The slight tartness of the plums is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the cinnamon-kissed crust in this vegan, low-fat plum cobbler.
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) or 6 ounces silken tofu*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or 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 or use a silicone baking dish. 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/tofu, 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
Nutritional info is approximate.
Janet
July 30, 2010 at 1:38 amI 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.
Vegan Linda
August 20, 2010 at 10:47 pmI 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!
hopperlady27
August 28, 2010 at 3:13 pmThis 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!
SusanV
August 28, 2010 at 4:54 pmI left them unpeeled for this. I think peeling plums would really be a pain! 🙂
Laine
September 7, 2010 at 11:38 amThanks 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!!
Stephanie
September 21, 2010 at 1:38 pmNot 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.
annette
September 23, 2010 at 9:08 amThis 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!
Jenny@ The Healthy Teenager- Green tea and yoga
September 29, 2010 at 10:39 pmLooks incredible!!! I’m really excited to try it!
Sarah
October 24, 2010 at 6:09 pmI 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 🙂
Yasmine
February 28, 2011 at 1:07 pmI 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.
Patricia Baughman
June 22, 2011 at 5:14 pmI am unable to use soy products (and dairy). What can I use to replace soy yogurt?
SusanV
June 22, 2011 at 5:26 pmYou could try applesauce. If you do, please let me know what you think.
Eileen
December 30, 2011 at 3:27 pmHi 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.
Lilac
August 7, 2013 at 4:11 amSorry about my silly question. I have never ate or made a cobbler – is it better to serve it straight after baking (cooling only for those ~15 min.) or will it still be as tasty cold (at room temperature) after some hours or even next day, maybe?
Susan Voisin
August 7, 2013 at 8:24 amIt’s good both warm and cold, but I like it best warm.
Susan Simon
September 12, 2013 at 10:02 pmThis is a very forgiving recipe. I made it tonight with double the fruit – peaches, plums and huge blackberries. Made same amount of topping and put in a 9×13 pan. Topping a bit thin but came out great. Thanks Susan!
Susan
Lucy
June 8, 2014 at 3:45 pmI love the look of this recipe!!! Do you know if the crust would work with a Gluten Free Flour?
Susan Voisin
June 8, 2014 at 5:18 pmI haven’t tried it gluten-free but I suspect it will work with any g-f baking blend.
Nina
September 27, 2014 at 4:38 amHi, hoping you can help. I would like to replace the Stevia for sugar in the recipe low fat plum cobbler. Would you suggest soft brown sugar, or white caster sugar? Do you know how much sugar would replace 1/16th teasp of stevia.
Thank you,
Best Wishes, Nina.
Susan Voisin
September 27, 2014 at 7:35 amEither type of sugar will do. I would start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste.
Shirley Nain
January 25, 2015 at 7:39 pmI have been an avid follower of your recipes and blog for years and years. You were the first person to enable me to switch to a plant-based lifestyle. I learned the necessity from Dr. Esselstyn but I learned the very important HOW of it from YOU! Thank you!
Re the cobbler crust (my favorite recipe, BTW): would the crust stay together if I eliminated the agave, stevia and cinnamon? I want to create a crust that I could use over a pot pie so don’t want it sweet or cinnamon flavored.
Praying for your return to excellent health, in gratitude for all you’ve done for all of your readers and their extensions, Shirley
Chen
December 22, 2015 at 4:04 pmSusan, I want to make this with apples…should I use the same amount on the apples? Thank you!
Susan Voisin
December 22, 2015 at 4:22 pmYes that’s what I would do. Please let me know how it comes out!
Chen
December 22, 2015 at 4:53 pmThank you for the fast reply! I’m going to make this for Christmas. My husband has been craving for apple cobbler and I have all the ingredients. I will definitely report back!
Chen
December 22, 2015 at 4:55 pmOh and I have that same butterfly dish from Pier 1!
Carol
July 23, 2020 at 10:59 amLooking forward to making this recipe! Can you use nonfat Greek yogart instead of soy yogart?
Susan Voisin
July 23, 2020 at 11:11 amI’m sure any yogurt will work.