Simple Mixed Berry Cobbler

hands holding a bowl of berry cobbler with ice cream

5 from 8 votes

Simple Mixed Berry Cobbler

A fruit cobbler is 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 on top.

While cobbler is great on its own, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top always puts it over the top.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Keyword: baking, berry dessert, dessert, easy baking, easy dessert recipe, potluck recipe, summer dessert, summer recipe

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $12.00

Equipment

9x9 Baking Dish
Half Sheet Pan
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

5 cups Berries (see note)
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

Buttermilk Biscuit Topping:

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour (156 grams)
1/3 cup White Sugar (66 grams)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Cold Buttermilk
1 teaspoon 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. (Note: If using frozen berries, bake the fruit for an extra 5 minutes.)

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 1/4 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 teaspoons 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