Canned peaches are nearly as flavorful as fresh peaches and enable you to make tasty peach cobbler all year round. Although canned fruit often loses a certain amount of nutritional content, canned peaches retain nearly all of their vitamin A and C content. For a healthy cobbler, make a few simple adjustments to your favorite recipe.
Peaches
Use peaches canned in their own juice for healthy, more natural-tasting cobbler. Drain the peaches, but reserve the juice because most cobbler recipes call for fruit juice. Use the reserved peach juice, or for a tangy flavor and extra vitamin C, use a combination of peach juice and pineapple juice.
Flour
Although some recipes call for pancake mix, flour is a healthier choice because most pancake mixes include preservatives and large amounts of sodium. Look for a recipe that uses flour or a combination of ingredients such as flour and baking powder. For added nutrition and fiber, use whole grain flour. If you're concerned about the texture of the cobbler, use a combination of whole grain flour and regular white flour.
Sweeteners and Seasonings
Most peach cobbler recipes call for granulated sugar, and many also request a small amount of brown sugar in addition to the granulated sugar. Use sugar substitutes such as sucralose instead of regular granulated sugar if you're concerned about calories and you aren't sensitive to sugar substitutes. Adjust the amount of sweetener according to the instructions on the package. Peach cobbler is usually seasoned with vanilla extract and autumn spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Most cobbler recipes don't call for salt, but if yours does, add just a pinch for flavor.
Fats
Butter is a standard ingredient in desserts such as peach cobbler, but if desired, you can use margarine instead. Read the label and use a margarine free of unhealthy trans fats. You can also lower the fat content in your cobbler by using evaporated skim milk instead of whole milk, and then coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray instead of oil.
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