Need a simple, homey dessert that is easy to make? Raspberry Pandowdy features fresh raspberries, sweetened and cooked with a flaky pastry topping for a rustic dessert you’ll love! The topping may be made with either gluten-free or with gluten flour.
There is nothing more delicious than naturally ripened berries in summer, is there? I could happily eat them raw every day but finding recipes to showcase their goodness is part of my summer kitchen fun. The recipes must be easy as I quickly lose interest in slaving in the kitchen during the hottest months of the year. Raspberry Pandowdy is one of the classic Americana recipes I love and I think you will too!
RASPBERRY PANDOWDY
If the name of this dessert does not strike your fancy I’m not surprised. There’s really nothing about it that gives a hint to what it even is! A Pandowdy is part of the Crisp and Crumble family of desserts. Like cobblers and crisps, it’s very basic and simple to prepare. It’s a homey comfort food with sweet berries cooked with a pastry topping making a relaxed summer dessert.
In this case I wanted the raspberries to shine and not fight for flavor attention with heavy dough or overpowering ingredients. A pandowdy is almost an upside-down pie in concept though with a format like a Crumble. It’s very simple; fruit on the bottom, crust on top in a very rustic form. It is not a fussy dessert by any means but rather a flavorful and simple celebration of seasonal fruit.
Raspberry Pandowdy is a scoopable dessert so though the size of the pan will determine how deep the recipe is, a serving is more the volume of your scoop! Typically I’ve found making the recipe in an 8-inch by 11-inch baking dish is about right (refer to photo in recipe below for the depth), though even a 9-inch by 9-inch pan would work well. The Raspberry Pandowdy in the photos above was cooked in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan which leaves it a bit thin.
I adapted one of my Great Grandmother’s pie crust recipes that is light and flaky for the topping. It was originally a gluten pie crust but it works wonderfully with gluten-free flour, so can really be made to suit your needs. If you are feeling lazy you can even use a store-bought pie crust especially since it’s broken into pieces when added to the top to allow steam to escape. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s heaven!
Raspberry Pandowdy
Raspberry Pandowdy is a classic Americana dessert that is rustic and simple to make. The prep time represents 20 minutes of chilling for the light, flaky pastry dough that tops the dessert. The true prep takes about 10 minutes tops! It's a delicious scoopable dessert that showcases fresh summer raspberries beautifully.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour (gluten-free or regular) (I used King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour)
- 1/3 cup Unsalted butter (5 1/3 tablespoons) cold and sliced (plus extra to grease the pan)
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Ice Water
- 5 cups Raspberries rinsed
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 pinch Ground Nutmeg freshly grated if possible
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch by 11-inch baking pan. NOTE: this is a scoopable dessert which will be about 1-inch thick in this pan size. The serving size provides enough volume per person.
Equip a food processor with the kneading blade (or if making by hand use a dough/pastry blender) combine the flour, butter (1/3 cup), salt and blend until grainy. Slowly add ice water while blending to allow the dough to make a smoother consistency and form a ball. Do not over blend. NOTE: depending on whether you use gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour, you may not need to use all of the ice water.
Place the dough ball between two pieces of wax paper and roll out to be about 1/8 inch thick. Place in the dough in the wax paper in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to chill. Note: if the dough is too warm/sticky to roll out, you can chill the dough ball 20 minutes and then proceed with rolling out and re-chilling.
While the dough chills, in a large bowl combine the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and nutmeg and gently fold in to combine. Sprinkle the mixture with the cornstarch and fold in completely. Spoon berry mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator. Breaking off pieces of the crust, cover the berry mixture completely. Placing the crust in this way allows for steam to more easily escape as well for the berry juices to seep through to the top over some of the crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Remove and allow to cool 20 minutes before serving.
Bob Poley says
What a WONDERFUL article on our farm, Toni! THANK YOU! Your writing is compelling and intelligent–I'll be begging Janet to fix pandowdy, or (heaven forbid) even try to do it myself. The photography is amazing! We have always felt we were making something beautiful. You have given astounding light to the beauty. Again: Thank you. Bob
The Mom Chef says
Raspberries are my favorite fruit. I'd turn off the road to that farm in a heartbeat if I saw the sign. I love pandowdy, especially with raspberries. Now I'm going to have to find me some!
All That I'm Eating says
I love pick your own! This looks like a great place and I love the snell of picking fresh raspberries. Your pandowdy is a new dessert on me but it sounds fantastic.
Kitchen Riffs says
I love down home desserts, and it doesn't get any more down home than a pandowdy. I haven't had one in years, and don't believe I've ever had one made with raspberries. Sounds great – and even better with the ice cream you suggest. Good stuff – thank you.
Dina says
that would be delish with some vanilla ice cream!
Elyse @The Cultural Dish says
Ahhh I love going fruit picking! That bunny was adorable too 😉 Great recipe and beautiful photos!
Anita at Hungry Couple says
I love your description and etiquette rules! I smiled when I saw the name of your post because I was intending to make some kind of lighter fruit dessert today and I thought about a pandowdy. 🙂
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That looks amazing! I have never heard of pandowdy, but it looks a lot like a cobbler, which I love. I cannot wait to make this! Om nom nom.
Jeanette says
This looks mouthwatering. I mean I really wish I could just take it right off the screen and eat it. My friend would enjoy it too and she was has trouble finding anything with gluten free in it. I can’t wait to surprise her with a dessert like this.
Amy Desrosiers says
This reminds me of a cobbler. I have never had a raspberry dessert aside from a tart, but would love to turn all the berries in my yard into something like this.
Toni Dash says
There are several Americana desserts that definitely are similar though each having their own signature: cobblers, crisps, grunts, slumps, betty’s, pandowdy. All funny names but easy and delicious to make!
Melissa Chapman says
Summer fruits are something i really long for all year round. This recipe is a great American dessert using our great fruit, I will try it next time I have fresh raspberries.
Rosey says
Oh my goodness it looks so good and it gives me an instant sweet tooth. Pinning it.
Jenna Wood says
I am getting tons of pop ups and flyovers making it hard to leave a comment- But I truly thought this was cherry at first, it looks so gooey and decadent. I love fresh fruit desserts during the Summer, and we pick our own berries, too!
Toni Dash says
Oh no Jenna! I am not even sure what a flyover is but will be sharing your feedback with my ad network. I apologize for your experience.
Vera Sweeney says
I need this fruity deliciousness in my life immediately! I love that crackled pastry looking top. Om nom nom.
Meagan says
This looks absolutely amazing! I think I need a serving now with some delicious vanilla icecream.
Toni Dash says
Me too!
Sarah says
That looks delicious! I’ve never had Pandowdy before. Raspberries are my absolute favorite fruit on the planet. So many tasty recipes that you can make from them.
Toni Dash says
Then you’ll definitely love this Sarah!
Nellie Blazina says
This looks like the perfect comforting dessert. My family would love this. Can’t wait to try.
Kristen @ My 3 Little Kittens says
Your gorgeous photos tell the whole story! Absolutely delicious dessert perfect for any summer time occasion!!!!!
Pam Wattenbarger says
I love raspberries and so does my granddaughter. She will eat lots of them without any argument at all! I bet she would love this for a sweet treat.
Jay says
Fresh fruit desserts are the best kind of dessert in the summer. I think my family would really enjoy this and not at all complicated to make.
Liz Mays says
The flaky crust looks so nice! I’m always happy to have fun ways to use those fresh raspberries.
Theresa @DearCreatives says
I need to try this. I love raspberry recipes. Looks so yummy.
Debra says
This looks amazing! It’s blueberry picking time here in NJ – I wonder if they would work for this. What a yummy and fruity treat!
robin rue says
That is a perfect summer dessert. I am super excited to make this the next time I have guests.
Kelly Hutchinson says
This looks absolutely delicious! I just love any fruit when it is cooked with a flaky pastry.
Claudia Krusch says
This Raspberry Pandowdy is going to be a delicious dessert for this weekend. I will have to get the ingredients I need to make it.
Lisa Bristol says
I am always looking for new recipes to try. This looks so delicious and easy to make. I am excited to make it for dessert tomorrow.
Kathy says
This looks really good. I’ve never tried this before. I do love raspberries too. I think I’ll have to give this a try soon!
Sinisa says
Very interesting but tasty looking deserts. Will have to try it soon.
Mary Edwards says
This looks delicious. I would serve it hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a little whipped cream. YUM!
Dawn Lopez says
I love the name of this dessert! It just sounds like an awesome homemade treat~ which is exactly what it is! I’m also a huge raspberry fan so that is a bonus too.
Annemarie LeBlanc says
That looks amazingly delicious! I have not had Raspberry Pandowdy yet and I asked my husband what it was. His eyes lit up and asked me where did I see it and if I bought it. Haha. I said it is a recipe and he said he will help me make it this weekend. You made the big bear so excited. 🙂
Hali says
Wow I’m used to recipes nowbeing allergy friendly, but this one I can actually try without chanign everything around. Looks and sounds great!!
Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says
It sounds amazing and I’m down for a dessert that features the season’s ripest produce. I think berries are always great with desserts and to make this extra indulgent, I’d top my serving with a classic vanilla ice cream. Thanks for the recipe!
Travel Blogger says
This looks so heavenly! I love desserts like this with fruit! We have a ton of pick your own berry places where I live, and I am going to have to definitely try this recipe.
AnnMarie John says
I’ve never made pandowdy before. I’m not even sure if I’ve had it. I think it’s amazing and it sounds so easy to prepare. I love desserts that make use of fresh berries!!!
Tara says
This dessert looks absolutely delicious. I love how easy it is to make. This would be really good with ice cream or whipped cream.
Shannon Gurnee says
This looks and sounds like a delicious recipe! I would love to try making this (and eating this) sometime! Thanks for sharing.
Kita Bryant says
I’ve definitely never heard of a pandowdy before! However, it’s right up my alley. I could go for a piece right now.
My Teen Guide says
Looks like a delicious dessert. Honestly, I haven’t tried Pandowdy yet but of course there is always a first time. I think I will be loving this raspberry pandowdy dessert. Thank you for sharing the recipe. This might well be another family favorite.