Juicy blackberries coupled with a crispy, flaky coconut crumble make a lovely tropical-leaning Blackberry Coconut Cobbler.
I’m not much of a dessert person, much to the chagrin of my husband and in-laws. More for them, I say! Now I’m not a complete nay-sayer when it comes to dessert. I really dig fruit, especially berries (aka nature’s candy).
My mother-in-law makes a dessert that quickly became my favorite, dubbed Raspberry Cobbler. It’s simple and easy to make, the tartness of the raspberries balances well with the sugar, and the crumble on top offers a pleasing texture contrast. I enjoy it so much that it inspired your new favorite dessert – Blackberry Coconut Cobbler.
The beauty of Cobbler (or Crisp or Crumble) is that it can be modified on a whim while keeping the success rate of producing a palatable dessert high. I couldn’t get it out of my head that flaked coconut would be a fantastic addition to the crumble. And I’ve contemplated at least 38 different fruit combinations that I think would make a killer Cobbler.
For Cobbler Iteration #1, I decided upon a Blackberry Coconut Cobbler. The coconut flakes get nice and toasty and contribute to the crunch, while the blackberries balance everything out with mild sweetness. That’s right, I just described blackberries as sweet. If you’re not a fan of eating raw blackberries, give ‘em a try baked. The heat from cooking mellows blackberries out, transforming the flavor from tart and bitter to mildly sweet. It’s the perfect berry to pair with a sweet, coconut-spiked crumble.
And if you want to get fancy ( I sure did!), I recommend whipping up some homemade whipped cream. Homemade Whipped Cream from Live Well Bake Often is stupid easy to execute and incredibly delicious – all you need is heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Or do like I did and sub in coconut extract for the vanilla to accentuate the coconut flavor in the topping.
- 2 pints blackberries
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Non-stick cooking spray (I used PAM butter flavor)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9-inch pie dish with the PAM butter spray to lightly grease the pan.
- Add the blackberries to the pan, spreading them out evenly.
- Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and coconut flakes to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add the egg and coconut extract. Whip for 20 seconds with a fork, until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until the wet ingredients are incorporated; you want the mixture to look crumbly.
- Pour the crumble over the blackberries and arrange in an even layer.
- Spray the top of the crumble with the PAM butter spray with a light, even layer.*
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crumble is crisp and GBD (golden brown and delicious!).
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Serve warm, with a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top.
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