Slow Cooker Cherry Cobbler with Sourdough Topping
My slow cooker cherry cobbler is made from scratch with a sourdough topping! It’s an easy recipe that takes little effort. I love making this as a simple dessert for the holidays or a fun weekend treat. It goes great with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. I hope you love it as much as my husband and I do!
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If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
Inspiration Behind My Slow Cooker Cherry Cobbler Recipe
I created this cherry cobbler recipe around the holidays while I was trying to figure out a last-minute dessert idea. We didn’t have a ton of options, so I grabbed a bag of frozen fruit, dumped it into a slow cooker, and whipped up a simple oat crumble to add on top.
It was so simple, I knew it had to go up on the blog! This was the very first recipe ever published here on plumbranchhome.com!
Why We Love This Crock Pot Cobbler and Think You Will Too!
- Perfect for Holidays: Since this cobbler cooks in a slow cooker, it won’t take up any oven space for your other holiday dishes.
- Won’t Heat the House: If you want to make this cobbler in the summer, it won’t heat up the house since it’s cooked in the slow cooker.
- Wholesome Ingredients: Each ingredient is whole; no premade cake or biscuit mixes here.
- Simple Steps: This is a beginner-friendly recipe! The steps are so simple.
- This is a No Cake Mix Crockpot Cobbler: It’s made from scratch!
Why Make Cobbler with Sourdough Discard?
When you make cobbler with sourdough discard, you get fermentation benefits from the sourdough starter’s cultures in the topping. If you long ferment the topping in the fridge for 12-24 hours before adding it this recipe, those cultures ferment the other ingredients. This long fermentation is optional but adds even more fermentation benefits!
My Tips for Making Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler
- Read the entire recipe before you get started so you know what to expect.
- Use a thick sourdough starter rather than one that’s really runny.
- Grate butter into the dry mixture for the easiest process.
- Add a little extra honey if you enjoy a really sweet cobbler.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
For the Cherry Layer
- cherries: you can use fresh or frozen
- all-purpose flour: this helps thicken the cherry layer, I use unbleached organic
- raw honey: or maple syrup
- pure vanilla extract: I don’t recommend using imitation vanilla for this recipe
For the Sourdough Topping
- all-purpose flour: I use unbleached organic but you can use any all-purpose flour
- rolled oats: I like to use organic
- sea salt: this is a wholesome salt option that I love
- ground cinnamon: this adds the perfect touch of flavor to the dough
- cold butter: I recommend cold stick butter, salted or unsalted
- sourdough discard: aka unfed starter but fed starter works too
- milk: I use whole milk but any works
- raw honey: or maple syrup
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
This section contains affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cherry Cobbler with Sourdough Topping
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
Lightly grease slow cooker with a little avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Set aside.
Add cherries, flour, honey, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Stir to coat cherries (if cherries are frozen it’s okay if the honey clumps up from being cold).
Dump cherry mixture into slow cooker. If you’re using a large slow cooker, just place cherries in the center, it doesn’t have to be all the way full.
In another mixing bowl add flour, oats, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Add butter into dry mixture by grating with a large holed grater or use a fork to mash butter until pea sized pieces form. Stir to distribute evenly.
Add sourdough discard, honey, and milk. Stir to distribute wet ingredients evenly. Use your hands to help. You should have a crumbly mixture. (If your starter is more hydrated than mine your topping can come out more like a dough. This texture also works).
Add topping, in an even layer, on top of cherries in the slow cooker.
Place lid on slow cooker and cook for 1.5 hours on HIGH or 3 hours on LOW. Don’t remove lid while cooking.
When finished cooking remove lid, scoop into bowls, and enjoy!
My Favorite Way To Serve Cherry Cobbler
Sourdough slow cooker cherry cobbler is really great on its own, but it’s also delicious with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store cooled cobbler in an airtight, preferably glass, container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Or you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Best Way to Reheat Slow Cooker Cobbler
I like to reheat cobbler into the oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees until warm.
Recipe FAQ
Sure, you can use fresh or frozen cherries.
You can use whatever fruit you desire for this recipe!
Of course! Either work well.
It’s kind of like a cherry pie in a crock pot!
More Sourdough Fruit Desserts
If you’re looking for more sourdough recipes with fruit, try a few of these:
- Sourdough Peach Cobbler
- Sourdough Cherry Scones
- Sourdough Raspberry Brownies
- Peach Trifle in Mason Jars (with Sourdough Cake!)
- Sourdough Lemon Pound Cake
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Cherry Cobbler with Sourdough Topping
Ingredients
Cherry Layer
- 2 1/2 cups dark sweet cherries (unsweetened – fresh or frozen)
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sourdough Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp cold butter
- 1 Tbsp sourdough discard (fed starter works too)
- 1 Tbsp milk (I use whole milk but any works)
- 1 Tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Lightly grease slow cooker with a little avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Set aside.
- Add cherries, flour, honey, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Stir to coat cherries (if cherries are frozen it's okay if the honey clumps up from being cold).
- Dump cherry mixture into slow cooker. If you're using a large slow cooker, just place cherries in the center, it doesn't have to be all the way full.
- In another mixing bowl add flour, oats, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Add butter into dry mixture by grating with a large holed grater or use a fork to mash butter until pea sized pieces form. Stir to distribute evenly.
- Add sourdough discard, honey, and milk. Stir to distribute wet ingredients evenly. Use your hands to help. You should have a crumbly mixture. (If your starter is more hydrated than mine your topping can come out more like a dough. This texture also works).
- Add topping, in an even layer, on top of cherries in the slow cooker.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook for 1.5 hours on HIGH or 3 hours on LOW. Don't remove lid while cooking.
- When finished cooking remove lid, scoop into bowls, and enjoy!