Berry Plum Cobbler
I don’t really have a favorite dessert. I pretty much like them all–sometimes I want something fancy and other times, well I just want something simple. Cobbler is about as simple as it gets (beyond ya know, a plain bowl of fruit–also perfect on occasion). This recipe came together because my dad gave me what seemed like 30 pounds of plums from his tree so I kept making things to use up the plums.
We had jam, muffins, fruit salads, and this cobbler! All of them were good– but this cobbler was delicious. I find cobblers to be an easy way to use up fresh or frozen fruit–helpful when you get a good crop or a good price at the farmer’s market!
Berry Plum Cobbler is jammy & delicious!
You’ve probably had several types of cobbler before–but I think plums are a less common fruit found in them. I’m fully on board to throw plums into every hot, bubbling cobbler I make now 🙂 They just work so well. The peels add color and the plums add a little tartness to the other berries.
For Berry Plum Cobbler, you’ll Need:
- Mix of fresh or frozen plums, strawberries, blueberries. cherries or other berries:
- 4-5 cups fresh fruit for an 8 x 8 cobbler
- 8-9 cups fruit for a 9 x 13 (add 5-10 minutes bake time)
Top Tips for a good cobbler:
- Shriveled, over-ripe and/or blemished fruit is OK (cobblers are a perfect excuse to use up some older fruits!)
- Moldy, rotten and/or fruit beyond saving won’t work– sugar can’t disguise rot 🙂
- Using unpeeled fruit adds color and natural pectin to the dish
- Let cool a few minutes before serving fresh from the oven (to help everything set a little more). Reheat when serving–something about warm cobbler is so comforting
The real trick with any cobbler is to use enough fruit + some sugar + a little citrus/cornstarch + some spices to complement the fruit. I’m sure I’ll share other cobbler recipes in the coming months but for now, I encourage you to save this post for when plums are filling up your backyard tree 🙂
If you’re looking for more desserts, check out some other recipes:
Berry Plum Cobbler
Ingredients
Fruit Filling:
- 2 C strawberries, cut into chunks
- 2 C plums, cut into chunks ~4-6 plums
- ½ C blueberries, whole
- ¼ C sugar
- 2 Tbsp juice (orange or lemon)
- 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
Cobbler Crust:
- ½ C unsalted butter. softened
- ½ C sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ⅔ C All Purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Prepare Fruit Filling:
- Combine fruit into an 8 x 8 casserole or glass dish.
- In a separate small dish, dissolve the 1 Tbsp cornstarch into the 2 Tbsp of juice. Then, whisk in the 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- Pour cornstarch/spice slurry over fruit and toss gently to coat.
- Set fruit filling aside and prepare crust.
Prepare Cobbler Crust:
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together butter and 1/2 c sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and almond extract. Scrape sides if needed.
- Using low speed, stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
Make Cobbler:
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop batter evenly over fruit filling. Try to cover as much fruit as possible and if needed, use a spatula to help spread batter.
- Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
- Allow the cobbler to cool slightly before serving (to help fruit set up). Enjoy warm or allow to cool completely and refrigerate, covered. Can be refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat servings as desired.
Notes
- For doubled recipes (for a 9 x 13 inch dish): increase baking time by 5-10 minutes but still rely on the “golden brown and bubbly” measure.
- For vegan substitutions, we used plant based ‘butter’ and Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. This was a delicious and easy vegan dessert!
Nutrition
I’ve made this cobbler with all types of berries and cherries (yum!) and I’ve made it in all sizes, depending on how much fruit I had to use. Give this a try when you have extra plums on hand this summer!
Have a great week, friends! And have some fun in the kitchen 🙂
-Emma