Juicy sweet berries and a buttery rich biscuit topping come together in this old-fashioned simple berry cobbler. Use your favorite berries and if they’re out of season, swap fresh for frozen berries. The buttermilk biscuit topping is super soft with a deliciously crisp crust. This easy summer dessert is made even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream!
Up close and personal. ↑ ↑
Those syrupy berries, that golden brown biscuit crust, the necessary vanilla ice cream topper. It’s funny that out of the hundreds of recipes on my website, I’m declaring this the one and only dessert you should make this summer. Consider this the easier way to enjoy your favorite sweet summer berries without the work of a full pie and pie crust. Forget the others (but maybe not you, key lime pie) and let’s make mixed berry cobbler!
What the Heck is Cobbler?
Let’s clear this up! Cobblers, crumbles, and crisps fall under the same dessert umbrella. Each are like pie, but without the pie crust. Cobblers are typically topped with a biscuit or sometimes cake-like topping (like my cherry cobbler and apple cobbler), crisps are topped with an oat streusel topping, and crumbles are topped with an oat-less crumb topping. The terms are all pretty synonymous with one another, but cobbler almost always has the biscuit topping. Like a giant strawberry shortcake of sorts. If you like pie, you’ll definitely enjoy cobblers, crumbles, and crisps. (Try my bourbon cherry crisp next because it’s totally out of this world!)
Here’s Why Cobbler is Literally the Best
We love this during the summertime and it’s lovely for a 4th of July dessert, BBQs, Father’s Day, family reunion gatherings, and more, but since you can use frozen fruit, it’s great any time of year!
Best Berries for Berry Cobbler
Hit up the farmer’s market or grocery store sales: you need 8 cups of berries total. I used 3 cups blueberries, 2 cups blackberries, 1 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries, and 1 and 1/2 cup raspberries. Keep in mind that the juicier the fruit (raspberries, strawberries), the more liquid-y your berry layer will be.
You can use frozen berries in this cobbler, too!
How to Make Berry Cobbler
You only need 2 bowls!
Or you can top cobbler with whipped cream. There are no rules!
Less is More
Here’s the part where I tell you to do less. Something we don’t often hear when it comes to baking, but I know we all appreciate an effortless dish!
Over-working the biscuit dough will prevent it from rising and stretching, creating an unappealing and dense texture. Mix the buttermilk into the dough very lightly. After the dough comes together, flatten sections with your hands and place them on top of the berries. There is no precise method or magic trick here—just place flattened biscuit dough sections randomly on top, covering most of the berries underneath.
For this berry cobbler recipe, I actually reduced the biscuit topping from my peach cobbler. I wanted less topping so more of the beautiful berries are exposed. As a result, this dessert is extra fruity and extra juicy. Fresh homestyle comfort food—simply the best!
Berry Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, gently fold the berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together until thoroughly combined. Spread filling evenly into prepared pan.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized crumbs). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick! You could also use a food processor. While slowly stirring, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup buttermilk. Mix until evenly combined. Take handfuls of dough and gently flatten out. Place dough all over the top of the berry filling. There’s no special trick to this—just flatten the dough in sections and cover most of the berries.
- Brush the top of the biscuit dough with 1 Tablespoon of buttermilk and then sprinkle with coarse sugar. These two are optional, but both help achieve a shiny, crunchy, golden brown crust.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown and biscuit topping is cooked through. Stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping, if it comes out clean, it is cooked through and the cobbler is done. Set the pan on a wire rack, then cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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