There are a lot of recipes for cobbler out there, and we've read and considered (and made) quite a few of them. But we keep coming back to a very basic family recipe that is almost no recipe at all. We promise you can't mess it up, and it's guaranteed delicious...
Recipe: Easy, Foolproof Cobbler (for Any Fruit)
I (Elizabeth) learned this method from my Mississippi grandmother, and to this day, I've never seen an actual recipe written down. The method for the topping goes like this: Combine equal parts flour and sugar, and add enough melted butter to make a dough.
I've made it with apples and pears in the winter and peaches and blackberries in the summer. I've made it in giant casserole pans and individual ramekins. It's impossible to screw up. And while there are people who claim you need a bottom crust, perhaps some cinnamon or baking soda, I think simple is better. If your fruit is ripe, you can't go wrong.
For the sake of the Kitchn, I actually measured the flour, sugar, and butter last week. Turns out, the measurements are still pretty easy to remember. As for the fruit, you need enough to have about two inches in the dish (in the one pictured, I used a combination of peaches and blueberries).
Easy, Foolproof Cobbler for Any Fruit
makes enough for a 9x9 baking dish
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
fresh berries or fruit (peeled and cut into chunks)
Combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter, mixing as you go, until the mixture forms a soft dough. It can be slightly crumbly, but you want it to hold together when you squeeze it.
Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Put the fruit in the dish — you will probably need about 4 cups of berries or chopped fruit. You want to create a thick layer that comes about two inches up the sides.
If the fruit is particularly tart, sprinkle with a light layer of sugar. If the fruit is soft and sweet, you don't need it.
Take the dough by the handful and pat it into disks that are about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. Lay them on top of the fruit, continuing with the patties, until it is covered. Bake the cobbler at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Let cool slightly, then serve with ice cream.
Note: In my family, we find cobbler is even better the next day, cold and firm from the fridge.
Related: Recipe: Rhubarb Lavender Crumble
(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)
Comments (16)
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Awesome! I love basic recipes like this! Thanks, Elizabeth. :)
view EmmaC's profile
Thanks Elizabeth. I love simple and straightforward recipes and pictures to show the results. I will be making mine tonight. Would pineapples and Peaches be a good combination anyone?
view jaudre's profile
mmm mmm good...can't wait to make this for the holiday weekend!
jaudre, I've never heard of pineapple in a cobbler before...make a small one & let us know how it turns out! I'd be concerned about the water content of the pineapple, but since this has no bottom crust to go to mush, it might not be a problem.
view TannerAdair's profile
I made an apricot/plum crisp yesterday, and while it had a few more ingredients, it's also an easy way to use ripe fruit for a yummy dessert.
view kaanswfm's profile
i think peach cobbler is one of my favorite foods ever. thanks for the recipe!
view thinkingwoman's profile
jaudre: If you are using fresh pineapple, I think it would be great. Some fruits turn out more watery than others, but it certainly doesn't affect the taste, and letting the finished cobbler sit a bit before you serve it helps it firm up a little. If by chance you're using canned, definitely drain it well.
view Elizabeth P's profile
I can't get enough berries this year.. this recipe will be great!
view kelly c's profile
the cobbler recipe from cooking light (may or june 2007 issue) is pretty good too. I prefer more of a biscuit topping than a fully covered cobbler, so the cooking light recipe works well for me. it's pretty simple, but has less sugar and calls for baking powder.
view Amandica's profile
I use something similar to this, but 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick melted butter and one egg. You can substitute part of the flour with finely chopped nuts (almonds are awesome) and add in some cardamom if you're feeling festive. It is great with plums during that period of time in the summer when plums are plentiful and cheap. Add cranberries to an apple one for a sweet-tart thing. Cinnamon definitely improves an apple one. I've added grated fresh ginger to the crust before as well.
view sciencegeek's profile
I have my own bastardized version of this too. I just use sugar cookie dough as my crust. It's kinda cheating but it's oh so yummy.
view wildwoodsflower's profile
I make cobbler constantly, but make a batter, equal measure flour with adjusted baking powder, sugar, milk and as much butter as I dare mixed to cover as much fruit as I have on hand. Will try this dough version.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
I grew up making a similar dough. Impossible to mess up. My husband adores the pineapple/peach combination of flavors. Actually, my mother would pair pineapple with almost anything and it would taste good. Husband's favorite cobbler fruit: frozen strawberries. Just amazing.
view Fontessa's profile
Thank you for sharing this! I'm going to have to give it a try this weekend - I love non-intimidating recipes.
view twenty twenty-one's profile
I'm really bummed out. I was SUPER excited for this because peach cobbler is definitely my favorite dessert out there. I tried it out tonight with some peaches, white peaches, and blackberries. Its so insanely sweet that I can barely eat it. Plus, during baking such a massive amount of liquid came out that I was unable to get the crust brown. Sigh. How could I ruin something so simple?
view imavunderbrah's profile
imavunderbrah,
That bums me out, too! If the crust is too sweet for you, you can always reduce the amount of sugar in relation to the flour - and definitely don't add any extra sugar to your fruit. As far as the liquid, I suppose the liquid could bubble up over the top of the crust if the fruit was excessively juicy and ripe. I've never had that happen so much that the top wouldn't brown, though. Maybe toss the fruit with a bit of flour- or drain it on paper towels to get out extra moisture? Also, make sure the patties of crust completely cover the fruit (i.e. fewer holes for the liquid to bubble up). I hope it'll work out better next time!
view Elizabeth P's profile
I made this this weekend.. with peaches, blueberries and blackberries. For the crust I reduced the sugar to 1 cup, but left butter and flour at 1 1/2 cups. It was delicious, but a bit on the too sweet side. It was delicious and so easy and well received by my sweetheart. In hindsight though I would use more peaches, no blackberries. maybe slightly less blueberries. the berries so overpowered everything, that you wouldn't have even known their was peaches in it w/o my saying. Next time I will do just peaches. but regardless, it was yum. And the crust was delicious using the less sugar.
view jag80's profile