Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers
An old-fashioned, colonial dessert, with a cornmeal biscuit topping, these Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers are a fabulous summer indulgence!
Individual Fruit Cobblers are perfect for dinner guests! Everyone loves having their own dessert! Plus, you can use whatever stone fruit is in season. This recipe is very adaptable.

Why You Must Make
- You can easily make half a batch with 2-3 servings, depending on your fruit supply.
- Use any stone fruit, apples, or even berries, depending on what is in season.
- Use any oven-safe dish to bake these in. I used soup bowls with handles!
The term johnnycake brings a vision of old-fashioned Americana. Dating back to the 1700s, it typically refers to a rustic pancake made with cornmeal. These Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers take the usual fruit filling and add a johnnycake-inspired biscuit topping with the crunch of cornmeal. The recipe in Baking with Julia calls for a combination of nectarines and plums, but allows for improvising with your favorite fruits. I thought fresh local peaches would be a magnificent option.

Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Butter, Sugar, All-Purpose Flour (affiliate link), Baking Soda, Salt
- Stone Fruit – 6 cups, sliced. I prefer to remove the peel, but it can be left on if that’s your preference. Nectarines, pitted fresh cherries, and apricots are some alternatives. Or use a combination of these.
- Baking Powder (affiliate link) – Not the same as baking soda, and most often expires before you use it all. Check the expiration date on the can, and you can also check its potency by putting a spoonful in a cup of very hot water. It should bubble vigorously if still active. If it doesn’t, replace your supply before starting this recipe.
- Cornmeal (affiliate link) – Either white or yellow will work well. It adds crunch to the topping.
- Heavy Cream (36-40% Milk Fat) – Whipped with sugar to garnish. PRO-Tip: You may also top with ice cream.
Recipe Tips
- I cut this recipe in half and made just two servings, as we still had chocolate mousse and a marbled flourless chocolate cake in the fridge.
- My filling, a melange of local peaches and purple plums, was precooked with butter and sugar, then divided between the baking dishes.
- PRO-Tip: A teaspoon of minced fresh ginger root was added to the cream-moistened biscuit topping and provided a subtle zing in every tender bite. This can be left out if you’re not a fan of ginger.
- The hubby had his with a dollop of whipped cream, and I indulged sans toppings, and we both approved.
- These are best served shortly after they emerge from the oven.
- PRO-Tip: Use any favorite stone fruit in this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
The term johnnycake brings a vision of old-fashioned Americana. Dating back to the 1700s, it typically refers to a rustic pancake made with cornmeal. These Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers take the usual cobbler fruit filling and add a johnnycake-inspired biscuit topping with the crunch of cornmeal.
Fruits with a pit or stone are considered stone fruit. The pit is actually a large seed. Examples of stone fruit include peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, apricots, mangoes, lychees, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, and even olives, coconuts, and dates. Raspberries and blackberries are composed of individual druplets, and each of those is considered a stone fruit.
Yes, check the list of stone fruit above and use one or two for your version of this johnnycake recipe.
You May Also Like
- Peaches and Cream French Toast Bake from 365 Days of Baking and More
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Peach Crumb Pie
- Peach Clafoutis Recipe
- Fresh Peach Ice Cream
- Plus, check out all my Best Dessert Recipes
Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobbler
Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers - a rustic cobbler with a corn meal biscuit topping.
Ingredients
For The Fruit:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 cups sliced stone fruit (9-12 pieces of fruit), nectarines and purple plums recommended (I used peaches instead of nectarines)
For biscuit topping:
- 1½ cups flour
- ½ cup cornmeal (I used white, but yellow is fine)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use ⅓ less if using table salt)
- ½ stick (¼ cup) cold, unsalted butter,cut into 12 pieces
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
For the fruit:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add sugar, stir, and add the fruit. Cook until the fruit softens and the juices thicken. Remove from heat until ready to assemble the cobblers.
For biscuit topping:
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips it resembles cornmeal.
- Fold in the heavy cream (or milk). The batter will be thick. If it's too thin, add the extra ¼ of the cornmeal.
To assemble cobblers:
- Divide fruit between baking 4-6 baking containers (about 1 cup capacity)
- Then divide up the biscuit mixture and top each cobbler with equivalent amounts.
- Preheat oven to 425º. Bake for about 12-14 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. I turned my oven temperature down to 350º and cooked for 5 minutes more as my topping was thick.
- Let the cobblers cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
Adapted from Johanne Killeen in Baking with Julia
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 cobblerAmount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 774mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 5gSugar: 36gProtein: 8g


44 Comments on “Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers”
The assembly part was incomplete: It states to divide the fruit between 4-6 containers, but nothing about the cornbread, how much cornbread is put into each container?
I’m not an experienced baker, so this left me not wanting to make it.
Oh, yeah, I wouldn’t want to make it either without all the details! Just divide the biscuit mixture between the cobblers, eyeballing it so they each have a similar amount of topping. Hope you enjoy, Elizabeth!
I love cobbler so I had to try this recipe. It’s so good. Might try it in the summer with cherries!
Lizzy,
I’m with you, I would have skipped the topping too. I’ve never liked whipped cream.
Love the individual servings and looks like my farmers market list is growing.
Wow, that looks good, Liz! I’m a big fan of cornmeal in doughs so this is right up my alley. Pinning.
Beautiful job Liz, love the photos, especially the inventive use of the soup cups. We also made this cobbler using fresh local peaches, and loved it.
I adore you individual little Johnny cakes…also known as cobblers. Such an old historical recipe. Love the recipe with the corn flour addition, and yours turned out superb, Lizzy! xo
I love cobblers and the johnnycake topping sounds so good. Cornmeal based baking always tastes fantastic. These look gorgeous, especially in those soup bowls. Your house sounds like a dessert wonderland, Liz. I love that not only did you make these cobblers but there was also chocolate mousse and a marbled flourless chocolate cake in the fridge!
Oh, I must make this and thanks for adjusting the recipe for two! With all the baked goods lying around my husband just told me to learn how to make recipes with only two servings. And I really need to make a cobbler before the season is over. And the cornmeal in the topping is just calling me!
You must have read it a thousand time, but I have to say it: I LOVE your serving cobblers: so cute and elegant.
You made a gorgeous dessert.
I’d love to be a fly and camp in your fridge 🙂
I love it that you also had chocolate mousse and a marbled flourless chocolate cake, and made this anyway! As usual, your photos are gorgeous, and the cobblers look delicious. It’s winter in Australia and I wish I had an oven-hot cobbler right now!
Just bought a couple of kilos of plums this morning 🙂 This recipe comes just in time! Thanks, Liz.
I willl make these for dessert tomorrow–company coming. Perfect dessert.
These cobblers look so cute and delicious, I love the flavour 😀
Cheers
CCU
All I can say is that hubby has it good!
love the way you presented them and they look so darn comforting and delicious and cute
Wow! This fruit cobbler looks amazing, Liz! I’d eat mine warm with a good scoop of ice cream.
These are so pretty and how fun to dig in and get a yummy surprise!
Interesting – your biscuit topping contained no eggs. That’s the beauty of higher-carb flours. 🙂
I have never heard of a Johnnycake but I like the sounds of the topping on the cobbler. Nectarines, peaches and plums – I’m so looking forward to seeing them in our stores – I’m so over citrus! xx