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Easy Plum Cobbler – sliced fresh plums topped with a sweet crumbled dough, cobbled together for a quick and easy dessert featuring these delicious, juicy fruits.
Cobbler is a bit of a catch-all word that has many meanings. It may refer to a person that mends shoes (if you can find one anymore), or a tall, iced drink which normally includes wine, sugar, whiskey and rum. Or Cobbler can also refer to a mountain in Scotland near the head of Loch Long. But today we’re talking about the deep-dish fruit cobbler with the thick top crust. However, cobblers can also be of the savory variety like our favorite Winter Vegetable Cobbler, or this incredible Tomato Cobbler, which is one of the best skillet meals I’ve ever made or eaten!
My mother often covered her cobblers with a layer of pie crust that ‘floated’ in the bubbling fruit juices. This method is similar to the Pandowdy, which is made small pieces of dough pressed down into the juices of the fruit. I’ve also made many cobblers with a ‘drop-biscuit’ topping like this luscious Black Raspberry Cobbler. So as you can see, there may not be a wrong way to make a cobbler. As long as you have a floating crust over a sweet or savory filling, I think you’ve got it made!
Cobblers are incredibly delicious served warm from the oven. No waiting on the pie to set up and cool. Scoop out a nice big serving of cobbler and top it with a scoop of ice cream. If you’re not married, and want to be, this may be the ticket to get you down the aisle. Just saying, it may not hurt to try 🙂
And I would be remiss if I didn’t take a minute to talk about the amazing plum! European plums are used to make prunes, but in the US, you may notice they are often referred to as dried plums. Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, plums can also help with iron absorption into the body. Prunes have been known to help normalize blood sugar levels and are loaded with soluble fiber. Enjoy plums like you would an apple, peach or pear. They are juicy, sweet and have a lovely deep flavor, and make a pretty great cobbler too!
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Sliced fresh plums topped with a sweet crumbled dough, cobbled together for a quick and easy dessert featuring these delicious, juicy fruits.
- 8 cups fresh plums, pitted and sliced (about 8-10 large plums)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons apple brandy (optional)
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated on a large box grater
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and cold
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping
- vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the plums, brown sugar, brandy, grated apple, cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon the mixture into a 9" or 10" cast iron skillet.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. Add the butter and using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the cream and stir with a fork just until moistened. Gently press the mixture together using a spatula, forming a loose dough. Crumble the dough on top of the plum mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of coarse sugar.
Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Serve warm topped with ice cream if desired.
We used Calvados Apple Brandy for this recipe.
Here are a few of the tools used when making this cobbler (each photo is clickable):
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Looking for a few more delicious recipes featuring plums? Try this super simple Plum Crisp from The View from Great Island. Don’t forget about using plums in a savory dish like this 15-Minute Tangy-Sweet Plum Spiced Chicken from Noble Pig. I’m also loving this Plum Skillet Cake Recipe from She Wears Many Hats. And finally, how about making some homemade Plum Jam from Serious Eats?
Plums seem to be a forgotten fruit, bringing up the end of the line after the peaches, nectarines and apricots. Let’s help the plum rank higher on the list – eat more plums!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Tasty Made says
July 17, 2018 at 8:24 pmThere is no mention of when to add the apple. I assume it is mixed in with the plums.
Tricia Buice says
July 18, 2018 at 6:39 amThanks for catching that! I fixed it and updated the recipe. You assumed correctly 😉
Alia @ Everyday Easy Eats says
September 18, 2017 at 12:28 amHi Tricia! I have to tell you how much I appreciate this recipe because it is made with plums! Plums are one of my absolute favorite fruits and I don’t see enough recipes that use them. Your plum cobbler looks so comforting and delicious. I wish I could have a slice of it right now! 🙂
Tricia Buice says
September 18, 2017 at 6:43 amAnother super easy repose Alia – and everyone loves it. The topping is super delicious as well as the juicy plums. Enjoy!
Susan says
August 26, 2017 at 10:47 amI honestly don’t think I’ve ever baked with plums! Not sure why because your cobbler looks spectacular! Love the grated apple in the recipe too.
Tricia Buice says
August 27, 2017 at 8:10 amThanks Susan – plums are so easy to bake with – hope you’ll give it a try!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
August 23, 2017 at 10:47 amMmmm, love plums! And they’re terrific in baked things. I’ve made plum cobbler before — good isn’t it? Yours looks particularly tasty — really nice topping. Thanks!
Tricia Buice says
August 23, 2017 at 4:09 pmThank you John! This is a very nice topping – we love it!
Pam says
August 22, 2017 at 8:49 pmIt looks delicious, like the perfect dessert, Tricia! I really like plums but have never really baked using them. You have inspired me to change that! Your topping with whipping cream sounds awesome and tasty for the plums. Thanks for the recipe!
Tricia Buice says
August 23, 2017 at 6:49 amThanks Pam – I bet you would love it! So juicy and naturally sweet. Have a terrific week.
Mary says
August 22, 2017 at 5:29 pmLove anything with Plum. That little tang from the Plums is lovely in the mouth – not too sweet. Starting to think now – Plum and Almond. Think I might have Plum Cobbler for after dinner – or maybe for dinner!!! Your cobble looks nice and crispy not heavy and dense. Yum, so nice.
Tricia Buice says
August 22, 2017 at 6:58 pmThank you Mary! Cobbler for dinner is okay with me 🙂 Enjoy!
Monica says
August 22, 2017 at 10:20 amThis looks amazing, Tricia! We didn’t get to have pies/cobblers when we were in S.C. last week and I’m a little sad about it (so much to eat/so little time and space!)…maybe I need to make it myself at home. As much as I love chocolate desserts, I have really come to appreciate the deliciousness of a warm fruit dessert – particularly paired with ice cream! Love how this is a unique plum cobbler, too.
Tricia Buice says
August 22, 2017 at 11:10 amThanks Monica – fruit desserts are the best, especially when the fruits are at their best. Hope you’ll give this a try because it’s tasty for sure! Thanks for stopping by.
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
August 22, 2017 at 9:48 amSo very lovely. I’ve never baked with plums (sad!!).
Tricia Buice says
August 22, 2017 at 11:09 amThank you Brenda! Poor plums – not getting enough love – haha – hope you’ll give it a try!
Chris Scheuer says
August 21, 2017 at 7:00 pmMy favorite kind of dessert! I would always pick a warm fruit dessert over any fancy chocolate or other sweet treat. This one definitely looks “restaurant quality”!
Tricia Buice says
August 22, 2017 at 8:39 amMe too Chris – warm fruit desserts are always the best! Thanks 🙂
cakespy says
August 21, 2017 at 5:44 pmThis is gorgeous. I can practically taste the late summer bounty!
Tricia Buice says
August 22, 2017 at 8:39 amThank you Jessie – we love a good cobbler and are very happy with this topping!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
August 21, 2017 at 10:08 amFor some reason I never think of cooking with plums. I don’t know why, but you’ve reminded me I need to change my thinking. This looks fabulous 🙂
Tricia Buice says
August 21, 2017 at 3:05 pmI have a thing for plum jam Jennifer – we should make some!
[email protected]'s Recipes says
August 21, 2017 at 9:15 amWish my cobbler looked half as good as yours, Tricia. This looks fabulous!
Tricia Buice says
August 21, 2017 at 3:05 pmOh your cobblers look fantastic Angie – and I bet they taste as good as they look!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
August 21, 2017 at 7:23 amPlums are the best summer fruit, they cook up like nothing else! And I love your grated apple trick, I’m going to use it in all my pies going forward, it’s genius 🙂 Pinning and sharing, yum!!
Tricia Buice says
August 21, 2017 at 3:05 pmThey really are Sue! I love eating them – but only when I am at a table with lots of paper towels – guess I’m messy 🙂