A sonker is a deep-dish fruit dessert from Surry County, North Carolina, somewhere between a cobbler and a pie, and recipes change from family to family. Elaka's Carolina Peach Sonker is our frozen tribute to it, made with peach, pancake and orange blossom. It's our way of adding a scoop to North Carolina's culinary legacy.
If you've landed here asking "what is sonker?" or searching for a peach cobbler ice cream with a Carolina twist, welcome. Here's the story of the dessert that inspired this flavor, how ours is different, and what to serve it with.
The story: a North Carolina original, reimagined
Elaka is a Greensboro company, and North Carolina is home. Our recipes come from all over the world, but we love finding flavors right here in our own state. Surry County's sonker was an easy choice. It's a true North Carolinian original, and it has the kind of story we love to tell.
Sonker grew out of home cooks putting the fruit from their own backyards to good use. They needed a dessert that was quick, easy and high-yielding, something that could feed a crowd and make the most of a good harvest. That spirit of generosity is exactly what Elaka is about, so we gave it our own creative twist and turned it into a frozen treat.
What is sonker?
Sonker is a deep-dish fruit dessert that's been made in Surry County, in the northwest Piedmont near the Virginia line, for generations. Local sources often date it to the early 1800s, though nobody has documented exactly where it started. One common belief is that cooks made it to stretch fruit through lean times. Some locals link the name to the Scottish settlers who came to the area, but explanations for the word itself differ, so take any single origin story with a grain of sugar.
What makes sonker fun is that there's no single right version. Fillings range from peaches, strawberries, cherries and blackberries to sweet potatoes. Some sonkers have a rolled pastry crust or a lattice top. Others, often called "lazy" sonkers, have a pourable batter that bakes into a soft, cakey, pancake-like layer over the fruit. And many come with a "dip," a warm, sweet milk sauce thickened with a little flour or cornstarch and poured over the top or served on the side. Ask three Surry County cooks how to make sonker and you might get four answers.
Where to taste it in Surry County
Surry County celebrates its signature dessert in a big way. The Tourism Partnership of Surry County created the Surry Sonker Trail in 2015, linking bakeries and restaurants that serve sonker in towns such as Mount Airy, Dobson, Elkin, Pilot Mountain and Rockford. The Surry County Historical Society has presented a Sonker Festival every October since 1980, at the historic Edwards-Franklin House west of Mount Airy. And in 2022, sonker earned a roadside marker in downtown Dobson through the Hungry for History program, which highlights heritage foodways. If you're planning a road trip, our guide to the best ice cream in North Carolina has more sweet stops around the state.
What Carolina Peach Sonker tastes like
Picture a warm slice of peach sonker with the dip poured over, then picture it frozen. Sweet, sunny peach leads the way. The pancake brings that soft, cakey note you'd get from a lazy sonker's batter topping. And orange blossom, a floral note used in sweets across the Middle East and the Mediterranean, adds a gentle perfume that makes the peach taste even peachier. It's Southern comfort with a little global flair, which is pretty much Elaka in one sentence.
Key ingredients
- Peach
- Pancake
- Orange blossom
Dietary badges
Carolina Peach Sonker doesn't carry any of our dietary badges. Because it includes pancake, it is not gluten-free, and it is not vegan. It also doesn't carry our contains-nuts badge, but our badges describe ingredients and are never a promise that a product is free of any allergen. Please read the label on your pack, and contact us before ordering if you have an allergy question. If you need a gluten-free option, browse our gluten-free collection: ten of our eleven flavors are in it.
How to serve it
- With a warm cobbler or biscuit. Spoon it next to a slice of warm peach pie, cobbler or a split buttermilk biscuit. Hot and cold together is the whole point.
- At a summer cookout. Serve it after barbecue with a pitcher of sweet tea. It's a very North Carolina way to end a meal.
- With fresh peaches and a drizzle of honey. Slice ripe peaches into a bowl, add a scoop, and finish with honey or a pinch of cinnamon.
Which packs it's in
Order it on its own as a Carolina Peach Sonker 4-pack, pick it in a mix and match 4-pack from all flavors, or find it in two of our curated 4-packs:
- Carolina Made: Carolina Peach Sonker with Strawberry Hot Chocolate, Jinn's Peanut Unda and Q'ahwa. Global recipes, North Carolina roots, with flavors that lean on Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh, French Broad Chocolates, Tidewater gold rice and Work Bench Roasters in Wendell.
- Golden Hour: Carolina Peach Sonker with Pineapple Hibiscus Sorbet, Sulaimani Sorbet and Z's Lemonade, a bright, fruity set made for warm afternoons outside.
Every pack ships frozen on dry ice, so you can share a little Surry County love. Read how shipping works, or come say hi at our pop-ups and events around North Carolina.
Frequently asked questions
What is sonker?
Sonker is a deep-dish fruit dessert from Surry County, North Carolina. It can have a pastry crust or a pourable batter topping, and it's often served with a sweet milk sauce called a dip. Popular fillings include peach, strawberry, blackberry, cherry and sweet potato.
How is sonker different from cobbler?
They're close cousins. Sonker is usually deeper and juicier, recipes vary widely from family to family, and many sonkers come with a milk dip, which is what a lot of people say sets it apart, though not every sonker has one. Exact definitions depend on who you ask.
Is Carolina Peach Sonker gluten-free?
No. It includes pancake, so it doesn't carry our gluten-free badge. It isn't vegan either. Check the label on your pack for full allergen information.
Ready to taste North Carolina's own fruit dessert in a brand-new way? Grab a Carolina Peach Sonker 4-pack, share it on the porch, and start making memories today!
