This is an easy recipe with fresh strawberries that brings out the best of seasonal fruit and involves little time in the kitchen. A cobbler means that juicy, sweet berries are topped with biscuit dough and baked until golden brown to produce a scrumptious dessert. You can also use frozen strawberries during cold months.
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As far as easy berry desserts go, cobblers are one of my favorites, together with crisps and crumbles. By now, we have a great archive of fruit desserts and bakes. All delicious recipes you can make when your favorite fruit is in season.
Today I'm sharing an easy strawberry cobbler recipe that I'm sure you'll love. Easy, versatile, and so delicious!
About cobblers
They consist of a layer of fruit and a topping that can vary in consistency and crunchiness. Old-fashioned comfort food.
They come together fast, are loved by everyone (at least in my house), and are super versatile. Use different fruit, different types of sugar (brown sugar is amazing), a touch of lemon or lime in the filling, different toppings, and serve it plain or warm with some ice cream.
My first love was this Old-fashioned Peach Cobbler recipe, among the most popular dessert recipes for summer holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
But now, a fruit cobbler with seasonal fruit is one of my favorite things to bake. You can also use leftover pie dough like in the Plum Cobbler recipe.
Ingredients
- Strawberries: seasonal sweet strawberries are always my first choice, and you should use fresh fruit if possible. It's also cheaper and you can grab amazingly red, juicy strawberries for a great price because a ton of fresh berries suddenly appear at the market. But frozen ones also work. Don't refrain from eating this great dessert year-round!
- Sugar: I use white granulated sugar most of the time, but change to light brown sugar sometimes because it adds a caramel flavor that is amazing. Feel free to use the one you like most or have available.
- Cornstarch: it helps thicken the strawberry juice that is released during baking creating a wonderful syrup.
- Citrus: we need acid to balance the sugar and butter. I use orange zest and lemon juice, but you can use only one citrus, even lime. If you only use lemon or lime, the flavor will be sharper.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Butter: unsalted is what I use, but if you have salted butter omit the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Buttermilk: the tanginess gives balance to the dessert and makes the topping more tender.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired. It's needed to help the biscuit dough rise in the oven.
How to assemble a cobbler
This is an easy cobbler recipe, one of those fruit desserts that comes together quickly, and uses simple ingredients.
Strawberry layer
- Small pieces of fruit: you want to eat this dessert with a spoon and not have to cut large chunks or whole strawberries.
- Cornstarch: it's important that you dissolve it first before drizzling it over the strawberries. I do it in lemon juice. If you don't want to use juice, use a tablespoon of water.
- Mixing the ingredients: I do it directly in the baking pan (no need to wash yet another bowl!), but you can use a large bowl and then dump it all into the baking dish.
Biscuit topping
I like biscuit dough because it's soft and fluffy inside but turns golden brown and is crunchy on top. But there are small details, usually in ingredients, that can result in quite different toppings.
- One bowl mixing: a medium bowl and a spoon is all you need. Mix the dry ingredients (flour mixture and sugar) with the wet ingredients until no dry spots remain, but don't overmix or beat it (images 3 & 4). Biscuits need a light touch so they are tender after they're baked.
- Cobbler topping: the easiest way is to add mounds or spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit (image 5). Leave space between them so the dough bakes fully comfortably while the juices bubble up.
Baking the cobbler
- Make sure you have the right pan size. This is important if you don't want the filling to overflow before the biscuit topping is fully baked. If it does overflow (it happens) put a piece of foil on the bottom of the oven to catch the spilled juices.
- When is it done? The top will get golden brown and the strawberry layer bubbling. But always lift the dough here and there with a fork to check that it's completely baked inside. There should be no wet parts at all.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan size: don't be tempted to use a smaller one because the filling will probably overflow before the topping is baked through. Trust me, it happened.
- Strawberries: this is a fresh strawberry cobbler, but if you only have frozen ones they can work also. Use them directly from the freezer, without thawing.
- Sweetness: if you like sweeter desserts, you can omit the lemon juice and add up to 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to the strawberry mixture.
- Cobbled topping: it's important you leave space between the mounds of dough so the fruit juices can bubble up during baking while the topping bakes fully.
- Serving it: I like it warm with fresh strawberries added, because the difference in textures and temperatures makes for a great bite. A dollop of sweet whipped cream or the popular big scoop of vanilla ice cream are great ways to serve this cobbler, one of our favorite summer desserts!
Frequently asked questions
As a rule, a cobbler has a biscuit dough topping, while crisps or crumbles have a streusel, a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter that can include oats but no liquids. All three have a fruit bottom layer. Cobbler recipes sometimes call for pie crust topping, and occasionally have a bottom layer of dough, but that's an ongoing debate.
A cobbler has a dough topping and a pie always has a bottom crust, and many times also a top crust. Though there might be a debate as to whether there are cobblers with a bottom dough, that would be a pie. There are cobblers that use pie dough, like the Cinnamon Plum Cobbler, but it's used as the topping.
It lasts a day or two at room temperature in a cool environment, covered so that it doesn't dry out. After that, I recommend wrapping and refrigerating it. Especially if the kitchen is hot because it's a fruit dessert and you don't want it to start fermenting. Warm it lightly in a preheated oven before eating.
Related recipes you might like:
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Fresh Strawberry Cobbler
This cobbler with fresh strawberries is an easy recipe that brings out the best of this favorite fruit and involves little time in the kitchen. A cobbler means that juicy, sweet strawberries are topped with a layer of biscuit dough to produce a scrumptious dessert.
This recipe uses a 9-inch round pan.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the fruit layer:
- 2 pounds of fresh strawberries (or frozen, see Notes)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup cold buttermilk
For serving (optional):
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
- Extra fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C
- Have ready a 9-inch baking dish.
For the fruit layer:
- Wash, dry, stem, and cut strawberries into bite-size pieces. Scatter them in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the orange zest and add the vanilla.
- Mix the lemon juice with the cornstarch in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Drizzle over the strawberries. Mix lightly with a spoon.
- Sprinkle the ¼ cup sugar over the berries.
For the topping:
- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and the melted butter. Mix with a spoon *just* until no dry parts remain. Don't overmix or beat this dough.
- Drop mounds of this mixture on top of the strawberries.
- Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon, but leave space between them. The strawberry layer needs to bubble up while baking.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the juices appear on the edges and the top is golden brown.
- Check that the dough is fully baked. This is important! Lift it here and there carefully and make sure it's dry inside and not wet. Sometimes the top is beautifully baked but the inside still needs more time.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Eat warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and some extra fresh strawberries.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated, well covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Pan size: don't be tempted to use a smaller one because the filling will probably overflow before the topping is baked through. Trust me, it happened.
Strawberries: this is a fresh strawberry cobbler, but if you only have frozen ones they can work also. Use them directly from the freezer, without thawing.
Sweetness: if you like sweeter desserts, you can omit the lemon juice and add up to 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to the strawberry mixture.
Cobbled topping: it's important to leave space between the mounds of dough so the fruit juices can bubble up during baking while the biscuits bake fully.
Serving it: I like it warm with fresh strawberries added, because the difference in textures and temperatures makes for a great bite. A dollop of sweet whipped cream or the popular big scoop of vanilla ice cream are great ways to serve this cobbler, one of our favorite summer desserts!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 236
- Sugar: 22.2 g
- Sodium: 87.5 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 20.6 mg
Keywords: strawberry cobbler
Maca says
I just took this cobbler to my SIL house last night and it was a hit! We served it with ice cream and everybody loved it. Some of the guests didn’t know what a cobbler was so they tasted this one for the first time and I’m betting they became fans lol
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Love this Maca, thanks for the comment. Have a great week!
Elisa says
You have a great writing style when it comes to talking about food. This was a fun read. And not only did I learn a new recipe today, but also a new word - macerate. Never heard of that before so thank you for that. Also, you have motivated me to try this recipe - although I might go with the peach cobbler instead. I'm not a big fan of strawberries - it's all about the seeds for me.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Elisa, thanks for such a nice comment! I share what I know with a lot of passion and am glad it helps. The peach cobbler is fantastic. Let me know if you make it. Enjoy the weekend!
Ali M. says
This recipe is everything! I love making cobblers because they are very easy compared to a lot of other desserts. Plus I love that they are jam packed with scrumptious fruits!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for letting me know Ali! We also love it here. Have a great weekend.
angiesrecipes says
It's one of my favourites too. Sweet juicy seasonal berries with melt-in-mouth biscuit topping...absolutely heavenly!