southern peach cobbler baked in a small black iron skillet with a basket of fresh peaches in the background

Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler is a quick and easy, healthy, low-sugar southern-style, dairy-free, fruity dessert recipe using frozen, fresh, or canned peaches.

Though I grew up devouring a southern peach cobbler dessert loaded in butter, sugar and regular white flour—this recipe is low-sugar, dairy-free, and made with a variety of nutrient-rich, gluten-free flours.

Mom’s Southern Fruit Cobbler

Up until the last handful of years, I’d never made a peach cobbler or any peachy dump cake type of dessert because I didn’t need to—that was my Mom’s thing.  So, this healthy, quick southern skillet fruit cobbler recipe results from me missing my Mom. 

Though we lived in different states ever since I left for college many moons ago, I could count on a delicious homemade peach cobbler sometime during visits home.

It’s the simple things like warm cobbler from scratch memories that keep me cooking. The thought of my Mom disappearing into the kitchen to whip up a quick and easy cobbler on a whim is precious.  

She made a buttery, southern peach cobbler topped with a thin biscuit batter. Knowing her, she’d probably say something about her cobbler being a lazy kind of dessert. Easy rustic cobbler isn’t something she thought of as fancy.  

Nevertheless, let me tell you, her lazy cobbler was impressive. 

She was so good at making the most of things.

fresh, frozen, or canned peach cobbler plated on a small mint green plate surrounded by whole peaches sitting below a black cast iron skillet of baked oil-free  cobbler

The Secret to How to Make Gluten-Free Cobbler

The secret to making healthy gluten-free cobbler is all about the choice of flour. Namely, you’ll need to use a combination of gluten-free flours to end up with a tasty biscuit or cake-y topping.

Once you figure out that valuable secret to achieving a cake-y gluten-free topping, it’s easy to make gluten-free and dairy-free cobbler from scratch!

And since you can opt to make your fruit cobbler with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches, it’s a recipe that’s available to enjoy year-round.

So the secret to a terrific tasting gluten-free cobbler is all about using a combo of flours to keep the cobbler batter lite and fluffy! And, by the way, baking your southern-style fruit cobbler in an iron skillet doesn’t hurt!

on a wood cutting board sits a cast iron skillet of biscuit topped gluten free peach cobbler with a basket and a whole ripe peach sitting nearby
on a wooden cutting board sis two whole peaches and a small green plate holding a serving of peach cobbler with a dollop of aquafaba dairy free whipped cream

Can I Use Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Peaches to Make Peach Cobbler?

While most will agree that fresh ingredients are best for cooking anything, my fondest memories of a cobbler is a peach cobbler made using canned peaches, which Mom usually kept on hand.

So while fresh is undoubtedly best, you can most certainly use frozen or canned peaches to make a kick booty, healthy peach cobbler.

When using frozen peaches in a delicious gluten-free cobbler, thaw the peaches first.

For canned peach fans, like my sweet Momma, drain them if they’re sweetened, or you’ll be getting extra sugar.

By the way, the reason I prefer to use frozen peaches to make this healthy peach cobbler is because I love the taste of peaches when they’re first picked! I love firm, sweet, peaches!

a small green plate sits beside a skillet of healthy peach cobbler that's vegan, oil free, dairy free, and gluten free

How Ripe Do Fresh Peaches Need to be When Making Cobbler? 

When using fresh peaches in cobbler, you want ripe or tender ones that are still somewhat firm—lol. So, you want to be like Goldilocks when it comes to fresh peach selection.

Look for peaches that are not too soft and not too hard. If you use overly ripe and mushy fruit, your cobbler will be mushy, which isn’t pretty or pleasing.

And if you happen to have peaches that are a little less than ready, check out this article from Better Homes and Garden for some peach ripening tips!

 cooking and plating scene of peach cobbler cooked in an iron skillet with a serving plated to the left of the pan with peaches scattered about

Can You Make a Cobbler Ahead or in Advance? Can You Freeze this Cobbler?

As much as I encourage folks to think ahead and plan meals to make the healthiest eating choices, I prefer serving cobbler right out of the oven.
If you have to make it ahead, a few hours ahead can certainly work just fine.

I could be wrong in this, but my memories of delicious cobbler involve a steaming hot and delicious dessert.

So, yes, yet again, fresh is best when it comes to making delicious cobbler. Bake your gluten-free peach cobbler while you eat dinner and enjoy a warm and cozy dessert!

But when it comes to reheating and devouring leftovers, should you be so lucky to have them, they keep well and are delicious for up to a few days. If you want to save your leftover more than a few days, freeze the cobbler in portioned out containers and thaw as needed. Again, expect the texture to be on the soft side when reheating a cobbler.

a mound of homemade gluten-free pach cobbler on a mid century modern green dessert plate

What Can You Use to Top Peach Cobbler?

We used guilt-free, gluten-free Vegan Cool Whip to top our cobbler! You could also top your warm cobbler with dairy-free ice cream or a lovely dollop of vanilla plant-based yogurt.

vegan, gluten free peach cobbler  with aquafaba whipped cream

What Else Can You Make With Peaches?

The list of excellent vegan dishes you can make with peaches is pretty extensive. A variety of vegan peach desserts come to mind first. A peach pie is a great way to use fresh, frozen, or canned peaches. And, of course, a rustic peach crumble or crisp sounds divine!

You can easily use peaches in place of other fruits in the following plant-based, vegan and gluten-free recipes.

a bisuit topped vegan peach cobbler in a cast iron skillet with whole ripe peaches in the background

15 Recipes to Make with Peaches:

cooking scene on a gray and white marble background with an iron skillet of baked gluten free and vegan peach cobbler, whole peaches, and a serving of cobbler on a mint green plate topped with guit free aquafaba whipped cream

Thank You for Exploring Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler with Us!

We’re as warm and fuzzy as a fresh Georgia peach that you decided to read through our recipe article—thank you! If you have any questions or comments to share about making gluten-free vegan peach cobbler, by all means, give us a holler!

Happy Eating!

on a mint green mid century modern plate sits a frozen peach cobbler that's gluten free and vegan with a dollo of aquafaba whipped cream and peaches in the background
vegan and gluten free southern style peach cobbler baked in an iron skillet

Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler | Southern-Style

  • 10
    Prep:
  • 25
    Cook Time:
  • Yield: 4 Servings

With a fluffy biscuit-type cake-y topping, this Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler is EASY to make from scratch! Make your cobbler using fresh, frozen, or canned peaches, so it’s a recipe to enjoy year-round.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of fresh or thawed from frozen peachesWe use 16-oz of frozen peaches. Canned peaches also work here if you prefer a softer fruit texture.
  • 1 tsp of lemon, lime, or other citrus zest - We often opt to use lemon zest or a combo of the two.
  • about 2 tbsp of lemon, lime, or other citrus juice, more or less, to taste
  • 2 tbsp of unrefined coconut sugar, date, or maple sugar
  • 3/4 cup of roughly chopped GF Old-Fashioned Oats or oat flour
  • 1/4 cup of any nut flour
  • 3 tbsp of any rice flour, quinoa flour, or another variety of GF flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp of salt 
  • 2 tbsp of unrefined coconut sugar, date, or maple sugar
  • 1/8 tsp or a generous pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp of tahini
  • about 1/2 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk added 1 tbsp at a time
  • an additional teaspoon of unrefined coconut sugar for topping
  • optional dollop of Dairy-Free Whipped Cream 

Instructions

  1. Begin by preheating the oven to 375º F.
  2. Now, add the fruit to a small cast-iron skillet, about 8-inches round, or use any eight or 9-inch baking dish. Then add the citrus zest, juice, and sugar to the fruit, mixing well to coat.
  3. Next, in a bowl, using a fork or whisk, combine the chopped oats or oat flour, two other flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and nutmeg.
  4. Then add the tahini to the flour mix, 'cutting it in' by mashing it into the dry ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter to create a crumbly texture. Pour in about half of the milk, and incorporate it into the flour and tahini mixture. Add more milk a little at a time until you achieve a thicker, muffin-batter-like consistency.
  5. Next, drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of the seasoned fruit. Use the spoon's back to spread the mixture a bit to cover most of the fruit, leaving a few areas uncovered. For a sweeter biscuit topping, sprinkle one additional teaspoon or so of sugar on top of the batter.
  6. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the biscuit topping has finished cooking. For additional golden color, broil for a second or two, observing closely to avoid burning the biscuit topping.
  7. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the biscuit topping has finished cooking. For additional golden color, broil for a second or two, observing closely to avoid burning the biscuit topping.
  8. After removing from the oven, allow your cobbler to rest for a few minutes before serving. Warm cobbler is extra delicious paired with a serving of plant-based ice cream or whipped cream—store leftover cobbler in the refrigerator, covered, for up to about five days.

Notes

  • Gluten:  If gluten is not of concern, know that most any all-purpose or whole-grain flour will work well in this cobbler recipe.
  • Fat:  Any preferred nut or seed butter may take the tahini's place, but tahini is our first choice as the flavor doesn't compete with the lovely peaches.
  • Acid:  When it comes to citrus' choice in this recipe, we've tried most of them, even grapefruit, and the cobbler always turns out delicious.
  • Pan:  We baked our cobbler in a small cast-iron skillet, causing our topping to turn out on the thick side. If you prefer a thinner topping, add a bit more milk to the batter and use a bigger pan so that there's more area for the batter to cover. Adjust baking time as needed since it will likely bake quicker if it's spread thinner.
  • Doneness: To test if the biscuit topping has cooked through, insert a toothpick. If it comes out clean, your cobbler is ready to enjoy!
  • Nutrition: The nutritional information below is for one serving without ice cream or whipped cream.

Nutrition

% DV

Calories Per Serving: 249
  • Total Fat 9.4 g 14 %
  • Saturated Fat 1.1 g 5 %
  • Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
  • Sodium 370 mg 15 %
  • Carbohydrates 38.7 g 13 %
  • Fiber 7.7 g 14 %
  • Sugar 17.2 g ---
  • Protein 7.1 g 14 %
  • Vitamin A 21 %
  • Vitamin C 299 %
  • Iron 14 %
  • Calcium 17 %

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Comments

  • Yum! Can i make this the night before?

    1. This cobbler can be made the night before and reheated, if you like, to serve warm, or enjoyed as is. Thank you for asking.