Mom's Best Recipes
Recipe

Rich Chocolate Peach Cobbler

Juicy peaches, a glossy cocoa sauce, and a crisp-tender chocolate topping that bakes up like a brownie met a cobbler and decided to be friends.

Author By Matt Campbell
4.8
A cast iron skillet filled with chocolate peach cobbler, with bubbling cocoa sauce around a dark chocolate topping and visible peach slices
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Peaches and chocolate are one of those pairs that sounds a little chaotic on paper, then you taste it and suddenly you are wondering why we do not talk about it more. This is my signature peach recipe when I want something that feels cozy and a little dramatic, but still weeknight doable.

Here is the vibe: sweet peaches get tossed with brown sugar and a squeeze of lemon, then they bake under a cocoa-brown sugar sauce that turns into a fudgy, spoonable puddle. On top, you drop a quick chocolate biscuit style topping that bakes crisp at the edges and tender in the center. Serve it warm with ice cream and try not to “taste test” half the pan.

A close-up photo of a spoon lifting a warm scoop of chocolate peach cobbler with melted vanilla ice cream

Why It Works

  • Chocolate that tastes like chocolate: Blooming cocoa with hot water and brown sugar can make a deeper, richer sauce than stirring cocoa into batter and hoping for the best.
  • Peaches stay bright: A little lemon and a touch of salt keep the fruit from tasting flat, even with all that cocoa in the mix.
  • Crisp edges, cozy middle: The topping is a quick biscuit style batter with cocoa. It bakes up like the love child of a brownie top and a cobbler crust.
  • Accessible ingredients: Fresh or frozen peaches work. No fancy chocolate required, but you can absolutely go big if you want.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Fridge: Cover the baking dish or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days.

Reheat: For best texture, warm in a 350°F oven. For single servings, 10 to 15 minutes is usually enough. For a larger portion or most of the pan, plan on 20 to 30 minutes. You are looking for a hot center and sauce that is loosened and glossy. Microwave works too, but the topping will soften. If you microwave, do 30 second bursts and stop when it is just warm.

Freeze: You can freeze leftovers up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven. The fruit and sauce freeze great. The topping will be a bit softer after thawing, still very worth it.

Common Questions

Do I need to peel the peaches?

Totally up to you. If you like a smoother filling, peel them. If you want maximum ease (and a little extra texture), leave the skins on. I usually leave them on when the peaches are ripe and thin-skinned.

Can I use canned peaches?

Yes. Drain them well and pat dry. Canned peaches are softer and sweeter, so reduce the brown sugar in the peach filling by 1 to 2 tablespoons and skip any extra juice in the can.

Fresh vs. frozen peaches, which is better?

Fresh are great in peak season. Frozen are great all year. If using frozen, do not thaw. Add 1 extra teaspoon cornstarch if your peaches look especially icy or wet in the bag, and expect you may need a few extra minutes in the oven.

What kind of cocoa powder should I use?

Unsweetened natural cocoa works perfectly. Dutch process is also fine and will taste a little smoother and darker. Either way, do not use hot cocoa mix.

How hot should the water or coffee be for the sauce?

Very hot. Think just boiled, or steaming hot from the coffee pot. The heat helps the cocoa dissolve smoothly.

How do I know it is done?

The sauce should be bubbling at the edges and the topping should look set and dry on top, with a toothpick coming out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. Let it cool 15 minutes so the sauce thickens into that fudgy situation we are here for.

Can I make it ahead?

You can prep the dry ingredients for the topping and mix the peaches ahead of time, but I recommend baking right before serving. Cobbler is at its best warm, a little messy, and very confident.

The first time I tried peaches with chocolate, it was not in a polished dessert. It was me, late night, standing in the kitchen with a ripe peach, a bar of dark chocolate, and the kind of curiosity that gets you into trouble. One bite and I was sold. Peaches bring this floral, sunny sweetness, and chocolate brings the bass line. This cobbler is the version I make when I want to feed people something familiar, then watch them do the little pause mid-bite like, “Okay, wow.”