• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Easy Dinners
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Thai
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegetarian

Inquiring Chef

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Dessert

    Summer Berry Cobbler

    Published: Jul 15, 2020 · Modified: Mar 13, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 2 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    easy berry cobbler
    hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with ice cream
    square baker with berry cobbler
    square baker with berry cobbler
    hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with ice cream
    Simple Summer Berry Cobbler

    hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream

    Summer Berry Cobbler is a classic dessert with jammy fruit topped with a simple, tender, sweet  biscuit. Make it with fresh or frozen berries for a summery dessert you can actually make all year long. 

    We drove out to my mom's house over the weekend for a very special purpose - blackberry picking! It was a steamy summer night with the sun setting behind us and the kids stuffing hundreds of berries in their mouths as they picked. In this summer that is decidedly not what we had planned, it felt like a moment of pure normalcy.

    June - blackberries

    blackberries on the vine

    twins in blackberry field

    And we got gallons of berries out of the deal. 😉

     

    3 young girls dancing in the blackberry field

    one of the twins holding up a blackberry

    And so, of course, what we needed to do with all these berries was bake cobbler! In truth, I've been working on this recipe for Summer Berry Cobbler since early spring. I wanted one that checked all the boxes - a berry layer that is rich, thick, and jammy plus a topping that is light and tender. The topping here is a buttermilk drop biscuit. But it’s NOT a finicky biscuit. This is the easiest drop biscuit you’ll ever make. (More on that below.)

    adding biscuits to berry cobbler

    Ingredients

    • Mixed Berries - The real star of cobbler is the fruit. Okay….maybe the star is the biscuits. Either way, you’re going to want some really good berries to create the fruit filling. If it’s not the season for fresh berries, frozen berries are a great way to go. See below for thoughts on choosing the “right” fruit for cobbler.
    • White Sugar - You don’t need a ton of sugar for this recipe, but a bit of sugar mixed with the filling and the topping help to highlight the natural sweetness of the fruit. 
    • Cornstarch - I’m partial to a thicker fruit filling, so I find cornstarch a must-have. This will help to thicken the juices of the fruit as it cooks. 
    • Lemon Juice - A bit of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor of the fruit. If you don’t have lemon juice, feel free to skip it - the dish will bake just fine without it. 
    • Buttermilk - It’s hard to beat the subtle tangy flavor and ability to make tender biscuits you get from buttermilk. See below for lots of other ways to use it up if you’ve bought a jug of it. If you don’t have buttermilk, check the recipe for my go-to substitute.
    • All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Kosher Salt, Unsalted Butter, Pure Vanilla Extract - Standard baking items you’ll need for the biscuits.

    Simple Summer Berry Cobbler

    Choosing Fruit for Cobbler

    The berries or other fruit you choose for cobbler will affect the texture of the filling. Strawberries, raspberries, and any frozen berries tend to release more liquid and will lead to a thinner fruit base (great for spooning over ice cream). Blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches hold up a bit better and will usually give you a thicker base. It’s great either way, just be sure to factor that in when you’re choosing fruit!

    Fruit options for cobbler:

    • Strawberries, chopped
    • Blackberries
    • Blueberries
    • Raspberries
    • Peaches, sliced or chopped (great with blueberries or blackberries)
    • Cherries, halved and pitted
    • Apples 
    • Pears
    • Plums

    a bowl of summer berries - blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries

    Why Pre-Cook Fruit Filling?

    The best way to get a thick filling in which the berries have a jammy consistency is to pre-bake the fruit filling. After about 15 minutes in the oven, the berries have started to soften, and that is the time to add the biscuit topping. 

    If you are using any of the fruit that I mention above that leads to a more liquid-y filling, you can bake that for a few extra minutes (try 20 minutes) before adding the buttermilk biscuit topping. A few extra minutes allows more of the liquid to cook off.

    summer berry cobbler with drop biscuits on top

    Shortcut Drop Biscuits with Melted (!) Butter

    Surely I’m not alone in that homemade biscuits = a project. Traditional buttermilk biscuits have to be made just right for that great, light, tender texture. But the biscuits that top this Summer Berry Cobbler are NOT finicky biscuits. They have a secret.

    They use a method I came across in a very old copy of Cooks Illustrated. Most traditional biscuit recipes have you keep the butter cold so that pieces stay intact until the biscuits are in the oven. In the shortcut version you melt the butter. Yes - melt it! Then whisk very cold buttermilk into the hot, melted butter. When the two combine, it causes the butter to seize up, creating the very same little clumps of butter.

    Here is what the mixture looks like right after cold buttermilk is added to hot butter. It looks lumpy and curdled, but that’s exactly what you want. This method takes the guesswork out of the process of making drop biscuits.

    drop biscuit mix in a bowl

    drop biscuit dough after mixing

    P.S. I have a savory version of drop biscuits using this same method! I’ll share it later this summer.

    Extra Thick Cobbler Topping

    Want a serious dose of topping on your cobbler? Try doubling the biscuit recipe. When you double the biscuit topping of this cobbler, you get a crazy thick, tender layer on top. Just be sure to increase the baking time once the topping is added by about 5 minutes. The cobbler below is exactly what my kids want in a cobbler - "more cake"!

    square baker with berry cobbler

    a spoonful of berry cobbler from a pan full of cobbler

    Leftover buttermilk? Try these recipes that use buttermilk.

    • Crispy Baked Cornflake Chicken
    • Lemon Olive Oil Cake
    • Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
    • Banana Bread Bundt Cake with Chocolate

    Favorite Tools

    • 9x9 Baking Dish
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Pyrex 2-Cup Measuring Cup

    hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with ice cream

    hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with ice cream
    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Simple Summer Berry Cobbler

    Summer Berry Cobbler is a classic summer dish, but this version is great with fresh or frozen berries - make it all year long.The secret to a jammy, thick filling is to bake the fruit for 15 minutes before adding tender, buttermilk biscuits to bak on top.
    While cobbler is great on its own, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top always puts it over the top.
    Want to adjust the servings in this recipe? Just click on the number next to “servings” to scale up or down.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: berry dessert, summer dessert
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 345kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $8.00

    Equipment

    • 9x9 Baking Dish
    • Mixing Bowls

    Ingredients

    Fruit Filling:

    • 5 cups Berries (see note)
    • ¼ cup White Sugar
    • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Cornstarch
    • 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

    Buttermilk Biscuit Topping:

    • 1 ¼ cups (156 g) All-Purpose Flour
    • ⅓ cup (66 g) White Sugar
    • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 5 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted
    • ½ cup Cold Buttermilk
    • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

    Instructions

    • Spray a 9x9 baking dish (see note) with nonstick cooking spray. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan (this will catch any berry filling that bubbles over during cooking).
    • Preheat oven to 375 F.

    Prepare Fruit Filling:

    • Stir together fruit, sugar (portion for filling), cornstarch, and lemon juice. (If using frozen berries, do not defrost them first.) Spread out in baking dish.
    • Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes to start fruit cooking.

    Make Topping:

    • While fruit filling bakes, combine flour, sugar (portion for topping), baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    • Melt butter in the microwave until hot (or melt it on the stove). While butter is still hot, stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract. (The mixture will look slightly curdled or separated which will help to keep the biscuits light; even if your mixture doesn't look curdled - don't worry - just proceed with the recipe as written.)
    • Pour butter-buttermilk mixture over dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix - stop stirring as soon as no dry spots remain.

    Finish Baking:

    • Spray a ¼ cup measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray. Use the measuring cup to scoop out biscuit dough and drop it onto the top of the warm fruit filling (I like to make one biscuit per serving).
    • Bake until filling is thick and bubbling and a tester inserted in the biscuits comes out clean, 28 to 32 minutes.
    • Let cool for 10 minutes before serving (the filling will continue to thicken as it cools).

    Notes

    This dish can be baked in any shape of baking dish, cake pan, or skillet has about a 9-inch diameter.
    Berries - Use any mix of fresh or frozen berries. Raspberries and strawberries, or frozen berries are juicier and will lead to a more liquid fruit base. You can add 5 minutes to the pre-cooking step to help thicken the fruit filling even more. 
    Buttermilk - Don't have buttermilk? Replace the buttermilk by combining ½ cup milk with + 2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Just make sure it is very cold before combining it with the heated butter.
    Double Topping - Want a serious extra dose of topping on your cobbler!? Try doubling the biscuit topping recipe. Increase the baking time once the topping is added by about 5 minutes to be sure it bakes all the way through. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Related

    « Lemony Garlic Butter Shrimp
    Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken »

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Albert

      January 26, 2021 at 9:49 am

      Can I replace buttermilk with 2% milk & BUTTERMILK POWDER (putting the powder in with dry ingredients)?

      I’m going to double the topping too! I’ll be using my frozen berries, so I think doubling the topping will help absorb more of the extra juice. (Not to mention that theirs never too much cakey, biscuity topping in cobbler) lol.
      I lost my favorite cobbler recipe. Ugghhh. So I looked around for one that “spoke to me”, and this one sounds like it fits the bill
      Thanks for sharing it.
      Have a great day!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        January 26, 2021 at 9:52 am

        I haven't tried it with the powdered buttermilk + milk, but I really think that should work just fine. And yes - as you can see in the post, we love a double topping around here! And I agree - with frozen berries it might be the perfect thing to give you plenty of topping to soak up the juice. Make sure you let it sit for a few minutes before serving - I always feel like that's extra helpful with frozen berries. Enjoy!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Welcome! We're Jess and Frank. Since 2010, we have been serving up easy, original recipes here on Inquiring Chef.

    More about us →

    Latest Recipes

    • Shrimp and Chive Dumplings
    • Dumpling and Potsticker Dipping Sauce
    • Crispy Chickpeas {Stovetop, Oven, or Air Fryer}
    • Fourth of July Cookie Bars

    Trending Recipes

    • Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Mason Jar Overnight Oats
    • Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest

    Contact

    • Email Us

    Copyright © 2022 Inquiring Chef

    • Pin
    • Share
    • Yum
    • Tweet
    • Email