This easy recipe with fresh strawberries 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 use frozen berries during cold months.
This is old-fashioned comfort food
A classic vintage dessert with a juicy, syrupy fruit filling and tender, buttery topping. I can eat the syrup with a spoon (and maybe I do), but the biscuit on top mixed with it gets me every time. Because, you know, carbs.
It makes a fantastic treat for many occasions, especially warm weather holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
It's versatile and especially good served warm with some ice cream or whipped cream. No surprises there.
I put together this fruit cobbler roundup post, with tips and recipes. If I were you, I'd have it close by to consult when your favorite fruit is in season.
FAQ
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 filling and a doughy biscuit topping, while a pie has a bottom crust. However, there might be a debate about whether there are cobblers with a bottom dough, that would be a pie. Some cobblers use pie dough, like the Cinnamon Plum Cobbler, but it's used as a lattice topping.
Both work. I always favor fresh ones when in season, but frozen berries are a great option for dull Winter months when you crave strawberries.
Ingredient list
- 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 on the market. But frozen ones also work. Don't refrain from eating this great dessert year-round!
- White, granulated sugar.
- 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.
- Unsalted butter: if you have salted butter, omit the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Buttermilk: the tanginess balances the dessert and makes the topping more tender.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired. It's needed to help the biscuit dough rise in the oven.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
- Brown sugar: I change to light brown sugar sometimes because it adds a wonderful caramel flavor.
- Citrus: strawberries pair well with orange, lime, lemon zest or a mix of all three.
- Boozy dessert: to make it more sophisticated, add a few tablespoons of golden rum, champagne or prosecco, or rose wine to the filling.
Steps to make a strawberry cobbler
Cornstarch slurry: you must dissolve the cornstarch first before drizzling it over the strawberries. I do it in the lemon juice. If you don't want to use juice, use a tablespoon of water.
Strawberries
- Small pieces of fruit: you want to eat this dessert with a spoon and not have to cut large chunks or whole strawberries.
- 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.
Topping
One-bowl mixing: a medium bowl and a spoon are all you need. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones until no dry spots remain, but don't overmix or beat it. Biscuits need a light touch to stay tender after they're baked.
Assembly
Drop mounds or spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit. Leave space between them so the dough bakes 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 ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping 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 as the filling will probably overflow before the topping is baked through. Trust me, it happened.
This dessert is served in the same dish it's baked in, and you can check out the list of what types of dishes I use for family-style recipes. - Strawberries: we always prioritize fresh berries, but frozen ones also work. Use them directly from the freezer without thawing.
- Sweetness: if you like sweeter desserts, omit the lemon juice and add up to 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to the strawberry mixture.
- Does a cobbler need to be refrigerated? It lasts a day or two at room temperature in a cool environment, covered so 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.
- 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!
Related recipes you might like:
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Strawberry Cobbler (fresh or frozen)
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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.
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!