Vegan Peach Cobbler

Peach season is upon us so we’re kicking it off with a vegan peach cobbler. A simple and quicker dessert than peach pie, but a perfect one to really highlight the ripe and practically candy-tasting peaches we can find this time of year. I mean what better way to really taste them than in a dessert that’s nearly half peach filling??

But if you’re not feeling the cobbler, you could also make some peach stuffed buns using the stuffed apple bread recipe and replacing the apple filling with a peach one. Not gonna lie, I was hesitating between those two options cause that sounds pretty darn good too.

What makes this vegan peach cobbler so good

A slightly sweet peach filling topped with a light and fluffy yet crisp layer that’s less biscuit and more cake-like. What’s not to love? Plus a cobbler might sound complicated to make, but the recipe is actually really simple and easy! And what you end up with is truly drool-worthy. Especially with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top (vegan of course).

The filling can be mixed up directly in your baking dish and is sweetened with both white and brown sugar for some added flavour. There’s also a touch of cornstarch to help it thicken in the oven to prevent the cobbler from ending up a soupy (but delicious) mess. And yes, you can also use canned (and drained) or frozen (and thawed) peaches if you’re craving this recipe and fresh peaches aren’t available where you are. But your filling might come out slightly mushier since those tend to be soft already.

The topping is also very straightforward to make. Just some dry and wet ingredients mixed together then combined to form the perfect in-between of crisp sweet biscuit topping (without the dry biscuit part) and fluffy cake-like interior. The perfect pairing to the flavourful peach filling. And the hint of cinnamon goes wonderfully with it too. And if you want to go the extra mile, you could even use brown butter instead of oil for the batter. Just sayin’.

How to make vegan peach cobbler

The peach filling

In a round 8 inch baking dish, combine the sliced fresh peaches along with the other filling ingredients and mix well so no dry spots remain and the cornstarch is well distributed. Then set that aside while you make the batter. Keep in mind that the smaller or slimmer you cut the peaches, the softer they’ll get. Whereas larger chunks will hold their shape and texture a bit better. So it just depends what you prefer!

If you’re using fresh peaches you can opt to peel them or not. I honestly don’t mind the peel so I left it on, but it’s up to you. To peel them easily you can drop them in boiling water for about 20 seconds then drop them in a bowl of ice water to cool them down, at which point you should be able to peel them very easily.

If your peaches are soft and quite ripe, that might be harder to do. Try to use ripe but not-too-soft peaches for this recipe anyway. Whether you want to peel them or not. If your peaches are already soft, you’ll probably end up with a more mushy filling. It’s not bad, just a tad bit less pleasant.

If you’re using canned peaches, drain the liquid from them so the filling isn’t too wet and slice them if they’re large. You can also leave out the sugar or at least reduce it since canned peaches are usually quite sweet, especially if they’re in a sugar syrup.

If you’re using frozen peaches, let them thaw completely in the fridge then drain the liquid as well. If they’re large pieces, slice them to your desired size.

The batter

For the topping, mix the dry ingredients and sugar in one bowl, the wet in another, then combine them to form a smooth batter. The texture won’t be like that of a traditional cobbler topping, it’ll look more like a thick cake batter. That’s normal. It yields a crisp result but stays soft, moist and fluffy in the middle.

Here you can either scoop little dollops of it over the surface of the filling, or just spread the whole batter evenly over it. There’s no right or wrong way really.

Then off to the oven it goes! It’ll take about 30 minutes to bake. The top will get beautifully golden and you’ll see the filling bubbling through the gaps in the crust. Once it’s baked, let it sit about 5- 10 minutes before enjoying with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream!

Some variations

Cobblers are very customizable desserts so I’ll highlight here a few changes you can make in case you want to get creative!

If you happen to be short on peaches, you’re in luck, because you can replace part (or maybe even all) of them with apples, pears, blueberries, blackberries, apricots or even plums. Peach and blueberry cobbler? Apple and pear cobbler? You really can’t go wrong.

You could also double the recipe and bake it in a bigger dish for a bbq or other occasion. It’s one of many perfect summer desserts honestly. You could even bake it in individual ramekins for a small dinner party (or yourself).

And for flavourings, you can adjust everything to your liking. Don’t like cinnamon? Leave it out. Or replace it with cardamom or nutmeg or another spice of your choice. Want more of it? Add a sprinkle to the filling too! Or finish the whole thing off with cinnamon sugar before baking instead of turbinado/coarse sugar. You can also add lemon or orange zest to the filling, topping, or both. Or pecans and bourbon to the filling. Or even double the batter if you like a higher ratio of topping to filling. The possibilities are endless.

Storing the peach cobbler

Vegan peach cobbler is best enjoyed the day it’s made, even better if it’s still warm. But it can be stored covered in the fridge after it’s completely cooled for 2-3 days, although it will lose its crisp top and become more soggy with time. I would just reheat it either in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or in the microwave. Or at least let it come to room temperature before digging in.

If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!