The Ultimate Healthy Peach Cobbler
This is a new summer favorite! A layer of sweet, juicy peaches lightly tossed in spices hides underneath a soft, buttery cake topping. Whether served plain, with a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream, this cobbler recipe is easy to make and tastes like the carefree days of summer! Leftovers will keep for at least three days (if not longer!) if stored in the refrigerator, either still in the pan and covered with foil or inside of an airtight container.
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 3 ½ cups (540g) ⅛” slices of fresh slightly overripe peaches, cut into thirds (about 5 large or 6 medium – and see Notes!)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅙ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp almond extract
FOR THE TOPPING
- ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8”-square pan OR 9”-round pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the filling, thoroughly toss the peaches with the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract in a large bowl until evenly coated with cinnamon and the cornstarch has completely dissolved (with zero visible white specks!).
- To prepare the topping, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (highly recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Pour in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until just fully incorporated.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared pan, and gently press down with a spatula or the back of a spoon until the top is even and flat. Add dollops of the topping, and gently spread it across in an even layer using a spatula or offset spatula. Bake at 350°F for 23-27 minutes or until juice bubbles around the edges and the topping feels firm to the touch. Cool completely to room temperature; then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the juice to fully thicken.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own.) Too much flour will dry out the topping and can also affect its flavor.
IMPORTANT PAN SIZE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: An 8”-square pan and 9”-round pan have very similar surface areas (64 in2 and 63.6 in2, respectively!), so your fruit cobbler will turn out the same, regardless of which pan you use.
Pan dimensions are measured along their top rims, not their bottom sides. If using the round pan option, measure directly across its middle (aka the diameter) from one lip of the opening to the other. If using a square pan, measure across its top edge, not the bottom. Some square baking dishes have sloped sides, so they’re 9” across the top and closer to 8” across the bottom. If that’s true for your baking dish, it’s actually a 9”-square pan and too big for this recipe. Use a 9”-round pie plate or cake pan instead!
Do not substitute a 9”-square pan. Because it has a larger surface area (81 in2), there won’t be enough streusel to cover the top, and your fruit crisp will bake differently as well.
IMPORTANT COOLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: You must let this cobbler cool completely to room temperature and chill for 3+ hours (closer to 8 hours is even better!) for the cornstarch to fully thicken the juices. If you try to serve your fruit cobbler sooner, the filling will still be runny. (See the “To serve warm” note below if you’d like to serve your fruit crisp warm instead!)
IMPORTANT PEACH NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I recommend using slightly overripe peaches because they’re sweeter, juicier, and have a stronger peach flavor. They’re also incredibly soft to begin with, so they’ll have the perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture after baking. If you used barely ripe or mostly ripe peaches, the fruit would still be a little firm with some texture to it, and the filling wouldn’t be as sweet or flavorful. (See the “Peaches” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make a Healthy Peach Cobbler” section in my blog post above for more information.)
It’s also important to slice the peaches into ⅛”-thick slices to help them bake evenly and soften completely. I know it takes a little extra time and effort, but I promise it’s worth it!
If you leave the peach slices whole, you can end up with big gaps in the filling. If you make your peaches thicker, closer to ½”- to ¾”-thick chunks, they also take longer to cook and don’t always soften fully. The goal with the thin, smaller peach chunks is to ensure an even distribution and that all of the peaches soften while baking. (See the “Prep the peaches” header in the “How to Make the Best Peach Cobbler” section in my blog post above for more information.)
It’s up to you whether you peel the fresh peaches! I did for the cobbler in the photos you see above, but I probably won’t do so much in the future.
Peaches that have been canned in water or 100% juice may be substituted for the fresh. Make sure to thoroughly drain them first to remove the canning liquid! I’ve found that canned peaches don’t taste as sweet or as strong as fresh ones, so I typically add 3 tablespoons or so of granulated stevia or granulated sucralose to the filling to compensate.
I haven’t tried using frozen and thawed peaches yet. My guess is that they’d work, as long as they’re thoroughly drained to remove their excess thawing liquid. If you do try using frozen and thawed peaches, I’d love to hear how your cobbler turns out in a comment below!
CORNSTARCH NOTE: The cornstarch thickens the juice that the fruit releases while baking. I haven’t tried substituting anything for it, and I don’t recommend omitting it. The filling will be very liquidy and soup-like without it.
CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It’s richer and sweeter compared to regular cinnamon. I buy mine online here (← it’s really affordable!), and it’s practically the only kind I use in my baking now.
ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: If you don’t like or have almond extract, vanilla extract may be substituted.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour can also be substituted, but the topping will have a subtle “wheat-y” flavor.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. I don’t recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It’s often water-based, which affects the batter’s texture. It usually turns out denser and may collapse some while cooling.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) in place of the unsalted butter and your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based).
TO SERVE WARM: You must let this peach cobbler cool completely to room temperature AND set for 3+ hours in the refrigerator before serving. (If you have time, chilling for 8+ hours is even better!) This allows the cornstarch to fully thicken the juices that the fruit releases while baking. If you’d prefer to serve your cobbler warm, then reheat it after the cornstarch has worked its magic! As the easiest option, I typically reheat individual portions in the microwave.
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover fruit cobbler in the refrigerator, either still in the pan and covered with foil or inside of an airtight container. It should last for at least three days, if not longer.
{gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free option, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.