PB&J Cobbler

When I was a kid, my mother struggled to find a breakfast I would eat.  I remember her going to the book store and getting a book of breakfast recipes and trying to get me interested in something that I would eat at 6 a.m. that would allow me to get through a whole morning of school.  It was an uphill battle, because I can only really eat when I'm hungry, and I rarely am hungry that early.

Finally, she declared that there was no difference between blueberry cobbler and blueberry pancakes, and that if the latter was a breakfast food, so was the former.  Cobbler, I could eat.

I thought of that episode this weekend when browsing through a new cookbook for inspiration.  (Note:  I rarely make recipes as written, and I never share them with you without attribution unless they are my own.  I got only the most general idea for this recipe from a book.)  With a lot of experimenting, I came up with PB&J cobbler, certainly something I would have eaten for breakfast or any time as a child.  I like this recipe because it makes use of the berries in season right now, and it can be sugar-free if you choose to make it so. It was great warm out of the oven, and I can't wait to have some of the leftovers today!

PB&J Cobbler


2 pints mixed berries, in season (I used blackberries and blueberries)
1/2 c. sugar (optional)

3 T. organic butter
1 c. natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. flour

In a glass baking dish with a lid (like a casserole dish), crush the berries slightly and add sugar if you wish.  Your berries will sweeten on their own as they bake, but the sugar will make them somewhat sweeter and draw more of the juice out.  I didn't add the sugar, and it was fine; you can always sprinkle with sugar later if you wish, and that lets you control the sugar for different dietary needs.

Meanwhile, melt butter and combine with remaining ingredients.  You can sprinkle over the top like a streusel topping, or I rolled mine into balls to better control how many "servings" of topping each person got.  Your call.  My inner child kind of wanted PB balls on my cobbler; they break up and mix in to the berries fine when it is time to eat.

Bake covered at 350 for 40-45 minutes until juicy and hot!

The Analysis


Fast:  This takes maybe an hour to make, most of which is baking time.

Cheap:  Farmers' market berries are not cheap, but they are plentiful right now.  I paid $10 for 2 pints of berries, and I was happy to do so.

Good:  This was very, very good.