Blackberry Peach Cobbler

Winter is dark and rainy in the Pacific Northwest, so I try to make the most of summer while it’s here. On most weekends you’ll find me at the farmers market, spending an unreasonable amount of money on seasonal fruit (it’s worth it!). Blackberries are prolific in this area, and I’m so grateful. Foraging for these sweet-tart berries is a boon to my bank account! Because they’re a little tart on their own, I usually make blackberry recipes—like blackberry peach cobbler—that mix the acidic berries with sweeter fruits.

The fruit is the star of this blackberry peach cobbler recipe, but the topping is no less impressive. When dropped onto the fruit by the tablespoonful, the biscuit topping bakes up soft and fluffy with plenty of crisp, caramelized edges. To accentuate the biscuity topping’s sweetness, we add a hint of cinnamon to the filling to give it a warming boost. The colorful fruit filling peeks through the topping, giving the dish a cobblestone look that truly earns the cobbler name. Top it with a scoop of ice cream, and watch it melt into the crevices right before your eyes.

Ingredients for Blackberry Peach Cobbler

• Blackberries: Blackberries have a noticeable tart quality but can be quite sweet when fully ripened. Underripe blackberries are unpleasantly tart and bitter. You’ll know they’re prime for cobbler when they become plump instead of firm and their color loses its paleness, deepening to a dark purple hue.
• Peaches: Juicy, sweet peaches offset the tart, acidic blackberries to create a balanced taste. You don’t have to peel peaches for cobbler, but peeled peaches are much softer and smoother.
• Sugar and cornstarch: Sugar softens the fruit by helping release its juices. Then, cornstarch thickens those juices so the peach and blackberry cobbler doesn’t become too soggy.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice brightens up the fruity flavors, helping them shine through all the sweetness.
• Cobbler topping: Our homemade blackberry and peach cobbler topping is made with butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, buttermilk and all-purpose flour, which you could easily swap with gluten-free flour. Leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder help the topping puff up in the oven like a sweet biscuit.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the fruit

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch. Add the peaches, berries and lemon juice, and toss to combine. Transfer the fruit mixture to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.

Step 2: Make the cobbler topping

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk, and stir just until moistened. Drop the topping by tablespoonfuls over the peach mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure the butter is as cold as possible. I usually grate it with a box grater and stash it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This ensures the butter will release steam in the oven, creating airy, flaky pockets that make the peach blackberry cobbler topping taste more tender.

Step 3: Bake the peach and blackberry cobbler

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

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Recipe Variations

• Take a topping shortcut: Use a cake mix instead of the cobbler topping to make a blackberry and peach cobbler dump cake.
• Use another fruit: You can make this cobbler recipe using any type of fresh or frozen fruit. You can substitute another stone fruit for the peaches to make blackberry nectarine or apricot cobbler. Or change out the blackberries for a peach and blueberry cobbler or a peach and mixed berry cobbler.
• Add flavor to the cobbler topping: Infuse the peach blackberry cobbler topping with other warming spices, like ground cardamom or apple pie spice. You can also add citrus zest or flavorings, like chopped candied ginger.
• Make it with brown butter: Give the topping a toasted, nutty quality by using brown butter. After you brown the butter, let it cool and store it in the refrigerator until it’s solid. Then, use the cold brown butter as directed.

How to Store Blackberry Peach Cobbler

The blackberry peach cobbler recipe contains perishable ingredients, so it’s best stored in the refrigerator. Once cooled, cover the baking dish or transfer the contents to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Can you freeze blackberry peach cobbler?

You can freeze blackberry and peach cobbler for up to three months. Cover the dish tightly with storage wrap and foil, or transfer the cobbler to a freezer-safe container. Thaw the cobbler in the fridge overnight, and reheat it in a 350° oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Blackberry Peach Cobbler Tips

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Is it better to use frozen or canned peaches for peach blackberry cobbler?

If debating between fresh vs. frozen peaches, you should use fresh when the fruit is ripe and in season. However, if fresh fruit isn’t an option, frozen peaches are better than canned peaches. They have a firmer texture because they’re still raw, whereas canned peaches are cooked during the canning process.

To make a cobbler with frozen fruit, add it to the baking dish without thawing. If you need to use canned fruit, be sure to drain most of the juices, as we do in our peach cobbler recipe, so the cobbler doesn’t turn out more watery.

What’s the difference between blackberry peach cobbler and blackberry peach crisp?

The difference between cobblers, crisps and crumbles is all in the topping. Cobblers are topped with a biscuit-like batter, which resembles a cobblestone street when it bakes. Crisps typically feature an oat and nut topping, giving the dessert a crunchier texture. Crumbles have a streusel topping made with butter, flour, sugar and sometimes nuts.