Smoked Peach Cobbler takes ripe, juicy peaches and gives them just enough smoke to make a familiar dessert taste different without losing everything that makes peach cobbler great.
Smoked Peach Cobbler takes ripe, juicy peaches and gives them just enough smoke to make a familiar dessert taste different without losing everything that makes peach cobbler great. The idea came from smoking peaches for a peach barbecue sauce and realizing they looked good enough to become dessert. That experiment turned into a cobbler with soft fruit, a golden topping, and a subtle smoky note that stays in the background. It is sweet, but not overly sweet, and it has the kind of texture that makes one bite turn into an empty plate.
This Page Contains Affiliate Links. For more Info See My Disclosures here.
Smoked Peach Cobbler
Equipment
- Ninja Woodfire
- Woodfire rack
- Pellet hopper filled with pellets
- Pan for catching drippings optional
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Knife
- 2.2 quart Pyrex baking dish
- Spatula
- Pastry brush optional
Ingredients
Smoked Peaches
- 7 ripe peaches
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 hefty pinch salt
Cobbler Topping
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 hefty pinch salt
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 stick cold butter cut into cubes
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- about 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Peach Mixture
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- cinnamon a little more
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 healthy pinch salt
Baking and Serving
- butter for greasing the baking dish, amount not stated
- melted butter for brushing the topping, optional, amount not stated
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional, amount not stated
- Cool Whip for serving, amount not stated
Instructions
- Halve the seven peaches and remove the pits.7 ripe peaches
- Arrange the 14 peach halves cut side up on the Woodfire rack. Place a pan underneath if desired to catch any drippings.7 ripe peaches
- Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the smoked peaches. Dust the mixture over the peaches.3 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ tablespoon cinnamon, 1 hefty pinch salt
- Fill the pellet hopper to the top. Set the Ninja Woodfire to the smoker function at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Check the peaches after about 30 minutes. In the video, they smoked for a little less than 40 minutes. Remove them when they are tender but still able to hold together.7 ripe peaches
- Set the peaches aside to cool.7 ripe peaches
- Mix the flour, white sugar, packed brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon for the cobbler topping.2 cups flour, ½ cup white sugar, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 hefty pinch salt, ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cut the cold butter into cubes. Work it into the dry mixture with knives and then by hand, breaking up the larger pieces until the mixture is crumbly.1 stick cold butter
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir this into the flour and butter mixture until just combined. Keep the dough somewhat lumpy and eliminate any large dry spots.¾ cup buttermilk, about 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fold the baking powder into the already hydrated dough. The baking powder was initially omitted in the video and added at this point.2 teaspoons baking powder
- Set the Ninja Woodfire to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the entire pellet hopper so the cobbler does not continue to receive smoke during baking.
- Peel the cooled peaches. Keep the peach pieces chunky so they hold up in the cobbler.7 ripe peaches
- Mix the peaches with the brown sugar, white sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt for the peach mixture. Let the mixture hang out while preparing the baking dish.⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 healthy pinch salt
- Grease the 2.2 quart Pyrex baking dish with butter. Add the peach mixture.butter
- Drop spoonfuls of the cobbler topping over the peaches, leaving gaps between the spoonfuls. Flatten any tall portions with a spatula so they cook evenly.
- Optionally brush the topping with melted butter and sprinkle a small amount of turbinado sugar over it.melted butter, turbinado sugar
- Place the baking dish on the rack rather than directly on the hot plate. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
- Cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes. The cobbler in the video cooled for 45 minutes before serving.
- Serve with Cool Whip if desired.Cool Whip
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Smoked Peach Cobbler Starts With Ripe Peaches
The peaches are the center of this recipe, so their flavor matters. Seven ripe peaches went into the video, and they were already juicy before they ever reached the Ninja Woodfire. They were halved, pitted, and placed cut side up so the juice could collect inside each peach instead of running away.
Before smoking, the peaches received a simple dusting made with about three tablespoons of brown sugar, half a tablespoon of cinnamon, and a hefty pinch of salt. That mixture adds sweetness and spice while still allowing the fruit to lead. More importantly, nothing about it tries to hide the flavor of a ripe peach.
The Ninja Woodfire was set to the smoker function at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. After a little less than 40 minutes, the peaches were tender, full of juice, and only slightly smoky. That balance is the whole point. The smoke should add another layer of flavor, but it should never overpower the dessert.
The Smoke Stays in the Background
There is a big difference between a smoked dessert and a dessert that tastes like a campfire. Fortunately, this cobbler lands on the right side of that line. The peaches pick up a gentle smoky aroma during their time in the Woodfire. However, the smoke is deliberately removed from the baking portion.
Once the Woodfire is set to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, the pellet hopper comes out. Even if the Woodfire setting is turned off, lit pellets and a running fan can continue to add smoke. That extra smoke could give the topping a terrible color and create other problems. Therefore, the smoke belongs with the peaches, not with the final bake.
This choice is what makes the finished flavor work. During the taste test, the smokiness was noticeable only as a little hint in the background. Meanwhile, the peaches still tasted like peaches, and the sweetness remained balanced. The result is different enough to be interesting but familiar enough to satisfy a peach cobbler craving.
Smoked Peach Cobbler Has a Seriously Good Topping
The topping brings a second set of textures to the dish. It uses two cups of flour, half a cup of white sugar, one third of a cup of packed brown sugar, a hefty pinch of salt, half a teaspoon to one teaspoon of cinnamon, two teaspoons of baking powder, three quarters of a cup of buttermilk, about a teaspoon of vanilla, and one stick of cold butter.
Buttermilk gives the topping a little tang and more flavor than straight milk. Regular milk was mentioned as an option if buttermilk is not available. Meanwhile, the cold butter is broken into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly. The buttermilk and vanilla are stirred in only until combined because the dough should keep some lumpiness instead of becoming completely smooth.
There was even a very real baking moment in the video when the baking powder was initially forgotten. It was folded into the hydrated dough as carefully as possible. Nevertheless, the finished topping came out perfectly cooked with a crunchy top, a little doughiness inside, and an almost bready feel. That combination gives the cobbler substance without turning it into a smooth cake topping.
Juicy Peaches Meet a Crunchy Finish
After smoking, the peach skins slip off easily. The peaches are kept fairly chunky so they can hold up in the cobbler. They are mixed with one third of a cup of brown sugar, one third of a cup of white sugar, a couple tablespoons of cornstarch, a little more cinnamon, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and another healthy pinch of salt.
The chunky fruit and the rustic spoonfuls of topping create the contrast that makes this dessert so satisfying. Gaps remain between the spoonfuls, and the taller portions are flattened so they cook evenly. An optional brushing of melted butter and a light sprinkle of turbinado sugar add what the video calls a little pixie dust. Consequently, the surface gets an extra texture that plays well with the bubbling peaches underneath.
The cobbler bakes on a rack rather than directly on the hot plate. It stays in the Woodfire for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Then it needs time to cool because the fruit filling is extremely hot. In the video, it ultimately rested for 45 minutes before the first serving.
The Bite That Answers the Question
Can you smoke peach cobbler? The finished plate answers that question quickly. A serving topped with good old fashioned Cool Whip delivers juicy peaches, a crunchy surface, a soft interior, and a small hint of smoke. Just as importantly, the peaches are not too soft. Their texture survives the smoking and baking, which keeps the dessert from becoming one uniform scoop of fruit and dough.
The final reaction says plenty. The topping is perfectly cooked, the sweetness is at the right level, and the smoke never takes over. In fact, the first serving disappears during the taste test. That is a pretty convincing review.
Of course, a peach dessert also leaves room for a terrible peach joke. The video starts with a peach delivery truck causing a traffic jam and ends with a one peach bathing suit. In between those jokes is a genuinely fantastic cobbler made on the Ninja Woodfire. The jokes may be questionable, but the combination of ripe peaches, gentle smoke, crunchy topping, and Cool Whip is absolutely solid.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Use Dad's Affiliate Link & get your own Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Outdoor Grill:
https://ninjakitchen.pxf.io/k0JNLN
Did you know Dad is on YouTube?
Go check out Dad's YouTube channel for all kinds of great cooking videos and food related content.
Leave a Reply