Maple-sweetened fruit crowned with tender gluten-free, whole-grain biscuits treads the line between nourishing and decadent in this gluten free apple cobbler studded with rhubarb and maple syrup. Thanks to Coombs Family Farms for sponsoring this post!
I have a weakness for warm, rustic fruit desserts, especially ones crowned with these cobbler biscuits. The base recipe comes from my cookbook Alternative Baker and was nearly nixed from the book during testing when I couldn't get the biscuits right. They ranged from tight, meatball-like wads of dough to unsightly batter that resembled human excrement (that particular version was dubbed "poop cobbler"). My friend Caterina came to the rescue with the quirky technique of heating the dairy for the biscuits, which gives them an instant lift, and since then I've made cobblers with nearly every fruit and alternative flour in existence, including peaches with teff flour, berries with amaranth flour, and this Blueberry Plum Cobbler with Corn Flour Biscuits. Call me crazy for cobbler.
The Secret to Great Gluten Free Apple Cobbler
With cobbler, you have a few things working against you. The steam from the fruit adds moisture to the biscuits, which can make their bottoms soggy. It's important to have a high enough oven temperature to brown the tops of the biscuits before the middles become overcooked. You need to make sure the fruit thickens adequately so you don't end up with a watery mess, but not so much that you lose the luscious juice of stewed fruit.
But when cobbler goes right, it's an ultra-satisfying and relatively simple dessert, fruit and biscuits baked together into a gooey pan of dessert deliciousness, without the muss and fuss of a pesky pie. And there's more wiggle room when it comes to fruit, which can vary in water content, because you don't need to worry about a soggy bottom crust. Gluten free apple cobbler FTW!
Maple Syrup = Natural Sweetness
One thing that doesn't vary in water content is maple syrup, which gets boiled until it reaches a Brix level of 66-68 (that's maple speak for the ratio of sugar to liquid). My last post details the process of making maple syrup, which I got to experience firsthand in New England last month, as well as a recipe for maple sugar ice cream that pairs perfectly with this dessert.
The centuries-old technique of boiling maple sap into syrup was discovered by people indigenous to North America. Though I tend to think of maple as a fall flavoring, spring is actually sugaring season. Maple trees store starches in their trunks during the fall and winter, and those starches convert to sugar during late winter and early spring. When the temperatures warm in early spring, the sap starts flowing in the trees and is then collected and turned into syrup.
While maple is robust enough to stand up to fall flavors – baking spices, root vegetables, winter squash, and fruit such as apples, pears, and figs – it has a softer edge that flatters more delicate spring flavors too. Berries, rhubarb, and citrus are all happy matches with maple.
Apples + Rhubarb + Maple
This gluten free apple cobbler with rhubarb and maple works well in the spring when wintered over apples meet peak rhubarb season. The two make a match as classic as strawberry-rhubarb. Apples add mild sweetness and body while rhubarb lends its characteristic blush and tang. Vanilla paste and a good grating of fresh ginger add further oomph to the filling, which is sweetened with a pour of earthy maple syrup. The grade you use is up to you. Coombs Grade A Amber Color Rich Taste has a softer flavor that lets the rhubarb and ginger sing, where their Grade A Dark Color Robust Taste adds a bit more earthy depth, which is also delicious. I tested this recipe 5 times to get it just right, with both grades of syrup, and they both work beautifully.
Gluten Free Apple Cobbler All Day
Free of refined sugar save for a tiny sprinkle atop the biscuits, this dessert walks the line between decadent and nutritious. Maple syrup is rich with trace minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and iron) and vitamins (B2, B5, niacin, and folic acid). There's plenty of good stuff from the apples and rhubarb too, and the biscuits are primarily whole grain flours. Oat flour brings a warm whole wheatiness to the biscuits, sweet rice creates good consistency, and millet lends suppleness. Butter, cream, and yogurt make them rich and delicate, a lovely foil for the bright fruit.
And no fruit dessert is complete without a big scoop of luscious ice cream melting over the top. Finish bowls of gooey cobbler and tender biscuits with a big scoop of maple sugar ice cream and prepare to be transported to maple heaven.
More gluten free apple desserts:
- gluten free buckwheat apple galette with maple walnut frangipane {refined sugar-free}
- gluten free tarte tatin
- gluten free apple pie with spiced quince
- gluten free apple crisp
- gluten free apple galette with rum spiced dulce de leche
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Maple-Sweetened Apple Rhubarb Cobbler with Oat Flour Biscuits {gluten-free}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Fruit:
- 1 ¼ pounds apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
- 1 ¼ pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ cup (175 ml) Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Syrup (any grade)
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Biscuits:
- 2/3 cup (70 g) GF oat flour
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
- 1/3 cup (45 g) millet flour
- ¼ cup (35 g) Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold, unsalted butter, in 1⁄4" (6 mm) dice
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp (15 ml) for brushing the biscuits
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar, for sprinkling the biscuits (optional)
- Maple Sugar Ice Cream, for serving (or storebought vanilla ice cream)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF.
- To make the filling, combine the apples and rhubarb in a very large bowl and add the maple syrup, cornstarch, ginger, vanilla, and salt. Gently toss to coat the fruit evenly, then transfer to an 8 by 10-inch baking pan, 9-inch square pan, or 10-inch ovenproof skillet with at least 2-inch high sides. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and slide into the oven to bake until the fruit just starts to bubble, 20-25 minutes.
- To make the biscuits, in a large bowl, combine the oat, sweet rice, and millet flours with the maple sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and work in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until broken down into the size of small peas. Chill until needed, about 10 minutes.
- Have the 1 tablespoon cream, the sugar, and a pastry brush (or scrunched-up paper towel) nearby.
- When the fruit is nearly done, combine the yogurt and remaining 4 tablespoons cream in a small saucepan. Place over a medium flame and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is hot and steamy, 1–2 minutes (don’t let it boil or it might separate). Quickly but gently stir the hot dairy into the butter/flour mixture, stirring just until combined, evenly moistened and no floury bits remain; do not overstir. Remove the fruit from the oven, give it a gentle stir to redistribute, then use a tablespoon to drop the batter onto the fruit, creating 8–12 rough mounds. Immediately dab and brush the tops with the cream and sprinkle with the sugar.
- Bake the cobbler until the biscuits are deep golden brown on top and the fruit is bubbling thickly, 20-30 more minutes. Let the cobbler cool for at least 10 minutes to allow the fruit to thicken up and the biscuits to finish baking from residual heat. Scoop into bowls and serve warm, topped with maple sugar or vanilla ice cream. The cobbler is best within a few hours of baking, but leftovers can be refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek says
This cobbler! Perfect for spring. I am loving the maple, oat, and rhubarb combo! xo
Alanna says
Aw thank you Kelsey! <3
Rhonda @ Change In Seconds says
Looks delicious!
Alanna says
Thanks!
Stephanie says
Is there a way to make the biscuits with no/less dairy? Ie soy creamer (is it thick enough?) and DF yoghurt? I’ve been GF for 15 years and never thought I’d find a cobbler recipe I could eat...! You’re giving me hope, friend!
Alanna says
That sounds like a great substitution idea! Renee also made a DF version which she detailed here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BXkxA0bgXC8/?taken-by=willfrolicforfood Please let me know what you end up trying! :)
Katie says
I've always been more of a crisp than a cobbler girl, but this is calling my name!
Alanna says
I was the same until this recipe came along! <3
HelenFey says
Making the magic happen yet again!
Alanna says
Aw! <3
Shuka says
Hi! I'm trying to bake this. The fruit has been in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400, but it really doesn't look the way yours does in the photo. Everything still seems rather raw, and I'm worried the juice won't thicken enough and it will be watery. Does this all get fixed in the second cook (with the oat biscuits) or should I cook it long enough so that it does look less watery and more baked?
Alanna says
Thanks for the great question! The fruit will still be raw-ish and watery when you add the biscuits, and will continue to cook into a thick bubbly compote during the second bake. See the fifth photo in the post with the raw biscuits on top for the way the fruit should look after the first bake. Since some ovens run cool, you may want to try turning the temperature up by 25 or 50 degrees to speed things up, or else get an oven thermometer to check the temperature. I hope that helps! Please let me know how it goes!
Sabrina B says
love rhubarb and it doesn't seem like it's used as often as more popular ingredients, so love that it's here and with just maple sweetener, not too sweet, thank you for this recipe!
Alanna says
I completely agree - more rhubarb please! Thanks for the sweet note.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
Such a perfect cobbler! I adore the maple syrup here, and the biscuits look incredible!
Rebecca @ Cooking Therapy says
omg i always love your pictures so much!
Claire says
I'm currently making this and realized that while the ingredients list 4 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of cream, the ingredients call for 6 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of cream. I'm assuming the 6 is a typo since that's the amount of yogurt. Probably worth updating when you have a moment. :-)
Alanna says
Thanks for catching my typo - updated! Please let me know how it comes out. :)
Joanne says
Made this last night, Oh my gosh it's delicious! I toyed with the idea of cutting down the maple syrup to 1/2 cup but decided to go along with the amount as listed. Glad I did, the maple syrup balances the tartness of the rhubarb perfectly. Regarding some previous comments, the fruit does indeed seem rather raw when adding the biscuit topping but the extra 25 minutes cooks them to perfection, the biscuit absorbs some of the juices and everything ends up perfection. It's times like these that that I'm glad I'm gluten free--I probably would not have found this recipe and it would have been my loss! Thanks for a winning recipe. Now, if you could only develop the perfect GF bread recipe........
Alanna says
Yaaaayyyy I'm so glad you love this recipe! What kind of GF bread would be your dream? That is something I've been meaning to tackle too! Meanwhile have you tried my GF nut and seed bread? It's a reader favorite! There's a pumpkin spice version in my book too. :)
Joanne says
I haven't made your nut & seed bread yet but, after having made a few recipes from your cookbook with great success as well as the above cobbler that was right up my alley, I definitely will very soon based on the high praise you give it in your blog post. But it does seem like a dense bread and every so often I'd so like a soft, chewy slice of bread or a bun to make a good sandwich.....
Alanna says
Wonderful - noted! Please let me know how you like nut and seed bread if you try it. I'm so glad you're enjoying the book too! :)