Cobblers are one of our favorite ways to enjoy summer fruit, hands down. But they do tend to get a little messy when we’re trying to serve a table of guests. We’ve started baking individual portions of cobbler in ramekins as a way to make this homely dessert a little more manageable and elegant.

First, we make a normal batch of cobbler topping - this recipe for Foolproof Cobbler is an old favorite. Then we take one-cup sized ramekins and fill them roughly halfway with summer fruit. The topping is spooned on top, and we bake them on a cookie sheet until bubbly and golden.

Definitely put a piece of parchment or foil under the ramekins as the juices have a tendency to spill over the edge. (I forgot in the image above and clean-up was not fun!) These are still cobblers after all, and we wouldn’t want to take away all their rustic charm.

Making these individual cobblers is also a great idea for when we don’t have quite enough fruit for a whole cobbler, but want to use up just a handful of berries or leftover fruits. And if you bake them in wide-mouth canning jars, you can screw a lid over the leftovers and stack them in the fridge. Handy!

Related: How to Use Up Over Ripe Fruit

(Images: Emma Christensen)