There is something about the holidays that turns me into a complete sugar fiend. As soon as I get the first whiff of fall I am ready to start inhaling desserts like it’s my job. In November it’s usually pumpkin and apple and then come December I love rich and spicy flavors like gingerbread or anything with molasses.
This gingerbread cobbler recipe is perfect if you’ve got a Christmas sweet tooth. I like to serve it warm out of the oven with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream starts to melt over the warm cobbler and creates this perfect spicy, melty, gooey combination that absolutely screams holiday dessert.
For all the ingredients and steps to make this gingerbread cobbler, keep reading!
What is a Cobbler?
So what is it that makes a cobbler different from a crisp or a crumble? A cobbler is commonly made with fruit, but in this case, I use nuts, is poured into a dish and covered with a batter before baking. It can be a biscuit-style batter or dough, or a dumpling, but it has a thicker batter for a cakey topping. Crisps and crumbles, as the names suggest, use a more crispy and crumbly topping, sometimes including oats and nuts that are sprinkled over the top.
Gingerbread Cobbler Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 additional cup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup eggnog (or whole milk if you prefer)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pecan halves
1-1/2 cups boiling water
How to Make Gingerbread Cobbler
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this gingerbread cobbler.
Pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees and grease an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a second, smaller bowl, stir together your eggnog, veggie oil, molasses, and vanilla extract. *Quick tip: measure your oil first and then measure your molasses in the same measuring cup so that it slides out nice and easy!
In one more bowl, mix together the additional 1/2 cup white sugar, the 1/2 cup brown sugar and your pecan halves. Set aside.
Before you start mixing everything together, get 1 and 1/2 cups of water boiling on the stove. You’ll need this at the very end.
Now you can take your molasses mixture and pour it over the dry ingredients. Mix until it just comes together and then spread it into your greased baking dish.
Sprinkle the sugar and pecan mixture over the top of the batter.
Next, very carefully, pour your boiling water over the top of everything. It will look like this.
And you’re ready to bake! Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes until everything looks set on top. The center will almost look dry like brownies.
Let it cool for about 10 minutes and then you’re ready to dig in! You’ll have a nice firm top and outside of the cobbler, but the inside will be nice and gooey and sweet!
Top it with a little vanilla ice cream and eat it while it’s still warm. I promise you will love this one!
Cookware I Used
Square Baking Dish: This is really the only thing you need for this recipe that you may not already have. My favorite is the Le Creuset enameled stoneware baker. It’s the perfect size and the interior is so easy to clean, even with this sticky, gooey cobbler!
Other Types of Cobblers To Enjoy
If you love the idea of an ooey-gooey filling topped with a thick battered topping, then have I got some suggestions for you! Here are some of my favorite cobbler recipes for you to check out.
Classic Peach Cobbler from Tastes Better from Scratch
Berry Cobbler from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Apple Cobbler from A Cozy Kitchen
Gingerbread Coffee Creamer
And if you’re really into the gingerbread flavor, be sure to check out my recipe for Gingerbread Coffee Creamer!
You’ll have to let me know if you try this one! I absolutely think it deserves a place next to your favorite pie on the Christmas dinner table.
I hope you all stay safe, healthy, and cozy this holiday!
Gingerbread Cobbler
This gingerbread cobbler is ooey gooey sweet with cozy spices. Serve it warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 + 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup eggnog (or whole milk if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
- 1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
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Pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees and grease an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish.
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In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
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In a second, smaller bowl, stir together your eggnog, veggie oil, molasses, and vanilla extract.
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In one more bowl, mix together the additional 1/2 cup white sugar, the 1/2 cup brown sugar and your pecan halves. Set aside.
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Get 1 and 1/2 cups of water boiling on the stove. You’ll need this at the very end.
-
Take molasses mixture and pour it over the dry ingredients. Mix until it just comes together and then spread it into your greased baking dish.
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Sprinkle the sugar and pecan mixture over the top of the batter.
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Very carefully, pour your boiling water over the top of everything.
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Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes until everything looks set on top. The center will almost look dry like brownies.
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Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Quick tip: measure your oil first and then measure your molasses in the same measuring cup so that it slides out nice and easy!
- Once baked, the top will look like brownies but the center will be loose and syrupy, that is exactly what you want.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. The top part was moist with a bit of crunch and the bottom was like a sweet thick syrup. It wasn’t too sweet when made with egg nog. It has definitely become a favorite. I made it in a 8×8 for a thicker cobbler. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Chyl, thank you so much for the feedback! I am glad you enjoyed it :) It’s definitely a holiday favorite in our house too!
This was an amazing, yet simple dessert! Will definitely make this again! Thank you!
Hi Shannon, thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it :)
I’ve made this before and everyone loved it. I’m going to make it again but am wondering about doubling the recipe. Has anyone done this successfully? Do I need to adjust the cook time?
Hi Sandra, I am so glad this recipe was a hit (and that people liked it enough to double the recipe!) I have not tried doubling it myself, but I would cook it as directed with the 8×8 and check to see if the top is set. You’ll want it to look dry almost like brownies. If it is still looking a little wet, add some time. I’d suggest only adding about 2 minutes at a time until you get it perfect. Let me know how it works out!
Hi, your recipe looks amazing I want to try it as soon as possible. I just have a question about the size of the vessel you were baking in. The vessel is 8×8 centimeters or inches?
Hi Kasia, it is 8 inches by 8 inches. You could also make it in a 9 inch by 9 inch dish as well. Hope this helps!
I made this tonight with almond milk and only used about 1 cup of hot water- turned out fantastic!!
Hi Lauren, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Almond milk is a great idea!
I made this lovely cobbler last night. Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make. Two thumbs up
Hi Alan, thank you so much for the feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed it :)
Would it come out alright if you use 1% or 2% milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Lois, I have not tried this, but I think you could get away with using 2% milk. I would probably avoid 1%. You want it to be somewhat creamy, but since the volume used is pretty low – I think 2% shouldn’t affect the recipe too much!
Thank you for the recipe! This was delicious, and so Christmassy. I added the dry to the wet and mixed my topping in the now-empty dry bowl to save washing a dish. By the way, is there a typo where it says “3/4 cup white sugar”? For Canadians: I used a whole 100g pkg of pecan halves and it was great. Next time I’ll use pecan pieces because they are cheaper.
Hi Carmen, I am so glad you loved this and what a great tip to save an extra dish, thank you! And yes, that its a typo – the first time I made it it was 3/4 cup sugar and I found it to be too sweet, so I changed it to 1/2 cup. I have fixed it in the recipe instructions. I appreciate you letting me know!
This looks heavenly. I’m planning to make it for a family get together. How would you recommend making it so I can serve it warm? Make and bake ahead of time and reheat to serve? Or assemble up to the hot water earlier in the day, then add water and bake while my company has dinner? I want to do this dessert justice because it looks like the sweet of my dreams!
Hi JoDee! That is a great question. I’ve never made a cobbler ahead of time (but it’s a great idea!) I looked up some suggestions from other websites and Epicurious says you can bake a cobbler ahead of time, cool completely, and cover it to put it in the fridge and then baked at 350-degrees for 20 minutes before serving. I hope this helps!
I’d love to be able to print this recipe but my computer won’t do ti. It only comes up blank.