This Apricot Skillet Cobbler features a simple yet impressive gluten free biscuit dough, and tastes best when topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. The ultimate summer stone fruit dessert.
Apricot Cobbler – the ultimate summer treat made in a skillet!
Hello, hello! I’m currently sitting on my sister’s couch in the Bay Area surrounded by a litter of foster kittens. The cuteness is very distracting, but I’m determined not to let it steal focus away from sharing this insanely delicious Apricot Skillet Cobbler with you.
Glorious, isn’t it? Fresh, peak season apricots, light sweet biscuits and a heaping scoop of cool, creamy vanilla ice cream. What more could you want from a summer dessert??
Why I love making apricot cobbler in a skillet:
I love making this apricot cobbler in a cast iron skillet. My 10-inch Le Creuset skillet works perfectly, but you could easily make this in a square baking dish if you don’t have one.
However, the benefit of using a skillet for this recipe is that you can nestle the biscuit dough in all nice and cozy-like; then when the biscuits bake and puff up the result is maximum biscuit-to -cobbler ratio.
We’re talking practically zero gaps. See?
The other thing I love about this Apricot Cobbler recipe is that the biscuits are gluten free! I do have a spectacular “regular” biscuit dough for cobblers, which I promise to share one of these days, but I’ve spent so much time testing and re-testing gluten free cobbler dough for one of my clients that I had to share it here, now that I feel confident in having perfected it.
Can I make this cobbler in something other than a skillet?
Yes, this apricot cobbler should turn out just fine in a regular casserole dish. But you would need to double the recipe for a 9×13. The recipe as is would fill a 9×9 baking dish well.
If there are leftovers, how would you store them?
I store any leftover cobbler in the fridge to be on the safe side, then I gently reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving!
GLUTEN FREE APRICOT SKILLET COBBLER TIPS & TRICKS
- The gluten free flour I recommend for this recipe is Arrowhead Mills’ Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix. Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Multipurose Flour is another one I’ve had great success with.
- Both of these mixes contain xanthan gum, but not all do. The recipe instructions include a measurement for xanthan gum if your all-purpose gluten free flour blend does not already contain it (if it does feel free to omit), so be sure to check the ingredients label!
- Using chilled butter that has been grated on a box grater helps it to blend easily with the flour mixture and yields much better results than simply chopping the butter into small pieces. Game changer!
- I like to brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle them with brown sugar about halfway through baking. It’s a totally optional step, but this helps them get nice and golden brown and the sugar gives it a lovely crunchy texture.
- Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!
- This recipe would taste amazing with peaches or a with some blueberries mixed in.
How to make your own buttermilk:
Here’s one last tip that I think is worth mentioning, not only for your Apricot Skillet Cobbler endeavors, but for any baking project that calls for buttermilk, because buying buttermilk is one of my ultimate cooking pet peeves!
Seriously- I can never use up a whole container and usually recipes only call for a small amount, so I try not to buy it lest it go to waste, and I make my own using whole milk (which I’m much more apt to already have on hand/use up) and lemon juice.
You can also use white vinegar, but I prefer lemon juice. The ratio is pretty loose but it’s basically one cup of milk to 1-2 tablespoons of the acid. As you let it stand for 5-10 minutes it will begin to curdle and transform into a perfectly reliable buttermilk substitute!
If you make this Apricot Skillet Cobbler, snap a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LePetitEats, I love seeing your creations!
Apricot Skillet Cobbler
This Apricot Skillet Cobbler features a simple yet impressive gluten-free biscuit dough and tastes best when topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. The ultimate summer stone fruit dessert.
Ingredients
FOR THE BISCUITS:
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter grated on a box grater
- 3/4 cup buttermilk chilled
FOR THE APRICOTS:
- 2 pounds ripe fresh apricots pitted and sliced
- 1/3 cup brown sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet dish lightly with butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum (if using), cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the grated butter to the mixture combining with fingers to break up any clumps of butter. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Mixture will feel wetter than regular biscuit dough. Cover and refrigerate the biscuit dough for at least 10 minutes. Once the dough has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle lightly with more flour and roll out to approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch rounds, re-rolling the scraps as necessary, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer to chill while preparing the apricot filling.
- In a large bowl, add the apricots, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract, tossing to combine. Transfer the peaches to the prepared skillet and spread in an even layer. Place the baking dish on a piece of foil, then on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven.
Remove the biscuits from the freezer and place them on top of the apricots. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. About halfway through baking, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. When the cobbler is done baking, the filling should be bubbling and the biscuits should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- The gluten free flour I recommend for this recipe is Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix. Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Multipurose Flour is another one I've had great success with.
- Both of these mixes contain xanthan gum, but not all do. The recipe instructions include a measurement for xanthan gum if your all-purpose gluten free flour blend does not already contain it (if it does feel free to omit), so be sure to check the ingredients label!
- Using chilled butter that has been grated on a box grater helps it to blend easily with the flour mixture and yields much better results than simply chopping the butter into small pieces. Game changer!
- I like to brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle them with brown sugar about halfway through baking. It's a totally optional step, but this helps them get nice and golden brown and the sugar gives it a lovely crunchy texture.
- Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!
- This recipe would taste amazing with peaches or a with some blueberries mixed in.
Wow very nicely done!! This post really makes me want to buy one of those pans. And you’re right, you really are missing out if you don’t have that nice big scoop of ice-cream. I also love how you mentioned grating the butter so you can easily add it bit by bit, that is a GRATE idea (pun intended) and I will have to try that sometime. Keep up the amazing work. Your blog is awesome (:
Haha! Love the pun- and yes! I highly recommend a cast iron pan, they’re so versatile and worth the investment.
Looks so delicious and perfect for the summer!
Thank you Natalie! Stone fruits are one of my favorite things about summer!
This looks so unbelievably delicious. And I love that you have poured yourself into gluten-free biscuit dough! People need this!