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Easy Plum Cobbler Recipe
Easy Plum Cobbler made with fresh plums topped with a sweet crumbled dough.
This quick and easy Plum Cobbler is cobbled together in minutes making it a great summer dessert. As you may know, 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.
Cobbler also refers 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 like this easy Plum Cobbler.
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!
Mom often covered her cobblers with a layer of pie crust that ‘floats’ in bubbling fruit juices.
The method of using pie pastry in a cobbler is similar to the Pandowdy which is made small pieces of dough pressed down into the juices of the fruit. Our very popular Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler is made with layers of pastry cooked between juicy berries.
I also make 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 juicy sweet or savory filling, I think you’ve got it made!
Served warm from the oven, Plum Cobbler is incredibly delicious.
When serving cobbler there’s no waiting on the dessert to set up and cool. Scoop out a nice big serving of hot plum cobbler and top it with a scoop of vanilla 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 😁
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a minute to talk about the amazing plum!
European plums are most often used to make prunes. However, in the United States you may notice that prunes are often referred to as dried plums.
Plums are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that help iron absorb into the body. Prunes have also 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’re juicy, sweet and have a lovely deep flavor and make a pretty great plum cobbler too!
Thanks for PINNING!
Easy Plum Cobbler
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 8 cups fresh plums pitted and sliced (about 8-10 large plums)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons apple brandy (optional)
- ½ Granny Smith apple peeled and grated on a large box grater
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and cold
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping
- vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- 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 or a lightly greased casserole dish.
- 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.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Looking for a few more delicious recipes featuring plums?
Don’t forget about using plums in a savory dish like this 15-Minute Tangy-Sweet Plum Spiced Chicken.
I’m also loving this Plum Skillet Cake Recipe perfect any time of the day.
And how about making some homemade Plum Jam? It’s so much easier than you’d think!
Our Plum Pie and Plum Cake are also great recipes you’ll want to try. If you’re loaded with plums this season we have plenty of great recipes for you to try.
Finally, 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!
Ann says
Just a question the recipe calls for 8 cups fresh plums and then in brackets (8-10) large. When I did it I only got 4 cups. Which is it? I would like to make this recipe but just not sure of the amount.
Thanks
Tricia Buice says
Hi Ann. I’ve tested this recipe numerous times and found it all depends on the size of the plums. You need 8 cups of sliced plums. If you buy very large plums then 8 to 10 will do. If they are medium and smaller you’ll need 16 to 18 plums.
Anna says
I had plums that I bought from Sams and they were just a little over 2 weeks old. Fresh California Plums 3.5lbs. I looked up the recipe to try and use them before they went bad. I followed the recipe exactly as stated. It turned out magnificent. My family loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Anna! We appreciate you taking the time to comment.😁
Catherine says
made this and everyone raved about it. Good recipe.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Catherine!
Patty says
I only have salted butter on hand and milk. What do you think of me leaving out the salt and using salted butter?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Patty. I think salted butter is perfect. You can leave out the salt or reduce by half. Milk should be fine but start with a little less and add more if needed. Enjoy!
Chris Clark says
I think 2/3 cup cream is too much for the topping….had to add a lot of flour to get it to resemble dough instead of mush. I’d add 1/3 cup, then increase if necessary.
soom says
Since flour moisture content can vary so much from ambient humidity, I usually reserve some of the liquid, just fold dry into wet gently then add remaining dairy as needed. Going strictly by ANY recipe is not a guarantee–it’s helpful to develop a memory of what feels right. My Aunt never used a spoon to mix thicker batters and doughs–just deft and gentle use of her hands. I love cobblers and try different herbs and savory spices to the dough, according to the fruit(s) used.
Nicola says
Sounds good and fairly easy so will give it a go tomorrow !
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Nicola. Can’t wait to hear how it turned out 🙂
Jed says
Wow, well into autumn here, but have heaps in the freezer courtesy of neighbours tree.
The plums are large and reasonably tart so increased the brown sugar to 1/2 cup.
Went down a treat right balance of sweetness and sharpness, cooked it for 55 minutes as plums were still frozen and kept an eye on the top.
Perfection, will definitely make again.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Jed! How lucky you are to have a freezer full of plums. Enjoy
Amber says
Can I make this in a baking dish instead of a cast iron?
Tricia Buice says
Yes you can Amber! Hope you enjoy this cobbler as much as we do.
Jodi says
Delicious and perfect! I had a bunch of plums that needed to be used, and this was a great way to use them up. Thank you!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback Jodi. So glad you enjoyed this easy cobbler.
Lois says
This is the best cobbler I have ever made or eaten. The crust is a perfect cross between pie crust topping and biscuit topping. Not too sweet or spiced up so the delicious plum flavor is delectable!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Lois! I’m so glad you tried this cobbler. It’s a delicious summer treat for sure 😉
Dorothy says
Only had 7 cups of very ripe plums and glad I didn’t use the 8 cups the recipe called for as it boiled over. Had placed a pan underneath. Turned out beautifully! Really good stuff.
Tricia Buice says
Glad you liked it Dorothy!
Teresa says
I should have read this comment first because my 8 cups of plums massively boiled over setting off every smoke detector in the house. 🙁
Obviously my homegrown plums were too juicy. Not only did it boil over, but the topping was soggy on the bottom even though the top was golden brown. Probably soaked up too much of the juice?
Carolina says
I don’t have any apples, but we have tons and tons of small plums we harvested from a neighbor’s tree. Is there something I can replace the grated apple with? I don’t think I have anything apple like on hand – strawberries, blueberries, grapes, limes, plums… any ideas that don’t involve me going to the store for apples?
Tricia Buice says
What a lucky duck you are Carolina! All those fresh plums, how yummy. I could increase the cornstarch to 1/4 cup and skip the apple. No worries. A cobbler is supposed to be juicy and this will be terrific anyway. No trip to the store needed 🙂
Ernestine says
Can I substitute another liquor than the brandy?
Tricia Buice says
Sure Ernestine, that will be fine. Or just leave it out altogether if you prefer.
Bill says
What about rum?
Tricia Buice says
I think rum sounds terrific Bill. Enjoy!
Brenda Valdez says
Any chance of mixing myer lemon instead of the apple?? I’ve done apple, peach & apricot cobbler as well as jams in past so just looking for more to do with my bounty. Thanks, looking forward to your input 🙂
Tricia Buice says
I think adding lemon juice is fine but you may want to increase the cornstarch. I would still add the apple as it helps thicken the juice due to the natural pectin. Enjoy!
Melissa says
Made this for a social gathering with friends. It was a big hit! See pictures before and after it was baked! Thanks for bringing back the Plum Cobbler! We have now made this a must make for gatherings. The Hughes Family!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you so much for trying our cobbler Melissa. I’m thrilled your guests enjoyed it. I hope all the Hughes family enjoys it for years to come!!!
Martha Middleton says
Great recipe a nice way to use the Plums up
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Martha!
Christy M Stewart says
can I use bisquick to make the topping?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Christy. I’m sure you can use a Bisquick biscuit topping for this filling with great success. However, I’m not sure you can replace the flour in this recipe with Bisquick and leave all other ingredients the same. Hope this helps!
Rita says
On using a skillet the only one to use for baking a cobbler?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Rita – you can use any kind of casserole dish you want. Place the casserole dish on a baking pan in the oven to ensure there’s no chance of overflow. Enjoy!
Silvia says
It is delicious!! I just made my second one and my daughter love it. The crust it it the best part. Thank you for the recipe.
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Silvia! So happy you enjoyed this cobbler. And I hope you were able to enjoy it warm with ice cream – so delicious!
Stephanie says
Wish I’d come across this when I had buckets and buckets of plums this year! Any chance you’d recommend using canned plums? And if so what would I adjust? Thanks!
Tricia Buice says
Hi Stephanie. I haven’t tried making this with canned plums but I bet it would work. You may not need to bake the cobbler as long so I would cut back on the time. Let us know if you try it and how it turns out for you!
Hiroko Hill says
It was easy & yummy especially topping! I will keep this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Hiroko. So glad you enjoyed the cobbler 😉
Lynette says
Question… Can you freeze the plum cobbler?
Also, I have a fully loaded pear tree every year, I just discovered you can make a pear cobbler. Question if you have experimented using pears can you freeze a pear cobbler?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Lynette. Leftovers freeze well but this cobbler is best eaten slightly warm from the oven. The biscuit topping may not be as crisp and will soften over time. Enjoy!
Roxy Van Bockel says
Is 8 cups of plums a misprint?
Tricia Buice says
No misprint. Eight cups is correct.
Christina says
It’s either a misprint or you have some giant plums! 8-10 plums for me is about 4 cups. Is there another type of giant plum out there that I’ve never seen? Haha
Tricia Buice says
Hi Christina! No misprint here. All you have to do is an internet search for plum varieties and look at the images. There are some large plum varieties that are great to cook with. Also, you can see a few plums in our photo which are both pretty big Black Plums. Hope you get the chance to try this cobbler with any kind of plum, but you’ll need about 8 cups. Haha
Dawn shimmin says
I added in some fresh mint leaves. Made it very yummy. Added a splash of dazzle to it. Everyone loved it!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Dawn! We appreciate the feedback and love your addition of mint 😁
Melanie Finch says
I love this cobbler ! I used several plum varieties, including , pluots ! It is wonderful and I know that I will make it again very soon !
Robi says
That was so delicious and so easy… Thank you!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Robi! So glad you enjoyed the cobbler and appreciate the feedback!
kanina says
OMG I’ve never made a cobbler and this was a H I T! I Had some pretty ripe plums I didn’t want to toss, ran across this recipe and WOWSA!! Thanks for the easy to follow recipe. I’m making this again for sure!
Tricia Buice says
That’s terrific Kanina! So glad you tried our recipe and enjoyed it. Cobbling together a luscious fruit dessert is worth every minute prepping the fruit. We adore cobblers and are so glad this turned out good for you, too. Thanks for the feedback!
Amie says
Thank you for this recipe! It just came out of oven and looks and smells amazing! I’ve never made a cobbler before but had a some plums I needed to use up. OH MAN, my fiancé and I are excited is excited to dig in once it cools a little
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Amie! I hope you enjoyed this cobbler. I’m thrilled you tried our recipe for your first cobbled dessert 🙂 Bravo!!
Lala eomi says
I made this the other night and it was so good! My first cobbler and will definitely make this again. I got some plums at the Farmers market and found this recipe to use them up. I didn’t peel the apple just grated it in, used milk cause I didn’t have cream and also used a fork instead of the pastry blender. It still turned out fantastic. I might try a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom next time. Paired with a good vanilla ice cream, it’s divine.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback Lala. So glad you enjoyed this cobbler. I love the idea of adding cardamom so I’ll have to try that. Best wishes and thanks again!
NESA says
Hello, I made my cobbler but came out super tart. Anything I can change next time?? A friend said to peel the skin of the plums.
Tricia Buice says
Hi Nesa. Sounds like the plums were not yet ripe. Plums are much sweeter when fully ripe. Also, there are so many varieties of plums, each with a unique flavor. Hope you’ll try again and add a little more sugar if the plums are too tart. Hope this helps!
Dawn says
Hi Tricia,
I made this last night and it tastes amazing!! However it was very watery, what did I do wrong? I decided to actually bake more plum dessert recipes this year after having a plum tree for 15 years lol. I’m discovering that almost every recipe that I make turns out watery like this. Any ideas?
Thank You so much for sharing this recipe!!
Tricia Buice says
Hi Dawn! Make sure you plums are not overly ripe. Something a little more firm might be best. Also be sure to use cornstarch to thicken the juices. The sauce will thicken as it cools a bit, is this what you’ve found? If using overly ripe plums, perhaps you’ll want to use more cornstarch to thicken. The addition of apple will help too. Don’t skip that extra natural pectin. Thanks for the feedback and the great question!
Melissa says
I made this for supper and it was a huge hit. I used a couple of teaspoons of vanilla instead of the apple brandy. Everyone loved it!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks so much Melissa! This is a favorite for sure and I bet the vanilla was a lovely replacement for the brandy. Bravo 😉
Sabrina says
I’ve never mad e cobbler before and came into a large abundance of plums and pears. Not being a huge plum eater, I wasn’t too sure what to do with them. So I searched google, and found this recipe. I went a bit off script because I didn’t have all the ingredients. First, I used a whole pear instead of half a Granny Smith apple. Second, I had some buckwheat flour left over from another recipe and decided to use it in the dough. I used half a cup of buckwheat and half a cup of all purpose flour. Third, I used a tbsp of spiced rum and a tbsp of apply cider vinegar in place of the apple brandy. Lastly, I warmed up 3/4 coconut milk with 1/3 cup of butter and whisked that together for my heavy cream. I let this cool.
Because this was my first attempt, I really didn’t know how this was going to turn out with all my changes. I just used what I had on hand. I am pleasantly surprised and happy that my cobbler came out so well! It’s absolutely delicious. Super stoked about that! That’s for the recipe! It really is quite easy to follow and I had a lot of fun experimenting.
Tricia Buice says
Wow Sabrina – you really did a great job working with what you had on hand. So glad you enjoyed your first cobbler!
Christina says
Thanks for the recipe, it’s currently baking. I didn’t have heavy whipping cream so substituted with sweet condensed milk and skipped the sugar in the dough. Added some desiccated coconut to the dough as it seemed a bit wet. Hoping it turns out.
Tricia Buice says
I am curious to hear how this turns out with your changes Christina. Sounds great, good luck.
Maya says
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe!! I have a plum tree and a blackberry bush and both are giving lots of fruit rn.
What do you think about adding blackberries to the plums? Would you change the recipe in any way if blackberries are added?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Maya! I love the combination of blackberries and plums and would not change a thing except add the blackberries to the fruit mixture. I used that delicious combo in a recipe for bar you can find HERE. So if you have extra – you may want to try the bars too 🙂 Good luck and thanks so much!
GG says
I love plums for their deep rich earthy flavor but I generally don’t like the skins of fruit in my ‘pies’ etc. because they don’t break down well enough. I haven’t baked much with plums but I would like to try this recipe. Do you think it would be OK if I peeled the fruit? If anyone else has tried that please comment. Thanx.
Tricia Buice says
Hi Grace. Peeling the plums is fine but they are pretty soft so it’s more difficult than peeling something like apples. The skins are thin so they cook beautifully and get very soft. Maybe peel half and leave the skin on the other half? Either way, this is a delicious cobbler and I hope you enjoy!
Allison says
I’m about to start my version… I’m wondering if I can just use a premade pie crust for the top with sprinkle of sugar??
Tricia Buice says
Hi Allison. You can use a pre-made crust, but this recipe uses a biscuit dough instead of crust. Hope it turns out for you.
Audelynn says
Can I also bake this in a ceramic pie tin?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Audelynn (your name is so pretty!) Yes that will be fine as long as it is a deep dish pie plate. If it won’t all fit, pour any remaining fruit and topping into an extra smaller dish and bake it too. One to keep and one to give away! Enjoy – this is a delicious cobbler.
JeannaMarie says
Super fabulous recipe! Thank you for sharing, I added some milled flax seed along with wheat flour & unbleached white… my plums where sitting in the fridge I didn’t want to throw them out, but was afraid of their taste. I added some almond extract. Super yum!!
Tricia Buice says
Sounds terrific Jeanna Marie! Thanks so much for giving this a try and for coming back to let us know how it turned out for you. Love the addition of almond extract – great stuff!
Tasty Made says
There is no mention of when to add the apple. I assume it is mixed in with the plums.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for catching that! I fixed it and updated the recipe. You assumed correctly 😉
Alia @ Everyday Easy Eats says
Hi 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
Another super easy repose Alia – and everyone loves it. The topping is super delicious as well as the juicy plums. Enjoy!
Susan says
I 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
Thanks Susan – plums are so easy to bake with – hope you’ll give it a try!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Mmmm, 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
Thank you John! This is a very nice topping – we love it!
Neva walker says
Plum filling was great,but the topping not so much.too much butter,greasey.. can I use less, a lot less?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Neva. I’ve never made this with less butter so I can’t say if it will work. I will say that I’ve made this so many times and have used the same topping on other cobblers too. I’ve never had trouble with it. The only thing I can recommend is to check your butter. One year I had a bad box of butter that kept splitting and ruined three batches of cookies before I knew it wasn’t me. Perhaps you could try a different brand of good quality butter?
Pam says
It 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
Thanks Pam – I bet you would love it! So juicy and naturally sweet. Have a terrific week.
Mary says
Love 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
Thank you Mary! Cobbler for dinner is okay with me 🙂 Enjoy!
Monica says
This 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
Thanks 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
So very lovely. I’ve never baked with plums (sad!!).
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Brenda! Poor plums – not getting enough love – haha – hope you’ll give it a try!
Chris Scheuer says
My 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
Me too Chris – warm fruit desserts are always the best! Thanks 🙂
cakespy says
This is gorgeous. I can practically taste the late summer bounty!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Jessie – we love a good cobbler and are very happy with this topping!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
For 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
I have a thing for plum jam Jennifer – we should make some!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Wish my cobbler looked half as good as yours, Tricia. This looks fabulous!
Tricia Buice says
Oh your cobblers look fantastic Angie – and I bet they taste as good as they look!
Brenda says
Have you ever used frozen plums for this recipe, or know anyone who has?
Just not sure it would be as good as with fresh.
Tricia Buice says
Hi Brenda. I haven’t tried using frozen plums and don’t see any comments where our readers have tried it either. My biggest concern would be that it will turn out a bit watery. Perhaps you can try making a smaller, half recipe to be sure before serving to company or making for an event. I would leave the fruit slightly frozen and bake just a little longer. Please let us know if this works for you!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
Plums 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
They really are Sue! I love eating them – but only when I am at a table with lots of paper towels – guess I’m messy 🙂
Anna says
Hi, Can I use dried plums instead of fresh?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Anna. I don’t think it would turn out the same. Fresh plums are very juicy. You would have to rehydrate the dried plums and add a lot of water. Even then I don’t think the fruit would soften enough to be cobbler-like. I like using dried fruits for jammy type bars and cookies, but only fresh or frozen for cobblers. Great question!
Anna says
Thank you