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Sweet, buttery, and oh so flaky, these areย the best Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes! Overflowing with in-season fresh peaches, and the lightest whipped cream, this homemade peach shortcake recipe is bursting with sweet summertime peaches. Every bite is roll your eyes back delicious. Bonus, these shortcakes are simple to makeโฆusing only pantry staples, a splash of bourbon, and the sweetest peaches you can find. The perfect summertime treat!
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It is crazy to say this, but weโre entering into the last week of July. That means summer produce is really at its height, especially the sweet summer peaches. Even all the way up here in Alaska, the peaches have been the sweetest Iโve seen all summer, perfectly ripe and so delicious.
When the fruit is this good, it means two things. One, you snack on it daily, and two, you bake a lot of sweet treats with the excess youโve bought.
Iโve been doing both. And before leaving for Alaska, I made these fun peach shortcakes, which are a knock-off of strawberry shortcakes. And while we all love a good strawberry shortcake, these peach shortcakes are extra special for these late July/August summer days.
Here are the details
In general shortcakes are a pretty simple dessert. They donโt require much work or even baking for that matter.
This recipe starts with the shortcakes themselves, or the buttery biscuits as I call them.
I used my favorite all butter biscuit to create flaky, buttery layers and a super tall biscuit. The key is to use a cold salted butter. The cold butter will help to create those layers and give the biscuits the perfect crumbly texture.
While the biscuits are baking, I cut up the peaches, which are obviously what these shortcakes are about. Since the peach are not cooked at all, itโs important to use the sweetest summer peaches you can find.
If youโre able to pick up peaches from the farm stand this weekend, use those!
Just like a strawberry shortcake, the peaches are left uncooked and tossed simply with sugar, vanilla, and a small splash of bourbon. Unlike a regular shortcake however, I used brown sugar for even more flavor and to help highlight the flavors within in the peaches. So delicious, with the hints of vanilla and bourbon throughout the peaches.
And finally the cream
I went back and forth about whether to serve these shortcakes with cream or ice cream, but in the end, I went the classic route and used a vanilla whipped cream.
The cream is light and fluffy and made with real vanilla bean and just a touch of sugar to sweeten it up.
To serve, I split the biscuits in half, then spooned the peaches over each biscuit. Add a dollop of cream and then sandwich it all together with the top biscuit. This is definitely a shortcake youโll want to eat with a fork and knife, but the messiness is worth it. Every bite is full of buttery biscuits, sweet juicy peaches, and light whipped creamโฆa real treat. Perfect for using up those summertime peaches!
Looking for other quick summer dinners? Here are some favorites:
Nonnieโs 5 Ingredient Peach Dump
Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp
Skillet Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler
Lastly, if you make this Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Sugar Peach Shortcakes
Ingredientsย
Shortcakes
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cubed, plus melted butter for brushing
- 1 cup buttermilk
Peaches
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon , (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 peaches, sliced
Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructionsย
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400ยฐ F.2. To make the biscuits. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form larger pea-size balls. Drizzle in the buttermilk until the dough is "shaggy" looking. The dough will be a little dry.3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1-inch thick square. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other. Press down to flatten. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 12 biscuits. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes, to chill.4. Remove the biscuits from the freezer and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden on top.5. Meanwhile, make the filling.ย In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, bourbon (if using), lemon juice, and vanilla until the sugar dissolves. Add the peaches and toss to coat. 5. To make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill until ready to use.7. To assemble, slice the shortcake horizontally and spoon the peaches and some of the juices onto the open shortcake. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, then close with the other shortcake half. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
These were awesome.
And it is definitely a traditional shortcake. The sponge cakes that many people think of as shortcake aren’t actually shortcake. I really appreciate that you went the traditional route.
However, you forgot to mention the salt in the instructions. I’m an experienced baker so it didn’t trip me up, but you may want to update the instructions.
Hey Jenn!! Thank you so much for this sweet commment! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
I will fix the salt. Thanks! Have a great week! xT
These are seriously awesome! They are the most delicious dessert I have tasted with peaches! Anyone reading this post, please do me a favor and try them. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for the great recipe Tieghan.
Hey Bonnie,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well!
This isnโt anything like a shortcake. Itโs a peaches and cream biscuit. Based on the fluffiness of the biscuits in the pictures I canโt imagine how much peaches youโd need to add just to be able to taste them.
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed! xx
Tieghan, this sounds great. Will definitely try it. Wanted to say, again, I love that you tend to bake with salted butter. Huge flavor plus in my book!๐๐ป
Hi Becky! Thank you so much! I am a die hard salted butter girl haha that’s for sure! xT
The recipe doesnโt tell you to add the salt for the biscuit dough. You think youโre being smart by rereading the recipe and not adding the salt in the dry ingredient step and then by the time youโve added the buttermilk and the salt never comes, itโs too late to add it.
Hi Audra,
So sorry about that, you can add the salt in step 2. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor? ๐
Hi Grace,
That should be okay for you to do, just don’t over mix! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I have a question.. I have a whole bunch of frozen peaches that I am trying to use up. So, if I were to use frozen instead of fresh, would you recommend cooking them into a sort of syrupy peach topping? Or should I just abandon ship and save this recipe for fresh peaches haha
Hey Rachel,
Yes, I think that would be a great idea! Just cook them down with some water and sugar. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xx
I’m curious, do I peel the peaches or leave the peel on?
Hey Gretchen,
I like to leave the skin on my peaches. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Delicious!
Thanks so much Linda! xTieghan
Hi!
Can the biscuits be made the day before? If so, what is the best way to keep them fresh?
Thank you!
Hey Shaina,
Sure, that would be fine to do, I would keep in an airtight container on the counter. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Well, I printed the recipe off many days before I made it. Made the mistake of not reading thoroughly before starting. In my printout, there was no cinnamon sugar in the ingredients for anything. Also in my printout, step 3 said to add a slice of cream cheese to 3 of the cut out biscuits. Thankfully (maybe), I had a brick of cream cheese but since the ingredients didnโt list cream cheese I wasnโt sure how much to use. I finally went back here to the website, searched the recipe and found that the cream cheese wasnโt in the instructions here. In my printed version the steps of brushing the biscuits with butter and baking for 20-25 minutes was completely left out. Wish I could add a screen shot of the version I printed. I also am curious in that Iโve never made a shortcake where there was no sugar in the biscuit.
Lastly, if the serving size lis one biscuit, it makes 12 servings not 6 since youโre splitting each biscuit. Thats being a tad picky, though.
Post bake: Even with all the differences/omissions btw the recipe I printed and the one above here which seems to have been corrected, mine tasted good. My husband enjoyed it also. He did say it needed the cinnamon sugar. I was fine without it. He said it was a nice light Summer treat. If (big if) I make it again Iโll print this recipe above and try it, but I will add sugar to the biscuits.
Hey Tracie,
Happy Monday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Sorry for the mix up, it was a long week and I had some recipe errors. I hope you will give it a try again. xxTieghan
Hi – if I want to make my own cinnamon sugar – what ratio of cinnamon to sugar would you use?
Hey John,
I would do 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Is the cinnamon sugar only used on the top of the biscuit or do you use it in the mixture to coat the peaches as well? Thank you!
Hey Stephanie,
You are using the cinnamon sugar in step 4 and step 5. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Appealing information! Sounds Good.
So I made SOS for breakfast had left over biscuits great way to use them and not try to figure out how to use them It works for strawberry shortcake macerate berries add a dash of pepper vanilla creme and Voila!!!
What is SOS? I think I know, but I thought only my family called it that!
SOS is a common nickname for creamed meat (beef, chipped beef, sausage, etc) over biscuits or a piece of toast (hence the “shingle”) in military mess halls. If you have served, or have a family member who has, you are likely familiar with the term.
Hey Debra,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi-planning on making for company, can peaches be assembled ahead of time? TY!
Hey Dee,
Sure, that would work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi, I was wondering if there was another fruit I could substitute for the peaches? Such as apples or something?
Thank you!
Hey Ina,
You can really use any fruit that you enjoy here. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made these this morning and they turned out great!! I didnโt use the mascarpone (cream cheese for everyone asking below) and they were super scrumptious! My biscuits didnโt rise as high, may be because I used a self rising flour instead of all purpose.
Hey Laura,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan