Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler Recipe

Fresh fruit cobbler is one of summer's treasures. Sun-ripened fruit with a warm, biscuit-y topping straight from the oven is about as comforting as it gets. Peaches are especially delicious to use, as their soft and juicy flesh literally melts into the cobbler dough while baking. But you don't have to anxiously wait for the fresh fruits of summer to enjoy this gluten-free peach cobbler recipe. Recipe developer Julie Kinnaird loves a good cobbler all year long and shows you how to use frozen peaches in this delicious dessert. Peaches hold their shape and texture quite well after freezing, making this an easy anytime preparation. 

Kinnaird uses blanched almond flour in the cobbler dough, which not only makes this recipe gluten-free but also gives it a nice texture and nutty flavor. The texture of the topping is as tender and crumbly as that made with regular flour, so this recipe will appeal to everyone, whether or not they're searching out gluten-free dishes. The cobbler is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, and lemon zest gives a bit of brightness. Brown sugar sweetens the dessert and adds a nice hint of caramel. Slivered almonds and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar give this cobbler topping an additional crunch.

For your cobbler filling, you will need thawed, sliced peaches. A bit of cornstarch is used to absorb and thicken the juices released from the peaches while baking. Turbinado sugar (which is sugar in its least processed form — any kind of raw sugar will do, here), lemon juice and zest, and ground cinnamon sweeten and flavor the peaches. You will also need unsalted butter to brush the inside of the pan, as well as to cut into the cobbler topping. 

For the topping, use a fine and blanched almond flour for the best texture in your cobbler. To the almond flour you will add light brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. These baking spices really enhance the warm flavors in the dish. Cold and cubed unsalted butter is "cut" into the dry ingredients until a coarse texture is achieved, followed by mixing in a large egg, almond milk (or dairy milk), vanilla and almond extracts. The cobbler dough is topped with slivered raw almonds and a bit more turbinado sugar.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Brush the inside of a 2-quart casserole or baking pan with the melted butter.

In a bowl, toss together the peaches, turbinado sugar, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Transfer the peach mixture to the prepared pan.

In a separate large bowl, stir together the almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.

Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.

Beat in the egg, milk, and extracts to form a soft dough.

Spread the dough evenly over the peaches.

Sprinkle on the almonds and turbinado sugar.

Bake the cobbler for 45-55 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden and firm.

Serve warm in bowls with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

If you find yourself with a glut of ripe peaches, you can certainly use them in this recipe. As a general rule, Kinnaird says that 4 medium peaches equal roughly 1 pound. If in doubt, just measure out 6 cups of sliced fresh peaches, or use a kitchen scale to weigh out the slices. When choosing fresh peaches to use, you may see the names "clingstone" or "freestone" associated with peach varieties. These literal descriptions refer to whether the pits are attached to the peach flesh or free. Freestones are generally easier to cut, slice, and eat, making them a good choice for this recipe. That said, because the peaches will break down during the baking process, the type of peach you use is not all that important, so you can use what you have on hand. 

Whichever variety of peach you choose from the market, make sure that you are getting the sweetest ones available. Good indicators of a ripe, juicy peach include a deep and vibrant hue of gold or blush pink, free of any green undertones. A wrinkle around the stem also means that the peach was fully ripe when picked and has lost a bit of moisture, which concentrates the sugars and contributes to peak sweetness. It's also a good idea to give your peaches a smell. Ripe peaches will have a strong and sweet aroma, whereas underripe peaches will have little to no smell and subsequently a lower sugar content. 

While a cobbler and a crisp do have quite a bit in common, with a sweetened fruit base and a baked top layer, it is the topping that separates the two. Crisps have a crumbly streusel-like topping, which often includes oats in the mix. Oats become crispy when baked and have a slight nutty flavor, which is usually enhanced by the addition of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans. Crisps are American in origin but also bear a resemblance to their British counterpart — the crumble. The main difference between these two is that the crumble lacks the toasty oats. 

When it comes to the cobbler, the fruit base is covered with a biscuit-style dough. Cobblers have a more solid and sturdy topping, and the biscuit dough used can range in taste from fluffy traditional biscuits to sweeter, flakier recipes. Cobblers tend to be less sweet than crisps, depending on what topping you use.