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The combination of fruit in this Gluten-Free Nectarine & Plum Cobbler is a perfect balance. The last nectarines of the season are especially sweet and juicy and the new plums are on the tart side but bursting with flavour. The cobbler topping is made with gluten-free flour and cornmeal which tastes like the most delicious honeyed cornbread.
If you are hankering after a late summer cobbler then this Gluten-Free Nectarine Plum Cobbler is an absolute delight. Plums and sweet juicy nectarines are the most perfect partners, bringing out the delicious balance in each other.
The fruit is tossed with a smattering of brown sugar, vanilla extract and a hint of bourbon for the most delicious flavour notes. Tapioca flour laps up the juices creating a smooth syrupy sauce to cosset our fruit.
Blanketed with gluten-free cornbread topping this cobbler is a beautifully easy late summer dessert.
Table of contents
Why you'll love this recipe
- Gorgeous fresh juicy fruits of the season. This marriage of a gluten-free plum cobbler and a gluten-free nectarine cobbler is one to last the ages.
- Brown sugar, vanilla and bourbon are used to flavour the fruit for a lovely rich tasting marinade.
- Cornbread Cobbler. Instead of the usual dough which you use to make cobbler topping, this version uses cornmeal to create a deliciously homely cornbread topping and is lightly scented with honey.
- No xanthan gum. READ MORE >>> Why I never bake with xanthan gum
- Lovely family friendly dessert. It goes down an absolute storm with all ages of the family.
Ingredients needed
- Plums. Use fresh ripe organic plums, the best quality you can find.
- Nectarines. Use fresh ripe organic nectarines if you can.
- Vanilla extract. Use good quality as the flavour will really shine through. I like Nielsen Massey.
- Bourbon. This is totally optional but does give a lovely flavour.
- Brown sugar. A light soft brown sugar is ideal here.
- Lemon juice. A fresh zing of citrus is a lovely counterpoint to our sweet juicy fruits.
- Tapioca flour. (tapioca starch) Used here to toss in the syrup created from macerating the fruits to make a smooth syrupy sauce for the base of our cobbler.
- Gluten-free flour. Use your favourite brand. I used Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour which doesn't contain xanthan gum.
- Cornmeal. You can use white or yellow cornmeal. This recipe was tested with finely ground cornmeal. You could also use polenta which would create a rougher texture to our cornbread topping.
- Sugar. A little sugar is needed for the cobbler topping. Caster sugar or any white sugar is fine here.
- Buttermilk. If you can't get hold of buttermilk then stir 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into whole milk and leave to sour for 10 minutes.
- Egg. This recipe uses medium sized, about 60g.
- Honey. For a little more sweetness but mainly for flavour so be sure to use a local honey where flavour is key.
- Butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content.
- Raising agents. We need both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda for a lovely tender crumb.
- Salt. It elevates the rest of the ingredients in this gluten-free cobbler.
Step-by-step instructions
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Fruit
Toss the stoned and sliced nectarines and plums with brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon and lemon juice and allow to macerate for 1 hour. Drain the fruit into the bottom of a baking dish, but reserving the syrup. Stir tapioca flour into the syrup and pour over the fruit.
Cornbread cobbler dough
- Whisk gluten-free flour, cornmeal, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, honey and melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until they are completely combined. Set aside for 1 hour for the dough to thicken.
- Roll the cobbler dough into large even flat rounds and place on top of the fruit in the baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Pro tips
- Plan ahead. The fruit needs to macerate in the sugar syrup for 1 hour and the cobbler topping needs to rest for 1 hour before baking. Make them both then rest on the kitchen counter before assembling together.
- The melted butter should be cooled before adding to the rest of the ingredients in the cobbler topping.
- After baking, rest the cobbler for 15 minutes before serving so the fruit has time to settle in its juices.
FAQs
- Can you make ahead? Yes, you can bake the whole cobbler. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-heat in an oven pre-heated to 180°C/160°C fan assisted oven/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.
- Can you freeze? Yes you can. Bake the cobbler and allow to cool completely before covering the whole dish with plastic wrap and aluminium foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before re-heating. Re-heat in an oven pre-heated to 180°C/160°C fan assisted oven/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.
What to serve with your gluten-free cobbler
Cobblers, crisps and crumbles are ideal desserts for bridging the gap between seasons. Whilst the midday air is still warm they are delicious with ice cream but towards the end of the season then a vanilla scented homemade custard is simply divine.
READ MORE >>> Gluten-Free Homemade Custard
Flavour variations
- Plum Peach Cobbler. The nectarines can be swapped quite happily with peaches.
- Plum Apple Cobbler. Later on in the season when the nectarines are no longer available you can use sliced apples (bramley apples are lovely here). Change up the bourbon for rum too.
More cosy gluten-free desserts
- Plum Brown Butter Almond Cake
- Apple and Blackberry Crumble
- Blackberry Lemon Pudding
- Raspberry Pudding
- Gluten-Free Bread and Butter Pudding
- Sticky Toffee Baileys Pudding
I urge you to give this Gluten-Free Nectarine Plum Cobbler a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Gluten-Free Nectarine Plum Cobbler
The combination of fruit balances perfectly in this Gluten-Free Nectarine Plum Cobbler. The last nectarines of the season are especially sweet and juicy and the new plums are on the tart side but bursting with flavour.
Ingredients
For the fruit:
- 400 g plums - (about 4)
- 450 g nectarines - (about 4)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon bourbon - optional
- 40 g soft light brown sugar
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour - tapioca starch
For the cornbread topping
- 240 g gluten-free flour
- 240 g cornmeal
- 120 g caster sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 80 ml buttermilk
- 1 egg - medium sized, about 60g
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 90 g unsalted butter - melted and cooled
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit, by slicing in half lengthways around the stone, plucking out the stone and then slicing the fruit lengthways.
- Toss the fruit with the vanilla extract, bourbon, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and allow to macerate for 1 hour.
- Make the cornbread topping by whisking together the gluten-free flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, honey and melted butter in a jug.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until they are completely combined. Set aside for 1 hour for the dough to thicken.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted oven / gas mark 4.
- After 1 hour, drain the fruit into the bottom of a baking dish, reserving the syrup. Stir tapioca flour into the syrup until smooth then pour over the fruit.
- Roll the cornbread dough into 8 even rounds and arrange on top of the fruit in the baking dish.
- Bake the cobbler for 30 minutes.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Ingredients
Cornmeal. This recipe uses fine cornmeal but you can use a courser grind or polenta. Buttermilk. You can use 80ml whole milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar stirred together.Pro tips
- TIP #1. Plan ahead. The fruit needs to macerate in the sugar syrup for 1 hour and the cobbler topping needs to rest for 1 hour before baking. Make them both then rest on the kitchen counter before assembling together.
- TIP #2. The melted butter should be cooled before adding to the rest of the ingredients in the cobbler topping.
- TIP #3. After baking, rest the cobbler for 15 minutes before serving so the fruit has time to settle in its juices.
Make Ahead
Allow the cobbler to cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-heat in an oven pre-heated to 180°C/160°C fan assisted oven/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.Freeze
Bake the cobbler and allow to cool completely before covering the whole dish with plastic wrap and aluminium foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before re-heating. Re-heat in an oven pre-heated to 180°C/160°C fan assisted oven/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.Ingredient measurements
Please note that the US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cupsÂNutrition Information
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification. The nutrition serving is for 1 portion, assuming the cobbler is served into 8 portions.ÂNutrition
Calories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 248mgPotassium: 334mgFiber: 4gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 565IUVitamin C: 7.8mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 1.4mg
Have you tried this recipe?Head to the comment section and let me know what you think!
Marge says
Love plums, but because of family members allergic to peaches and nectarines, I plan on using just plums, which should be delicious.
Georgina Hartley says
That sounds great!!
Angelika K says
This is another wonderful recipe! The taste is very different to what we are normally used to and a pleasant surprise. Served it with homemade vanilla custard ice-cream and it worked amazingly well. If there is any comment to leave, I think it may benefit from a bit more fruit.