Slow Cooker Vegan Cobbler

“Slow Cooker Cobbler and the Case for Self-Rising Flour” sounds like a good short story to me!

Once upon a time…

in 1845, a British baker named Henry Jones combined finely milled flour, baking powder, and salt for people to make soft breads wherever fresh yeast could not be stored. Unlike dry yeast, fresh yeast requires refrigeration – a particular challenge in the nineteenth century when travelling long distances by boat.

Indeed, Jones first appealed to the Royal Navy to adopt his creation. He reasoned it could boost sailors’ nutrition, or at the very least, spare them from consuming hardtack. But they resisted.

Jones’s product instead found a home in civilian markets. Before long, other British bakers relied on self-rising flour for scones. Yet it was the Southern US that truly embraced this ingredient expanding its repertoire to include biscuits and cobblers, as well as cornbread and other quick breads.

Plot Twist

As other baking mixes appeared on shelves, chefs began to distinguish between craft and convenience. The addition of television gave them a platform to describe the “proper” versus the “easy” way to make something with the latter regarded as a modification for anyone less skilled.

Along with mixes, self-rising flour was demoted from staple to shortcut. People were urged to make as much as they could from scratch – and some of them did!

Sample Self-Rising Flour From Scratch Recipe (DO NOT FOLLOW.)

• 2 cups (480 mL/240 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp (12.5 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

Yet alongside this ephemeral encouragement, a lasting stigma was born:

Self-rising flour is for less serious cooks.

Title Sequence

I maintain that self-rising flour is a distinct ingredient for all bakers. Despite claims, it cannot be easily made at home; its bulk is a lower-protein, finely milled flour – like cake flour, but not quite.

I personally do not have the necessary equipment to strip excess protein from all-purpose flour and mill it into a finer substance than it already is. If you do, godspeed! I’ll be in the baking aisle.

Self-Rising Flour vs. Cake Mix

Most of the slow cooker cobbler recipes I referenced call for cake mix. I love cake mixes! But a given mix is 13.25-16 oz (375-454 g) with 162-220 g being added sugar…

That’s an approximate difference of 2/3 cup (160 mL) dry ingredients including 1/3 cup (80 mL) sugar!

I decided to use self-rising flour and sugar to control the amount and sweetness of the “cobblestone” top. (I chose frozen or fresh instead of canned produce for a similar reason.)

But I want slow-cooker cobbler today!

That said, you might not have self-rising flour on hand. Do you have cornstarch? By adding something super low-protein and super-light to your all-purpose flour, you can approximate true self-rising flour.

Ideal Self-Rising Flour From Scratch Recipe (courtesy of 🔗Food52)

• 1 3/4 cup (420 mL/205 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (60 mL/35 g) cornstarch
• 2 1/2 tsp (12.5 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

Now, the only issue remaining is: peach or cherry?

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Vegan Cobbler

Author: Does It Vegan? Cooking Method: Mixing, Peeling, Pitting, Slicing, Slow Cooking, Whisking Cuisine: Southeastern US-American, US-American Category: Desserts, Sweet Breakfasts

Description

Self-rising flour is a distinct ingredient! For the ideal cobbler top, source - don't make - this ingredient.

However, if the difference between bought and purchased self-rising flour is cobbler now or cobbler later, use this formula from Food52.

Ingredients

• about 3 lbs (1.4 kg) frozen peaches or cherries (or about 3.5 lbs/1.6 kg fresh)
• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL/288 g) granulated sugar, divided (6 Tbsp/90 mL/72 g + 6 Tbsp/90 mL/72 g + 3/4 cup/180 mL/144 g = 1 1/2 cups/360 mL/288 g)
• 2 tsp (10 mL/g) vanilla extract
• 2 cups (480 mL/288 g) self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) ground cinnamon (Omit if using cherries.)
• 1/2 cup (120 mL/113 g) plant-based butter (1 US-standard stick; I recommend an unsalted variety from Country Crock or Miyoko's Creamery.)

Instructions

1. If using fresh peaches, peel, pit, and slice; cherries, wash and pit.

   Mark as complete

2. Lightly grease sides of a 6-qt/L slow cooker. Cover bottom with 1 lb (≈450 g) fruit, then coat with 6 Tbsp (90 mL/72 g) sugar. Repeat. Evenly top with last 1 lb (≈450 g) fruit and vanilla extract.

   Mark as complete

3. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 3/4 cup (180 mL/144 g) sugar, self-rising flour, and cinnamon. Uniformly sprinkle over contents of slow cooker.

   Mark as complete

4. Covering as much surface area as possible, dot flour mixture with thin slices of  "butter".

   Mark as complete

5. Cover and cook on low for 5 hrs if using frozen fruit; 4 hrs, fresh. Remove lid for last half hour of cooking.

   Mark as complete

6. Enjoy at any temperature, with or without vanilla ice "cream". Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

   Mark as complete

Note

Read why I recommend Country Crock and Miyoko's plant butter.

Checkout some of my other recipes with self-rising flour such as Vegan Strawberry Shortcake!

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