Berry Cobbler Recipe
Total Time
1 hour, 5 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(76)
Ingredients
serves 10-12
- 8 cups (approx. 1kg) mixed berries* (see note)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, cold*
- for topping before baking: 1 Tablespoon buttermilk and coarse sugar
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Chef’s notes
I don’t recommend preparing this recipe ahead of time, the biscuit topping won’t rise as much if it is not immediately baked. You can, however, freeze the prepared berry filling for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before using. It will be quite juicy, but that’s not a bad thing in cobbler! You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Use any berries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), that you enjoy. I recommend 3 cups blueberries, 2 cups blackberries, 1 and 1/2 cups raspberries, and 1 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries. Keep in mind that the juicier the berries (raspberries, strawberries), the more liquid-y the berry layer will be. Frozen berries will produce a more liquid-y layer.
You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough cold whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, cold lower fat or cold nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the topping won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
For this berry cobbler, I reduced and adapted the biscuit topping from my peach cobbler recipe so that the berries were the star of the dessert. If you’d like more biscuit topping, use the biscuit topping measurements from the peach cobbler. (That one includes baking soda.)
Instead of baking as one big dessert, you can make individual berry cobblers by dividing the layers and baking in several oven-safe ramekins. Bake time depends on the amount of food in each ramekin. Bake on a large baking sheet until the berries are bubbling and biscuit topping is golden brown. It’s easier to bake as a whole and simply serve in individual ramekins or even parfait glasses, though!