobblers generally involve a sweet, bubbly fruit filling, the topping type can vary significantly, both in preparation and in texture. The two most common types are either a biscuit style topping or a pudding-cake type topping. This Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler is the pudding-cake style topping. Envision a yellow cake that’s meltingly buttery inside, with a lightly crisp sugar top that gives way to a soft, peachy-pudding experience underneath. It’s ethereal. Dutch oven peach cobbler with biscuits is honestly not my favorite. I adore biscuits (especially these Easy Drop Biscuits), but compared to the pudding cake style, I don’t think they are as good for cobbler. PLUS, the cake method is waaaaay easier than making biscuits. There’s no butter to cut, no ingredients that need chilling. Truly, this Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler is ready to make minutes from the peaches being sliced.
Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler Recipe Steps
This old fashioned recipe will seem totally crazy while you are making it, but TRUST. I (and Grammy) would not steer you wrong!
Step One: Melt the Butter Directly in the Dutch Oven. I do this right in the oven while it preheats Step Two: Mix Up Your Batter. All you need for this is a whisk and a bowl.
Step Three: Pour the Batter ON TOP OF the Butter. Do not stir. Trust!
Step Four: Spoon on the Peaches. Again, DO NOT STIR. Step Five: Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The cobbler is done when it’s edges are deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the cake-part comes out clean.
Do you see this magic??? In the oven, the cake rises to the top, and the peaches cook underneath.
Serving Dutch Oven Fresh Peach Cobbler
A scoop of vanilla ice cream is classic and never remiss. In my family, the tradition is a pour of heavy cream (please try it once. It won’t be your last). Of course, you could always turn that heavy cream into homemade whipped cream, and no one will be mad. For breakfast, Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler warmed up and topped with Greek yogurt makes for dreamy mornings.
What Size/Type of Dutch Oven to Use For Peach Cobbler
This recipe is written for a 10-inch Dutch oven peach cobbler. That said, it’s flexible! You can use a Dutch oven ranging in size from eight to 12 inches; just adjust the cooking time accordingly. A smaller Dutch oven will need longer, while a larger Dutch oven may finish cooking more quickly.
Baking Peach Cobbler NOT in a Dutch Oven
Even though I called this “Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler,” as it is my vessel of choice (it’s so homey and works perfectly for baking and serving this recipe), you don’t actually need a dutch oven to make this peach cobbler. Any 3-quart baking dish with high sides will do. If you are feeling super alternative, you can also check out my Crock Pot Peach Cobbler to make peach cobbler in a slow cooker (this exact recipe won’t translate, but that one is yummy and from-scratch as well).
Making Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler Over Campfire
If you have fond memories of making Girl or Boy Scout Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler (or just love the idea of cooking Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler over fire, period), you can use this same recipe! You’ll need to adapt the cooking method to ensure the cake doesn’t burn underneath.
How to Make Camp Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler:
First, make sure you are using a camp dutch oven like this. Next, preheat 45 charcoal briquettes until white and glowing. Lightly butter the inside of a camp dutch oven—do not melt the butter inside of it as with the oven method. Prepare the peach filling as directed. In a separate bowl, stir together the topping ingredients as directed. After adding the milk, stir in the melted butter. Spoon the fruit into the bottom of the buttered dutch oven, along with any juices that have collected. Slowly pour the batter over the top of the peaches. DO NOT STIR. To Cook: Cover the dutch oven with its lid. Place 15 hot charcoal briquettes together (they will be covered with ash) and set dutch oven over them. Using tongs, place the remaining 30 briquettes on the dutch oven lid. (This number and placement is necessary for the dutch oven to reach 350 degrees F.) After 10 minutes, rotate the dutch oven over the coals clockwise and the lid over the dutch oven counter clockwise to promote even cooking. Check after 20 minutes. The cobbler is done when the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. Continue cooking as needed—about 35 to 45 minutes or so total—the time will vary based on the exact temperature of your coals, so trust your judgement and adjust the time as needed. The cake will rise higher than it does with the oven method. Because the fruit is placed underneath the cobbler batter instead of on top of it, it doesn’t weight it down. This order is to keep the fire from burning the bottom of the batter. Your campfire Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler will taste just as fabulous as the standard oven method!
Pretty please do yourself a sweet turn, and make this easy Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler before peaches slip away. The only acceptable reason for not having added it to your bucket list is that you’ve already rushed to the kitchen to get started and didn’t have time to find a pen!
