Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler: A sweet summer treat

Remember those long summer afternoons when the kitchen filled with the sweet aroma of peach cobbler baking in Grandma’s oven? Now, we’ve given that cherished classic a gluten-free twist—because the love and comfort it brings should be for everyone to enjoy. Picture sun-ripened peaches, tender and juicy, bubbling beneath a golden crust that’s as soft and inviting as a favorite quilt from childhood. This recipe skips the gluten but holds tight to every ounce of warmth and nostalgia, just like the cobbler that used to grace the family table. Served warm, with melting vanilla ice cream or all on its own, each bite is a gentle reminder of simpler times, shared stories, and the comfort of home. It’s more than a dessert—it’s a sweet hug from the past, perfect for making new memories today.

This recipe combines two recipes, one for a gluten-free peach crisp from Julia Mueller (Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler) and another for King Arthur Baking Company’s classic peach cobbler. I cannot recall a time where I have ever had a fruit crisp or cobbler, which is probably due to being allergic to nuts or being a picky eater as a child. After coming across an email from King Arthur Baking Company that contained a recipe for Buttermilk Biscuit Cherry Cobbler, I decided I wanted to make a gluten-free version but with peaches as my mom and I had a lot of peaches in the fridge (at the time). One of my mom’s co-workers also mentioned making a cobbler to which my mom decided to make a gluten-free version and a regular version to take to the office the next time she went in.

Of course, making three dishes means getting more peaches and that means a trip to the local Farmer’s Market, which we go just about every Sunday. While these are not peaches from Georgia or South Carolina, these peaches from Tyson’s Farm (West Virginia-based) are probably just as good - but I may be a little biased. Their peaches are juicy and can be larger than normal. I will say that we probably did not get enough as what our recipes called for and you know you have to have a few slices as you peel and cut each one, right? That being said, I did agree to add some white peaches to my batch to make up for not having enough yellow peaches.

On a side-note, I don’t think it really matters what type of peach you use - my mom loves white peaches and I grew up on yellow peaches and I want to say yesterday (7/23) was my first time trying a white peach. In my opinion, white peaches are a little more tart compared to yellow peaches, so if you are looking for a peach cobbler that is less sweet, I would probably use white peaches. You can also add in or substitute with plums, nectaries, or various berries; I also saw recipes on King Arthur’s website for apple crisp and apple cobbler. But, let’s get into the recipe by first discussing each ingredient.

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler:

Peach Cobbler Topping: This cobbler uses a recipe for cream biscuits, obtained through King Arthur, created by a baker named David Lee on their online baking forum, bakingcircle.com. “David Lee has sadly passed away, but his cream biscuits - which we use in this recipe - lives on,” said King Arthur Baking Company on their Classic Peach Cobbler recipe. I have helped this recipe live on by creating a gluten-free version for those with Celiac Disease and gluten-sensitivities. I used King Arthur GF Measure for Measure and added in baking powder, sea salt, buttermilk, and sugar.

For the Filling:

Fresh Peaches: You’ll want to use ripe, juicy peaches. Ripe peaches are roughly sliced and tossed with a few ingredients to make a gooey, delicious peach filling. For the best peach cobbler, make sure to use sweet peaches. If they are unripe or a little tart, in the case of white peaches, considering adding a few tablespoons of a granulated sweetener (in addition to the pure maple syrup) so that the cobbler turns out perfectly sweet.

GF Measure for Measure Flour: Used to thicken the peach mixture so that it’s gooey, thick, and delicious. You can also use 1 Tablespoon of corn starch.

Pure Maple Syrup: A little pure maple syrup brings some sweetness to the fruit cobbler and enhances the gooey texture.

Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Adding fresh lemon juice and lemon zest brings a little citrus vibrance to the filling.

Pure Vanilla Extract: Warm vanilla brings an inviting essence to the cobbler and helps to balance out the citrus.

Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Sea Salt: A pinch of salt brings out the flavors of the peach and a little cinnamon adds a bit of warmth. Ground nutmeg can be optional, but I think it adds to the flavor.

How to Make a Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler:

Making this cobbler is probably easier than you think and only requires little time and effort. Most of the time spent on this recipe will be baking the cobbler.

1.) Prepare the Biscuit Cobbler Topping:

Simply combine the GF flour, baking powder, sea salt, and sugar together with a whisk or sifter in a mixing bowl.

Stir in the buttermilk to moisten the dough thoroughly. You want to be able to gather the dough together, squeeze it, and have it hang together without any dry bits falling off. You can also use heavy cream. The amount of milk will differ depending on season - see notes section.

2.) Make the peach filling:

Peel the peaches and (roughly) cut the peaches into slices - I don’t think they need to be perfect - remove and discard the pit. Recipe calls for 4 large peaches; I cannot say I had 4 large peaches after we made the two for my mom’s office, so I had to cut more and it still didn’t seem like enough. I would use as much as you’d like or possibly stick with an 8-inch pan, which I will try again in the future.

To make the filling, gently toss the peaches, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and a small amount of gluten-free flour in a mixing bowl. If you do not have maple syrup, or enough of it, feel free to use 1/4 cup of honey.

Transfer the peach filling to a 8 inch or 9 inch round or square pan or baking dish (or one of similar size - my mom used an aluminum poultry baking pan from the store that was 9 3/4 x 9 3/4).

3.) Make the Cobbler:

Spoon the dough over the peach filling, like you would drop biscuits (I ended up hand shaping mine and placing them on top of the filling). This doesn’t have to be perfect, it can be as rustic as you want. Make sure they are even in height to ensure even cooking. You can also roll out the dough and cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter for more uniform shape. There may be extra dough, which can be used to make additional biscuits, if desired.

Sprinkle the biscuits with course sprinkling sugar - I used granulated sugar.

Bake the cobbler at 350 F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. I baked mine for 50 minutes, but I recommend starting at 45 minutes, checking if the biscuits are done, and adding more time if needed.

You can serve this with your choice of ice cream or whipped topping. As I do not have gluten-free ice cream on hand, I will be using extra creamy Reddi-wip.

That’s all there is to it! This tasty dessert is perfect for summer and peach season. Even better, you can whip it up any time of year using frozen peaches, canned peaches, or whichever fresh fruit is in season!