Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Cobbler
A true double-crust sweet potato cobbler with raw diced sweet potatoes baked in a spiced orange and brown sugar syrup. No boiling, no mashing, and it feeds a crowd from one 9x13 pan.
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter very cold, cubed
- ½ to ⅔ cup ice water added gradually
- 1 large egg beaten, for egg wash
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting
For the Potatoes
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 2 cups brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
- 1 cup fresh orange juice warmed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter cubed, for dotting
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt together in a large bowl.
- Cut the cold cubed butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture holds pieces ranging from pea-sized down to coarse crumbs. Leave some butter pieces visible.
- Drizzle in the ice water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Make the Spiced Orange Syrup
- Warm the fresh orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until warming, about 3 minutes. Do not boil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until no lumps remain.
- Pour the warm orange juice over the sugar mixture and whisk until completely smooth, then stir in the orange zest and vanilla extract.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and set a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack to catch drips.
- Roll the first dough disc on a floured surface into a rectangle large enough to line the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fit it in and press it into the corners.
- Add the diced raw sweet potatoes and spread them into an even layer.
- Pour the spiced orange syrup evenly over the sweet potatoes, then dot the surface with the cubed butter.
- Roll the second disc and lay it over the filling. Trim the overhang, press the edges together to seal, and cut four or five vents in the center.
- Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and dust lightly with cinnamon.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles thickly through the vents. Tent with foil if the top browns before 35 minutes.
- Rest at least 20 minutes before serving so the syrup can thicken. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold: Cut the butter and return it to the fridge while you measure everything else. Cold butter is what makes the crust flake.
- Warm the orange juice: It dissolves the brown sugar fully and hydrates the cornstarch. Cold juice leaves grit at the bottom of the pan.
- Dice evenly: ½-inch cubes cook through in the same time the crust takes. Larger pieces stay firm.
- Make-ahead dough: Refrigerate the discs up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze the wrapped dish up to 3 months. Reheat uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Canned sweet potatoes: Not recommended. If using them, drain well, reduce cornstarch to 1 tablespoon, and bake only 35 minutes.