I don’t make a lot of other people’s recipes, especially if they’re already fat-free and vegan. Frankly, I wouldn’t have the time to develop my own recipes if I were also cooking my way through the bazillion cookbooks and magazines that blanket every horizontal surface in my home. But a recipe for Plum, Apricot, or Fig Cobbler in the most recent issue of Vegetarian Times caught my eye, not just because of the gorgeous photo but because it was vegan and contained no added fat. The recipe wasn’t billed as low-fat, so I had to check it several times to make sure, but it was really practically fat-free; the only real source of fat was silken tofu.
So I could have made it as written, and I’m sure it would have been delicious. But I always want things to be just a little lower in sugar, a little more whole-grain, a little easier to put together. So I came up with my own version that uses whole wheat flour instead of white and less sugar. And you know how when you use a half a package of silken tofu, you put the other half in the fridge, and when you go to use it, it’s grown this slimy pink skin? I hate that. Since I had an open carton of plain soy yogurt that I needed to use up anyway, I replaced the 6 ounces of silken tofu with 5 ounces of yogurt.
And then there was the cinnamon. And the lemon juice….
In the end, I made enough changes that the recipe wasn’t really someone else’s anymore. But despite all my healthifying (made up word), this plum cobbler didn’t taste healthy. The slight tartness of the plums was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the cinnamon-kissed crust. Try it with plums or your favorite stone fruit and make it your recipe, too.
Low-Fat Plum Cobbler
Ingredients
- 2 pounds plums, any variety, pitted and halved (quartered if large)
- 5 ounces soy yogurt (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/16 teaspoon pure stevia extract (or other sweetener, to taste)*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or square baking dish with non-stick spray. Arrange the plums in the pan. (Note: If your plums are not very sweet, you can sprinkle them with a little sugar or agave nectar.)
- Combine the yogurt, water, lemon juice, agave nectar, and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Add the stevia, whisking well to make sure that it dissolves completely. (If you see clumps of stevia, put the mixture into the blender and process until smooth.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining, dry ingredients. Add the wet to the dry, and stir until well combined. Pour the batter over the fruit, and tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove trapped air bubbles. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
*I used NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract, which is extremely concentrated. If you use another sweetener, you may need to add more.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 45 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 247 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 471.9mg sodium, 365.4mg potassium, 58g carbohydrates, 6.7g fiber, 35.8g sugar, 4.7g protein, 4.2 points.
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Though MyPoints are calculated using a formula similar to Weight Watchers Points TM, this site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Share This Recipe:
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! What with all the beautiful stone fruit in season right now, this recipe sounds fabulous. Thanks for sharing!
It looks beautiful! I bet yours was even better than the original.
I have never baked or eaten cobbler before and I am sitting here thinking “why not?”. It just looks so delicious Susan. I can’t think of anything better right now : )
This sounds yummy. If you were to use Fat Free Yogurt would that eliminate all fat? Or would there still be some?
Thanks
OH MY!!!
That looks AMAZING!
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it.
Here’s a tip I use: When I buy firm tofu, as soon as I get it home, I cut the block in slices or cube it and then freeze it. For the silken tofu, I would just cut it in half and freeze it.
Love your recipes and recipe embellishments; love your writing and photography.
As usual.
Oh Yum! I love that this has white whole wheat flour. That stuff changed baking for me forever
My grandson and I are soy intolerant (boo hoo) so do you think we could we substitute applesauce for the yogurt?
I actually used So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt for this recipe (it’s my go-to for baked goods), and it turned out perfectly. Its much sweeter than soy yogurt, though, so take that into account when sweetening the crust.
Can’t wait to gluten-free-ize (another made up word!) your recipe. Just a few modifications and I’ll be good to go. Thanks for the inspiration.
~Ellen
I also saw that recipe in Vegetarian TImes. It sounded delicious, but I KNOW what you mean. I tend to modify and add my own ingredients just because I have already imagined what their recipe will taste like. Yours looks fantastic!
Mmmm. . . I made a plum cobbler from 101 Cookbooks last summer, but this one looks better.
This looks SO delicious. I really love your site and this particular recipe is just making my mouth water.
Just tried this last night after I realized that I’d blackout-purchased plums and had about four pounds lying around. It was delicious! Not too sweet (I didn’t even bother with the sweetener after the agave in the crust), and the perfect end to a hot summer day.
Cobbler is so perfect for summertime! I’m not sure why I have never thought to bake with plums, but it seems like a fantastic idea…Yours looks wonderful!
Love this! We received sweet and sour plums in our CSA last week and I threw together a little crumble/cobbler with them. They weren’t kidding about the sour though…those babies were really tart. But it’s my favorite kind of dessert – yours looks delicious…
I made this tonight. It was really very good, even though my plums could have been a lot ripper and sweeter. I drizzled them with the agave nectar before putting on the top crust. I would definitely recommend putting a cookie sheet under the pie pan while baking, as mine overflowed a little. I’m hoping to try this again with peaches in the future.
That’s a good point. Mine also bubbled over, and halfway through I put a pan under it.
Love your recipes – they make the transition to plant based nutrition so much easier….. but I’ve had a problem with Blueberry Banana Bread – made it twice and each time it came out much too moist. When tested after 60 mins the tester came out clean – put it back for 15 more mins – when I removed it from the pan it was very “wet”, so put it back in the oven for another 20 mins – still not right. Flavor is great – how do I solve the problem??
Thanks so much for any help you can give me.
Oh, MIMI, sorry about that! I’m not sure what the problem is–it could be something like the difference in altitude–but I think that I would make it in a larger pan next time, just to give it more surface area and less thickness. That should do the trick.
Hi Susan! I gave you a Sunshine Award on my blog!
http://prideandvegudice.com/2010/06/25/862/ Yours was one of the very first blogs I got into when I went vegan years ago! Thanks for everything.
Thanks so much, Nora! I’ll be sure to check it out.
I just wanted to take a minute and tell you I love your blog. Its been a life saver for me. I have been eating vegan for about three or four months now, after reading the book, Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes. A low fat, vegan diet does wonders for managing blood sugar levels and actually reverses and heals insulin resistance, the cause of type 2 diabetes. I have had positive results, and been encouraged by them. I thought I would miss meat, but I really don’t. I do love to cook and your blog and recipes have been very inspiring. My husband has been a good sport, eating much less meat and not complaining at all. How could he when vegan is so delicious? I made your crustless tofu quiches this morning and had to fight him off so I had some for breakfasts this week.
So thank you for sharing your culinary adventures.
Ellen
just fed this to my non vegan friends, they loved it, almost as much as i did. absolutely delicious!!
Look so very yummy, perfect for my diet.. LOL
Would you ever do a post on stocking the pantry, and how to get into the flow of cooking?
I will eat plain tofu and salad everyday of my life, and not care, but I don’t think my new boyfriend would like that too much. I like to cook, but I am out of the flow, and need a jump start, and practical inspiration.
Thank you.
hi there! i was just wondering how you would recommend sweetening this without stevia? (like just with sugar or something else?) thank you looks great!
I actually made it without any stevia. I just used agave as directed and didn’t add anything else. It still turned out great.
I’m confused, so does the crust only go on the top of the cobbler? Or is there crust underneath the plums too?
Just on top.
Hi Susan,
This looks delicious and beautiful! The color of the cooked plums is just luscious in the photographs. Your season is ahead of ours so I always end up anticipating what is to come. I’ll be trying this when plum season rolls around on a day that’s cool enough to use the oven! In the meantime, it might be fun to adapt it for bing cherries, which will soon be in abundance here.
Thanks,
moonwatcher
Love it! Thanks Susan. I didn’t have any soy yogurt, so I threw in what looked like a reasonable amount of tofu. It turned out delicious!
Thanks for the recipe. We made it yesterday and ate the whole thing with my husband before the end of the day. I really like that I didn’t have to add any oil and that lack of fat didn’t hurt the taste.
Keep them coming : )
I just made this, using 1lb frozen peaches, 1/2 pint fresh blackberries, and added some fresh ginger to the fruit. Otherwise, the same.
OMG. It is incredible. Thanks so much for this recipe.
I made this the other night and it was heavenly!! The dish becomes almost like a cake with plums all throughout the crust. I was skeptical about leaving the skins on the plums but they cook beautifully and the cobbler was out of this world!! I didn’t have soy yogurt but I did have Tofutti sour cream so I used that and it was superb!
Those awesome looking pictures and ‘low fat’ don’t normally go together! Looks great!
I just made your plum cobbler — One word: FABULOUS
The only thing I changed was to toss in a handful of black berries on top of the plums (they needed to be used up). I also made a batch of vanilla almond milk ice cream in my ice cream maker to serve with it. Topped it off with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. Family thought it was “a keeper”. Appreciate your recipes!
This looks delicious! You always take such great pictures- they really make the viewer want to dive right into the meal. I am definitely going to cook this tomorrow.
I just made this, using 1lb frozen peaches, 1/2 pint fresh blackberries, and added some fresh ginger to the fruit. Otherwise, the same.
Hi Susan,
I am brand new to the vegan way of eating , but am very much looking forward to it. I wanted to know if you had any thoughts comparing Dr. McDougall and Dr. Fuhrman’s programs. It looks like both are going for the same result, a healthier body.
By the way, I very much enjoy visiting your website and can’t wait to try some of your recipies.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Best regards,
Dan
We’re rolling in figs over here, so I was wondering if you would substitute an equal amount of figs for plums?
I am so envious! I love figs and can rarely find them. To answer your question, yes, just use the same amount of figs. Lucky you!
Fantastic! Sour from the plums, sweet from the agave nectar, a party favorite – eaten in minutes by happy people who didn’t even know they were eating low fat or vegan. It was spectacular and my only complaint is that I have to go and hunt for more plums because I’ll be making it at least once more this week!
I love the color and I bet the taste is addictive.
I wonder though if the taste would be affected if I would add more cinnamon? I just really love cinnamon.
I made this twice this week. I didn’t have soy yogurt so the first time I used silken tofu and it was good, but I subbed with vanilla soy milk tonight and it was even better. I’ll be sure to try the yogurt version, but I really don’t think you can go wrong with this recipe. So easy and yummy! Thanks!
This cobbler looks wonderful! I have a question about the plums: do you peel them first or just pit them and halve or quarter? I’ve never tried to peel a plum (generally I eat them fresh, skin and all), but I wonder about this for baking purposes. Thank you!
I left them unpeeled for this. I think peeling plums would really be a pain!
Thanks AGAIN for another outstanding recipe!!! I had an abundance of italian prune plums from my Mom’s tree and made this with HUGE success. I made a few minor adjustments due to what I had on hand. I used soft tofu instead of soy yogurt, apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice, and spelt flour instead of whole wheat. I also increased the cinnamon to 2 tsp’s and added 1/2 tsp each of cloves and allspice. I can`t wait to try this next time with peaches!!
Not to complain, but your new site just doesn’t work as well as the old one. I had seen this recipe earlier, then, just now, when I used the search function to look for it, first as “plum cobbler” then as just “cobbler,” it did not show up. I miss the functionality of the old site.
I think it only searches for recipes that are not yours. It also only shows a few results for each page when browsing, which wastes time.
This is an awesome recipe. I didn’t have the stevia extract, but I did use strawberry yogurt instead of plain and it was plenty sweet enough.
The next time I make this, I think I will sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top for a little crunchy addition.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I grew up eating plums and haven’t really ever cooked with them before. Glorious!
Looks incredible!!! I’m really excited to try it!
I made this last night, and it is amazing! My husband loved it too, and he is still skeptical about this whole vegan fat-free thing… but he’s loved everything I’ve cooked from your blog! Thanks for making it easy to learn a new & healthier way of cooking and eating
I would have never made this recipe if it wasn’t for all the plums that we’ve been getting with our organic produce box. It is absolutely delicious! The sweet-tart flavors remind me of cherry pie.
I am unable to use soy products (and dairy). What can I use to replace soy yogurt?
You could try applesauce. If you do, please let me know what you think.
Hi Susan,
I just want to tell you I have made this cobbler several times this fall. It is really delicious, and well liked by everyone who tastes it, even omnivores. I have made it also with black cherries and rhubarb subbed for the prunes, and that is wonderful as well. I made some for Christmas weekend, and just last night we had some of the left overs. It holds really well, and tastes just as good as it did the day after being made. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and wonderful for Potlucks. I serve it with a really nice almond “whipped cream” and it is wonderful!
I have made a slight change in that I usually am cooking for a group, so when I double the recipe to make more, I make just 1 and 1/2 times the topping, and find that to be just the right amount for 1 large or two cobblers. I use white whole wheat flour also.
My 14 year old grandson sampled it last night, and proclaimed it “awsome”-he could not belive something so healthy would taste so good.
{ 3 trackbacks }