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This easy Brown Betty recipe is made in a skillet with juicy peaches and sweet cherries layered between a buttery pecan crumb topping. A simple, old-fashioned dessert perfect for summer. It’s best served warm with vanilla ice cream.
What Is a Brown Betty?
A Brown Betty is a classic fruit dessert similar to a crisp or crumble, but with one key difference—the sweet, buttery crumb mixture goes both under and over the fruit. Yep, double the goodness.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need fresh, juicy peaches and cherries for the filling, plus pantry staples like flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and pecans to make that sweet, crumbly topping.
How To Make This Brown Betty Recipe
You’ll pulse together the flour mixture in a food processor, layer it underneath and on top of your fruit, and bake until golden and bubbly. It’s basic, but in the best way possible.
Katerina’s Recipe Tips
- Use ripe fruit for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Don’t skip the pecans because they add a toasty crunch.
- For more tartness, add a splash of lemon juice to the fruit.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (non-negotiable).
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap cherries for berries or nectarines.
- Use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.
- Make it gluten-free with your favorite GF flour blend.
How to Store & Reheat
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through—or sneak a cold spoonful straight from the dish. No shame.
30 minutes into the oven and you end up with this amazingness…
It’s the weekend – no better time than now to make this brown betty!
ENJOY!
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Cherry Peach Brown Betty Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUMBLE
- 1½ cups white, whole wheat all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or your choice of artificial sweetener (I’ve used Stevia)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure strawberry extract
FOR THE FILLING
- 3 cups sliced peaches
- 3 cups cherries, pits removed
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or your choice of sweetener (I’ve used honey, stevia, and maple syrup at different times)
- 1 teaspoon pure strawberry extract
Instructions
FOR THE CRUMBLE
- Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine flour, 1/2 cup pecans, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
- Add in the butter and continue to pulse until well incorporated.
- Add egg, canola oil, and strawberry extract to the food processor; continue to run the food processor until the mixture is combined and clumpy.
- Measure out 1 cup of the crust mixture and set aside.
- Take the remaining mixture from the food processor and transfer it to previously prepared cast iron skillet.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the skillet and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust.
FOR THE FILLING
- Combine peaches and cherries in a mixing bowl and gently stir in the sugar.
- Layer the fruit mixture over the prepared crust.
- Top with the reserved topping and remaining pecans, spreading it evenly over the entire fruit filling.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350F and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve with ice cream or without.
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you use sour cherries or sweet cherries in this cobbler?
I used sweet ones, but I’ve tried it with sour and it was good!
I brought this to a friend’s house who has a gluten sensitivity. This was the first time I’ve ever made a gluten free dessert. I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Mix and swapped out pecans for hazelnuts because our store didn’t have hazelnuts, anyway, it was awesome.
Also, I upped the fruit to 3.5 cups of peaches and 1.5 cups of cherries. Then I spread the crust out very thin more like pie crust–I pulled it um the sides of my skillet. When it was cut, it came out almost like pie. It was awesome. Flavor and texture was great. Served warm with vanilla ice cream. YUM! Would love to make it again with hazelnuts if I can find them.
I’ve never made cobbler in a skillet before but it has to be the best way to bake anything in summer and totally beats turning on the oven.
Yum x 100! This sounds fantastic! I haven’t made a cobbler yet this summer but will be now with this recipe!
New to your blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Kate this cobbler looks fantastic in the skillet! Love the peach cherry combo, and the hazelnuts!
Beautiful photos, Katie. I wish I could have some of that cobbler now!
I always buy way too much stuff at the farmers’ market. I get so excited to see so much fresh local produce. Peaches are almost in season here. I can’t wait to bite into them and enjoy it the way you described. I’ll pay the price of a little extra heat in the kitchen for this yummy treat.
This looks beautiful and so comforting. I have always wanted to try a cobbler in a skillet. I have apricots and cherries in my kitchen right now, so I may have to try that combination!
This is gorgeous, Kate! I need to get me a skillet 🙁
Oh I love fruits in this cobbler. I am the same when I go to the farmer’s market…way to may fruits after you have to cook. Ever though of trying a bbq cobbler version…to keep the house cool?