This is one of the best desserts I make during plum season. It comes together quickly and is ready in under an hour. The juicy plum layer bubbles up during baking, creating a fantastic syrup! Serve it on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it's a total crowd-pleaser. I love it with cinnamon dough, but you can use just about any pie crust you want.
By now, you might have noticed I love fruit desserts, and cobblers are one of the easiest ones to put together, especially if the top is pie crust!
Though I love a good old-fashioned cobbler with biscuit topping, there is a moment when my freezer is filled with bits and scraps of homemade pie crust.
It's during those times when desserts such as this plum cobbler appears.
What type of pie crust can you use? Any type! Homemade or store-bought. As long as you like it with plums, it's good to go.
Ingredient list
Cinnamon pie crust (or use one you already have. If it's plain, add cinnamon to the filling)
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Unsalted butter.
- Egg: large, fresh.
- Sugar: white granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- Vanilla extract.
Plum mixture
- Plums: I use regular red plums. They are easy to find and juicy enough for this dessert. But any seasonal plum you're used to baking with can be used.
- Cornstarch: it thickens the syrup that is formed during baking.
- Sugar: I like to use good old white sugar as plums tend to be acid. But brown or even coconut sugar works.
- Citrus: I think orange pairs wonderfully with both plums and cinnamon. You can also use tangerine.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
What plums are best for baking?
You'll want to choose plums that are both flavorful and hold up well during baking.
Some plum varieties are better suited for baking due to their texture and taste. Here are a few types of plums that are commonly recommended for cobbler:
- Santa Rosa Plums: These are a popular choice for baking due to their sweet-tart flavor and firm texture.
- Red Plums: These plums are sweet and juicy, with vibrant red skin. They can add a beautiful color to your cobbler and pair well with other fruits.
- Italian Plums (also known as Prune Plums): These plums are elongated and have a deep purple-blue skin. They have a sweet flavor and hold their shape well during baking.
- Black Plums: These plums are juicy and sweet, with a dark purple skin. They can add a rich flavor to your cobbler.
Plum filling
- Mix the filling ingredients: this is as easy as dumping the fruit in the baking pan, adding the rest of the ingredients, and mixing it lightly. That's it, one less bowl to wash!
- Cinnamon: if using a plain dough that you already have, add ground cinnamon to the filling. It's all explained in the recipe card.
Cobbler topping
Besides the classic biscuit topping, another great one is pie dough. Why? It's so darn easy and fast to put a fruit cobbler together, and you get to use those leftover pieces of crust!
Cinnamon pie dough
To make this pie crust, which is similar to sweet shortcrust pastry, you need only a bowl and a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Integrate everything well until you have a smooth round of dough. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap to avoid dryness and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. It needs to rest before rolling and cutting.
Top Tip
After adding the flour, work the dough as little as possible until it all comes together. You don't want the butter to start melting and the gluten to activate, as that will render a tougher crust after it's baked.
Assembling the cobbler
Pie crust cut-outs
- How thick should they be? I roll it about ¼ inch thick, and it works great-not too thick, not too thin. But you can adjust it to your preference.
- What shapes can you use? Almost any form can be used. Just consider that very intricate patterns might not hold their shape well after they are baked. My favorite ones are simple simple flowers, stars, hearts, and geometric figures.
- Cut them ahead, and keep them cold. Put them on a baking tray, cover them with plastic wrap (important to avoid dryness), and pop them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
- Last minute: have the filling ready and the oven turned on. Then roll and cut the figures and cover the plums. Take the dough from the fridge at the last minute so it doesn't start to soften more than needed.
- Pattern: I slightly overlap the shapes but leave space here and there so that the juices can bubble up and thicken while baking.
Serving the cobbler
My favorite way is at room temperature with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It also works well with a scoop of ice cream, as most cobblers do.
Individual desserts: make them in ramekins and serve each person their own little cute dessert.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Fruit layer variations: stone fruit (like plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, and nectarines) works fantastically well for this recipe, either on its own or in a mix.
- Crust topping: you can use just about any pie dough you want, whether store-bought or homemade. If it's plain, add some cinnamon to the filling. It can also be a chocolate dough recipe that pairs well with plums, or a sugar cookie dough if you like a sweeter plum cobbler.
- Make ahead: the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for a month or more. You can use frozen fruit if there's no other option but be careful with the amount of liquid they will release. Use the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch stated in the recipe.
More plum recipes:
If you want to read more about using the freezer for sweet things, check out my Freezer Baking & Desserts Guide. It's full of tips and ideas.
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Easy Plum Cobbler (with pie crust)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped, optional
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the filling:
- 2 pounds of fresh plums, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
- 3 tablespoons sugar, use white or light brown sugar and add up to 2 tablespoons more if the plums are too acid or you like very sweet desserts
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice, about 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon: optional for extra flavor. And if using a plain pie dough, add it to the filling.
Instructions
For the crust:
- You might not use all of it. You can make cookies with the leftovers.
- In a large bowl beat butter with sugar for a minute.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Sift the dry ingredients or flour mixture: flour, cinnamon, and salt and add them in two parts to the butter mixture. Then add the nuts.
- Mix everything together but don't overwork the dough. It may be soft.
- Pat it into a flat round, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour, until it relaxes and hardens.
For the filling:
- Have ready a 9-inch square dish (I use glass or ceramic).
- Add the sliced plums and distribute them evenly.
- Sprinkle with the sugar, cornstarch, juice, zest, and cinnamon if using. Lightly stir everything to combine.
Assembling the cobbler:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC).
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out the cold dough (if it's too hard when taking it out from the refrigerator, let it soften slightly, just until you can begin to roll it) sprinkling with additional flour if it sticks to the counter.
- Roll it about ¼ inch thick.
- Cut any shape you want and immediately top the cobbler with the dough pieces. Make sure you leave spaces without topping as the fruit juices need to evaporate during baking and bubble up.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the cookie topping is golden and dry.
- Eat warm with a scoop of ice cream or plain at room temperature.
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered in plastic warp or in an airtight container.
Notes
Crust: you can make it ahead and have it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, well wrapped. Or make it a month ahead and freeze it. When ready to bake put it in the refrigerator a day or two before you plan to use it so it thaws slowly.
Filling: you can freeze the sliced plums for a few weeks before using them. Use directly without defrosting first. Individual desserts: make them in single-serving ramekins and serve each person their own little cute dessert.
Brenda Griffith says
Can you use dried plums if you plump them? My mom used to make what she plum cakes, an open faced plum pie, unbaked pie shell, seed plums, open them don't cut then through, sprinkle with sugar, make a slury of sugar, cornstarch, & a drop of water pour over , bake 350 40 minutes or until plums are done. They are delicious . Could you use dried plums if you plumped them. Please answer. Thank you. ❤
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Brenda, in theory you could but it would be a different dessert, overly sweet and mushy in my opinion. Fresh fruit is completely different from dried.
Alex says
I love that you added cinnamon and walnuts to the crust! It sounds so flavorful. I'd take mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 🙂
Erin says
I've never seen such a pretty cobbler! What a great idea to use cookie cutters. And I love baking with plums! They're so underrated.
GUNJAN C Dudani says
I have never tried a plum cobbler ad I am so intrigued to try a cobbler. Your recipe looks doable and easy. Its well written and explained nicely.
Sophie says
We made it last night and what a delicious recipe. I always make berry cobblers, but this plum one was surprisingly good. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Ramona says
I have never made a cobbler before and know I am inspired to make my own! I love the colour of the plums, so pretty. It looks so juicy and delicious. I can’t wait to make this!
Amy Liu Dong says
Oh wow, this recipe looks really delicious and such a perfect dessert to prepare for the kids. YUM!
Liz Cleland says
I have never tried a plum cobbler before. I honestly never thought to do this but now that you shared this I just HAVE to try it out, yum!
Candice says
Plum and cinnamon should forever live together! This flavor combination was so easy, and I was shocked at how easy it was to make. Thank you for the great recipe!
Kathryn Donangelo says
This cinnamon plum cobbler is so tasty and beautiful!! Also perfect to make year round 🙂