Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler Recipe

Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler Recipe is an American dessert combining tart canned cherries with a rich cocoa sponge. This warm bake uses semi-sweet chocolate morsels and chopped pecans to create a thick, cake-like crust over a bubbling fruit base.

If you do nothing else, let the melted chocolate cool before you stir in the egg. I learned this the hard way when my first attempt ended up with tiny bits of cooked egg white through the batter. That’s the difference between a smooth, fudgy topping and a lumpy mess.

The cherry pie filling is doing more work than you’d think. Without it, the chocolate sponge would be too dry and heavy on its own. I love serving this at family gatherings because it feels like a proper treat but takes very little effort to pull together.

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Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler Recipe Ingredients

For the fruit base

• 600g (21oz) cherry pie filling

For the chocolate batter

• 190g (6.5oz) plain flour
• 100g (3.5oz) caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 55g (2oz) butter, chilled and cubed
• 170g (6oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 60ml (2fl oz) full-fat milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 60g (2oz) chopped pecans or walnuts

How To Make Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler Recipe

1. Preheat and Prep: Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Grease a 2-litre (2-quart) baking dish with a little extra butter.
2. Make the Dry Mix: Rub the chilled butter into the plain flour, sugar, and baking powder using your fingertips. Stop when the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of fat visible.
3. Melt the Chocolate: Place the chocolate morsels in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the liquid is glossy and smooth then take it off the heat to cool for five minutes.
4. Add Wet Stuff: Whisk the milk and beaten egg into the cooled chocolate. Stir until the liquid is uniform in colour and has no streaks.
5. Combine the Batter: Fold the chocolate liquid into the flour and butter mixture. Use a large metal spoon to mix until just combined so the topping stays light.
6. Layer the Cobbler: Pour the cherry pie filling into the bottom of the greased dish. Drop large spoonfuls of the chocolate batter over the fruit, leaving a few gaps for the cherries to peek through.
7. Top with Nuts: Scatter the chopped pecans evenly over the top of the batter. Press them in very lightly so they stick during the bake.
8. Bake: Place the dish on the middle rack and bake for 40-45 minutes. Check that the chocolate sponge feels firm to the touch and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
9. Rest: Take the dish out of the oven and leave it on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The cherry sauce needs this time to thicken so it doesn’t run all over the plate.

Recipe Tips

• Check your chocolate. Use semi-sweet chips with at least 50% cocoa solids for the best flavour. If the chocolate is too cheap, it won’t melt smoothly and can become grainy when mixed with the egg.
• Keep the butter cold. Use fat straight from the fridge when rubbing it into the flour. Cold butter creates small pockets of steam as it bakes, which gives the cobbler topping a better crumb.
• Don’t overwork the dough. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until the flour just disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten and results in a tough, rubbery sponge instead of a tender cake.
• Prepare ahead of time. You can rub the butter into the flour and chop the nuts a day early. Store the dry mix in the fridge and then finish the melting and baking steps just before you want to eat.
• Swap the fruit. If cherries aren’t your favourite, this chocolate topping works just as well with canned black forest fruits or raspberries. Make sure the canned fruit is in a thick syrup or pie filling style rather than juice.

What To Serve With Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

This rich dessert needs something cold to balance the warm chocolate. Serve it with a large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a generous pour of chilled double cream.

For a lighter touch, a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt works well against the sweet cherry filling. You could also add a few fresh raspberries on the side to provide some sharp acidity.

How To Store Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

• Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container once they have cooled completely. It stays fresh for up to three days. The topping will soften over time as it absorbs moisture from the cherries.
• Reheat: Place a portion in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds. For a better texture, put the whole dish back in the oven at 160°C (315°F/Gas Mark 3) for 10 minutes to crisp the nuts.
• Freeze: Wrap the cooled cobbler tightly in clingfilm and then a layer of aluminium foil. It freezes well for up to two months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.

Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 485
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 68g
• Sugar: 42g
• Sodium: 210mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Cracker Barrel Bacon Baked Beans Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Loaded Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Ham and Egg Casserole Recipe