Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

This easy gluten free peach cobbler makes the most of peak summer stone fruit, tucking juicy slices of peaches into a batter that marries nubbly cornmeal and whole grain oat flour. Inspired by a Julia Turshen recipe, this naturally gluten-free treat is beautiful in its simplicity.

If you're lucky enough to have a peach tree or neighbors with a peach tree, this is a great way to use ripe, in-season fruit! Throw in a few blackberries if you have those, too, or try some of the variation suggestions below. Serve portions of cobbler warm and topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream - or, my personal favorite, for breakfast with creamy-tart Greek or regular yogurt.

For another rustic peach bake, make my gluten free peach quick bread, a gluten free peach pie, or a pan of gluten free peach crisp.

Why You Must Make This Peach Cobbler!

This recipe is inspired by one in Julia Turshen's Simply Turshen. I love the addition of cornmeal to the batter, which lends a lightly rustic touch that feels so right with peaches. Of course, I paired the cornmeal with whole grain, gluten-free oat flour to round out the batter into a soft, sweet cushion for the chopped peaches. Here are a few more highlights:

• A combo of sweeteners. I use both maple syrup and granulated sugar to sweeten this peach cobbler, and the sweet syrup plays off of the fruit beautifully. Plus you only need about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
• You can use frozen fruit. I highly suggest using fresh peaches in this recipe! But you can absolutely use frozen peaches if you like. Defrost them first and drain off any liquid before adding them to the batter.
• It's naturally gluten-free. All of the ingredients needed to make this dessert are naturally gluten-free, but I promise no one will ever guess.
• Dessert or breakfast.
• Easily adapted. You can try out some of the variation suggestions and substitution options lower down in this post.

What You'll Need

Here's what you'll need to make this beautifully juicy cake. The full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below.

• Oat flour - Yes, whole grain oat flour is gluten-free! If you don't eat oats, try brown rice flour instead.
• Cornmeal - I like using fine-ground or medium-grind cornmeal in the cobbler batter. Using polenta, for example, will make the topping crumbly and gritty.
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt - Use fine sea salt or table salt.
• Milk - I usually use whole milk, but 2% is fine, too. Use non-dairy milk for a dairy-free version.
• Butter - I prefer unsalted butter.
• Peaches - Fresh peaches are best, though frozen will work in a pinch.
• Lemon juice - Freshly-squeezed lemon juice tastes best!
• Cornstarch - Swap arrowroot for a cornstarch alternative to help the peach base thicken a bit.
• Cinnamon - A bit of ground cinnamon adds warmth. Swap ginger if you wish.
• Maple syrup - Use honey or brown sugar for a slightly different flavor profile.

Cobbler vs Crumble vs Crisp - What's the Difference?

I love making cobblers because they are incredibly unfussy. Cobblers are sometimes described as a fruit pie, but they are NOT a pastry. You can make a biscuit-like dough to perch atop the fruit, or make a pourable batter, like in this recipe, to form a pillowy cake that surrounds the fruit.

A cobbler, crumble, and crisp are all fruit desserts, but that's where their similarities end. I consider them to be the Big 3 of summer desserts, but they are quite distinct from one another. A cobbler features a dough scattered across a fruit base and straddles the line between cake and biscuit. Meanwhile, a crisp contains oats in the topping while crumbles utilize a flour-based topping that does not contain oats.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• No need to peel the peaches. I don't peel my peaches when I make cobbler, and I'll leave that decision up to you. I also roughly chopped them, though you could slice them instead.
• Adjust the sugar. Change the amount of sugar to taste - use ½ cup if you want the topping to be less sweet.
• Use honey. Peaches and honey also go so well together, so try swapping the maple syrup for honey in the filling.
• Make it vegan. This recipe is so easy to make vegan, and here's how: Swap the melted butter for melted coconut oil or melted dairy-free butter, and use non-dairy milk for the milk.
• Try a different fruit. Any stone fruit would be so good here! If you feel like doing a little work, pit a bunch of cherries and tuck them under the batter. Nectarines make an easy 1:1 swap. Or try a mixture of fruit!
• To serve: Peach cobbler would make a wonderful 4th of July dessert; serve it with a big bowl of whipped cream and strawberries alongside. Or, make a colorfully festive version by swapping the peaches for a mix of chopped strawberries and/or raspberries, and blueberries.

Storage Options

On the counter, covered, for up to 24 hours, then transfer to the fridge and store it for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature to serve, or reheat it gently in a 350° F oven until warm.