This post will tell you everything you need to make an Ina Garten peach cobbler.
An Ina Garten peach cobbler combines sweet peaches with sugar, hints of orange and butter. The peaches are then baked under a dough topping that has a slight crust on top and the texture of a soft & fluffy cake underneath. The aromas of baked cinnamon, with hints of tangy orange zest will fill your senses. Even writing about it makes my taste buds tingle.
This Barefoot Contessa peach cobbler recipe is simple to make and can be thrown together last minute for the perfect, not too sweet treat. I even included it in my lists of the best peach cobbler recipes and the best peach recipes.
Skim through my top tips to making peach cobbler Ina Garten style. (Feel free to compare this recipe to a Paula Deen peach cobbler if you like).
The tips are only short, to give you an idea of what the recipe is about. They will hopefully cover anything you need to know for the perfect peach cobbler.
The recipe & instructions are in the next section.
I have some simple recipe variations and serving suggestions below the main recipe if you are interested.
Ina Garten Peach Cobbler vs. Ina Garten Peach Crumble
Both are fruit based deserts, baked under a dough with no bottom crust.
They are similar and the terms can be used interchangeably.
The main difference between a traditional peach cobbler and peach crumble is the topping.
A cobbler is typically made with a cake like dough which is spooned on in clumps, which gives it a cobbled appearance. Hence the name cobbler.
An Ina Garten peach cobbler has a soft cake like dough texture. Other cobbler recipes may have cookie dough or biscuit type textures.
A crumble on the other hand is often made with a topping sprinkled on top and has a crunchier texture. With ingredients like oats or nuts, a crumble often looks like something was crumbled over the top of the dish, hence the name.
Keep reading this post if you want to make a traditional Ina Garten peach cobbler.
I have a short video on how to make Ina’s peach blueberry crumble linked under the recipe below.
Its similar to Ina’s peach cobbler with the infusion of blueberries for extra color and bursts of sweetness.
Tips For Making An Ina Garten Peach Cobbler
Ina’s peach cobbler is relatively simple to recreate.
Take a minute to skim through these quick tips.
They dont repeat the instructions, they are just meant to give you an idea of the process.
When you get to the recipe & instructions in the next section you will be good to go.
If you haven’t made a peach cobbler before (or not for a while)
An Ina Garten peach cobbler is essentially a dessert made with a layer of peach slices baked under a soft, cake like dough topping.
There isnt any dough under the peaches, so its like a crustless pie.
Its best served while hot by spooning out chunks of peach and topping (or served in individual ramekins).
Excellent on its own or when paired with ice cream, cream, or berries.
This post is about the Barefoot Contessa peach cobbler. You can change or add anything to the ingredients and still call it a peach cobbler – provided its a peach base covered in a layer of cake like dough.
I have some simple recipe variations under the main recipe if you are interested.
Yes to using canned peaches
Ina’s original recipe calls for fresh peaches for this recipe.
Fresh peaches need to be boiled so the skin can be removed easily, then peeled and stone removed, etc.
I recommend using canned peaches.
Using canned peaches makes the process faster and saves a lot of effort.
Canned peaches are relatively inexpensive, available all year round, last forever in the cupboard and are delicious.
Simply strain the canned peaches to remove most of the juice (or syrup) before adding the base ingredients.
What dish to bake the cobbler in
Think about your audience when deciding which dish you will make your cobbler in.
You have 2 basic options:
A large baking dish (9 x 13 inch).
Individual serve ramekins.
The benefit of using a large baking dish is you wont be giving anyone a plate that is hot. You will serve by scooping from the hot baking dish into individual bowls. A good option if you are serving to children.
The ramekin option looks great but they are likely to be hot when you serve them.
Hot ramekins could be risky if you have young children involved or if people will be moving around.
Use a food processor to prepare the dough topping
You only need to use the pulse function to prepare the dough topping.
Pulse a few times and once everything is combined and even, that should be enough.
The finished batter should look rough and lumpy.
You are better to stop pulsing early than overworking your batter.
It will not look smooth.
Do not pulse until it forms a tight ball.
If you overwork the dough, you might not get that soft and fluffy texture when baked.
Topping the peaches with the dough
The peaches get baked once before the dough topping is added and then get baked a second time after being covered by the dough (full details in the instructions below).
To add the dough over the peaches, drop the dough in dollops.
Use a spoon or even an ice cream scoop for the dollops.
Leave space between the dollops – the space gives the dough room to rise and expand into.
The dough should not pour over the peaches – it will be much too thick to pour.
It is meant to look rough and rustic.
It will not look like a smooth, even topping.
The dough will smooth out, rise and join together during the baking process.
Baking the peach cobbler
Sugar and cinnamon are sprinkled on top of the cobbler before baking. These will caramelize and turn brown during the baking process.
You want the cobbler to look nicely browned, not burnt.
Check on the cobbler after about 30 minutes of baking. If you think it is brown enough, cover the cobbler lightly with aluminium foil for the remaining baking time. The foil will prevent the top of the cobbler from burning.
Recipe by Barbara HuntCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings
6-8
servings
Prep time
20
minutes
Cooking time
1
hour
5
minutes
Calories
322
kcal
Savor the perfection of Ina Garten’s Peach Cobbler – soft cake like topping, sweet peaches, and a symphony of flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
For The Filling:
4 pounds of peaches (sliced into wedges)
3/4 cup sugar (plus some for sprinkling)
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons of butter (unsalted)
Topping:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt
1 ½ sticks of cold butter (unsalted)
2 extra-large eggs (or 3 smaller eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of sugar (for sprinkling)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for sprinkling)
Directions
The filling (using tinned peaches)
Strain the juices from the tinned peaches. Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling: peach wedges, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice and butter (cut into 1/2 inch cubes).
Mix the filling ingredients well with a spatula. Pour into a baking tray (im using a 9 x 13 inch tray)
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the peaches are slightly browned and mixture bubbling. In the meantime, prepare the topping.
The topping
Combine the flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and add to the food processor. Pulse until the butter starts to form pea-sized dough pieces (10-15 pulses).
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract. Add to the dough in the food processor. Pulse until evenly moistened. (Dont overwork the dough)
Spoon dough dollops onto the peaches (do not cover them all).
Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. (Cover with foil if required – as discussed in the tips section above). Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Here are some tried and tested variations for Ina Garten peach cobbler:
Make It Extra Fruity And Colorful:
Add 1 to 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries to the peach mixture for a delightful combination of sweet peaches and juicy blueberries. Blueberries also give a beautiful color.
Spice It Up:
Infuse a warm and spicy flavor by adding 1 teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger to the peach filling. This adds a subtle kick to the cobbler.
Make It Nutty:
Incorporate 1/2 cup of chopped almonds into the biscuit topping for a nutty crunch that complements the sweetness of the peaches.
Make It More Grown-Up Friendly:
Enhance the warm, comforting flavors by adding 2 tablespoons of Southern Comfort or bourbon to the peach filling. This adds a subtle, adult-friendly twist.
Cardamom-Vanilla Peach Cobbler Variation:
Replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom in the peach filling. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to the biscuit topping for a unique and aromatic variation.
How To Serve Ina Garten’s Peach Cobbler
Some of my favorite ways to serve peach cobbler include:
Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Warm with pouring cream.
Cold with whipped cream.
Warm with a drizzle of salted caramel.
Cold with a dollop of thick yogurt.
Hot or cold on its own.
More Ina Garten Dessert Recipes You May Like To Try
Once you make one dessert from Ina Garten’s recipe, you will want to make some more of her desserts.
I will leave a list of some of my favorites below:
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
