Pineapple Upside-Down Cobbler

While many BBQ joints offer up cobblers as a sweet reprieve from all of the smoked meats, Barbs B Q, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024, offers up something a bit different: a unique (and irrefutably delicious) upside-down cake-cobbler hybrid. To make it, a technique not unlike that used to make a dump cake is employed: A scattering of crushed pineapple and sour cherries is strewn into a baking dish alongside melted butter, topped with a simple batter made with milk, sugar, and self-rising flour, and even more pineapple and cherries are scattered atop. A final flourish of turbinado sugar is sprinkled over top and the magic happens: The ensemble bakes into the most tender, ooey-gooey cobbler perfect for topping with whipped cream.

“Barbs’ menu is deeply rooted in traditional recipes we ate growing up reinvented with a modern twist to bring the nostalgic into the present. My mother was not a very good cook, and we hardly ever ate dessert, but when we did it was boxed pineapple upside-down cake,” says Barbs B Q investor and baker Joanne Irizarry. “For Barbs’ menu, I wanted to create a recipe that was my own version of something I ate growing up. At the other restaurant I owned, I made many different varieties of cobbler, and after some experimentation, this pineapple upside-down cobbler was born. My mother died the week I entered culinary school, and we had a very disconnected relationship at that point, so this recipe is special to me as part of the healing process. It was created in her honor.” —Jesse Szewczyk, senior test kitchen editor

Editor's Note: Canned crushed pineapple varies by brand. Some are extra juicy. Buy a few extra cans to ensure you have enough pulp after draining.