Slow cookers are sealed, and sealed means wet. That is fine for a stew and fatal for a crumb topping, which is why this recipe puts a towel between the lid and the pot for the whole two and a half hours.
The topping is a crumb, not a biscuit dough — flour, oats, brown sugar and cold butter cut in until coarse. Scattered over the peaches, it cooks through into a proper crumble layer.
Why This Recipe Works
- A tablespoon of cornstarch tossed with the peaches thickens the juice they release so the base is not watery.
- Cold cubed butter cut into the dry mix is what makes crumbs rather than a paste.
- Oats give the topping structure and keep it from compacting under the steam.
- A fifteen-minute rest lets the fruit set enough to serve without collapsing.
Ingredient Notes
- Sliced peaches
- Six cups. They stay in slices and should be visible under the topping in the finished cobbler.
- Cold unsalted butter
- Half a cup, cubed and cold. Softened butter will not make crumbs.
- Old-fashioned oats
- Half a cup, in the topping. They are what makes it a crumb rather than a cake layer.
How to Make It
Toss the peaches
Toss the peaches with granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice in the slow cooker.
Make and scatter the crumb
Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form, then scatter evenly over the peaches.
Towel under the lid
Place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to catch condensation. Cover and cook on High for about 2 1/2 hours, until the peaches bubble and the topping is cooked through.
Rest, then serve
Rest 15 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
How the Cobbler Is Layered
Everything is assembled in the cooker before it is switched on, and one of the layers is not food.
The fruit, on the bottom
6 cups of sliced peaches tossed in the cooker with 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp lemon juice. The cornstarch thickens the juice the peaches will release.
The crumb, scattered over
1 cup flour, 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, baking powder and salt with 1/2 cup of cold cubed butter cut in to coarse crumbs. Scattered evenly, not pressed down.
The towel, under the lid
A clean kitchen towel laid across the pot before the lid goes on. It catches the condensation that a sealed cooker produces and that would otherwise land on the crumb.
The ice cream, at the table
A scoop of vanilla per serving, added after the 15-minute rest. Part of the finished dish rather than an optional extra.
About 2 1/2 hours on HIGH, until the peaches bubble and the topping is cooked through, then 15 minutes to settle before serving warm.
Success Tips
- Cut the butter in until you have coarse crumbs and stop there — going further gives you dough.
- Make sure the towel is clean, dry and well clear of the heating element.
- Take the fifteen-minute rest. Straight out of the cooker the fruit is too loose to serve.
Serving Ideas
Eight servings, warm, with the golden peach slices visible under the crumb topping and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the towel under the lid?
It catches the condensation that would otherwise drip onto the crumb topping and make it soggy.
Is the topping a biscuit dough?
No. It is crumb-style: flour, oats, brown sugar and cold butter cut in to coarse crumbs.
Should the peaches be in pieces or slices?
Slices, and they should stay visible under the topping in the finished dish.
