Grandma’s Plum Cobbler
This cobbler recipe combines sugared and spiced plums with a sweet and crisp cookie crust for the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Everyone will be asking you for this recipe!
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
The best cobbler. I first tried cobbler with this delicious topping at my in-law’s house. It had come from an old Cooks Illustrated cookbook that I just loved. The cookbook authors said it was their favorite way to prepare cobbler, and they were right. It was perfect.
A classic family recipe. My mother-in-law sent me a copy of that cookbook for my birthday, even though it was out of print. She found me one! But when I turned to the cobbler section, it didn’t have this recipe. It was a different version that was missing the best part! So she wrote down the whole thing out of her version of the book and mailed it to me.
A recipe worth sharing. Since then, I’ve got a subscription to America’s Test Kitchen recipe site, and this recipe is still nowhere to be found. So I am sharing it here for all mankind. (You can find it on top of my Caramel Apple Cobbler as well!)
A little bit tart and sweet. I have tweaked it a tiny bit and the filling recipe is her own. If you can find Santa Rosa plums, they are the best, but plain old grocery store plums are good too. I like the filling to be a little bit tart to complement the sweetness of the topping. But if you like things sweeter, you can increase the sugar to half a cup.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this plum cobbler:
- sliced plums about 6-7 plums
- sugar
- cinnamon
- cornstarch
- vanilla
- softened butter 1/2 cup
- sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
🥣 Equipment
- baking sheet
- foil
- large bowl
- electric mixer
🍴Instructions
Step One: mix and bake the topping
This recipe is baked in two steps. First, the topping is mixed up, poured right into the baking dish, and baked all by itself. This will start cooking the fruit, and it will release its juice. They will mix with the sugar and cornstarch and start thickening up.
Step Two: Prepare the cookie dough topping
While the filling is heating up, you prepare the cookie dough topping. A hand mixer works fine, and it comes together very quickly. It looks like soft cookie dough when it’s done.
Step three: place the cookie dough topping
After 20 minutes of the filling heating up, remove it and place the cookie dough topping right on top by the tablespoon full.
Step Four: sprinkle sugar
As the cobbler bakes again, the cookie dough balls will form a crust and turn brown. You can sprinkle with sugar halfway through the baking process if you want.
🥫 Storage instructions
In order to store plum cobbler, you need to cool it first. You can then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days or freezer for a longer time.
🔍 FAQs
Make sure that your plums are not overly ripe.
No, I think it’s best if you would use fresh plums as they are very juicy. Using dried plums would require you to rehydrate them and add a lot of water.
Yes, but it will give a slightly different texture and would work fine as well.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- To avoid overflows and soggy crust, don’t forget to add a thickener like cornstarch as this will help absorb some of the juices in the baked fruit.
- Use a large enough pan to prevent it from bubbling over the sides.
- If you don’t have plums then you can try using plumcots, pluots, or similar fruit like nectarines.
📘 Related Recipes
- Caramel Apple Cobbler is perfect for fall
- Triple Berry cobbler feels like summer, but with frozen berries, can be made any time
🍽 Serve it with
🍅 make it along with me
Follow along step by step. The slides will turn every 7 seconds, or you can click ahead.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Grandma’s Plum Cobbler
Ingredients
Plum Cobbler
- 3 cups sliced plums about 6-7 plums
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspooon vanilla
Cookie Dough Topping
- 1 stick softened butter 1/2 cup
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 with rack the center. Cover a baking sheet in foil (to catch drips)
- Combine the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour into an 8 or 9 inch square or round baking dish. Cover with foil and bake (just the filling!) for 20 minutes to release juices and thicken the filling.
- While the filling is heating, prepare the topping. Beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and 1 minute more. Add the dry ingredients and gently blend until just combined.
- Remove hot filling from oven and drop cookie dough on top by the tablespoonful. Bake again for 40-50 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
- Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Can serve warm or cool. Best with vanilla ice cream.
Video
Notes
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.