How To Make the Best Blackberry Cobbler of the Summer
This outrageously good blackberry cobbler is the ultimate low-effort, high-reward dessert of summer.
Serves9
Prep15 minutes
Cook45 minutes to 50 minutes
Today, I’m sharing an outrageously good cobbler that makes use of my favorite summer berry: the blackberry! The filling is fast and flavorful, the topping is buttery and crunchy, and together they create the ultimate sweet-tart dessert. Unlike a pie, this cobbler is quick and easy to make (no blind baking or lattice work needed) and its unfussy nature lets the juicy berries shine.
If you’re looking to whip up an irresistibly delicious, can’t-stop-eating-it cobbler this summer, I promise you this is the best recipe you’ll find. Here’s why.
Buttery Biscuits Make the Best Cobbler Topping
The world of cobblers is divided into three camps: ones topped with streusel, ones topped with cake, and ones topped with biscuits. I find biscuit toppings to be far superior; whereas streusels and cake batters tend to sink into the fruit as they bake, biscuits sit atop the fruit, providing a crisp, tender contrast to the juicy, bubbling fruit. They complement the filling rather than overwhelm it.
Our biscuits are made by grating cold butter into fluffy shreds, mixing it into the dry ingredients with a fork, then stirring in heavy cream to form a shaggy dough. Grating the butter keeps it cold and disperses it throughout the dough, giving these biscuits their irresistible flaky layers. For added insurance, freeze the butter for 10 minutes before grating it.
The dough then gets sliced into squares (no biscuit cutter needed!), placed on top of the filling, then showered with turbinado sugar, giving the biscuits a deep golden color and sparkling finish that provides an extra layer of crunch.
For a totally different fruit cobbler experience, you could also try our Southern-style fruit cobbler recipe, which yields a topping that’s somewhere between a sugar cookie and pie crust.
A Simple Blackberry Filling Lets the Berries Shine
This recipe boasts a minimalist filling to let the flavor of the blackberries come through. Granulated sugar balances their tartness, lemon juice and zest add brightness, and cinnamon and vanilla add a sweet, fragrant aroma. A few tablespoons of cornstarch helps it thicken in the oven. If you prefer a stronger spice-forward flavor, ginger, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and allspice would all work well — just make sure to keep the amount of sugar and cornstarch the same so the texture doesn’t change.
Feel free to use bruised or blemished berries (it won’t make a difference once they’re baked into the cobbler), but don’t substitute frozen. Frozen blackberries would cause the filling to be too wet, making for a watery cobbler and soggy biscuits.
As for how long to bake it for, the filling needs to reach a certain temperature to activate the cornstarch and unlock its thickening power. An easy way tell if it’s fully thickened? If the filling is bubbling around the edges, it’s done baking. Let cool a bit to help the filling set, then serve warm with mounds of vanilla ice cream.
The Best Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
This outrageously good blackberry cobbler is the ultimate low-effort, high-reward dessert of summer.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes to 50 minutes
Serves 9
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 1
medium lemon
- 1/2 cup
plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 6 cups
blackberries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons
cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons
vanilla extract, divided
- 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
- 2 teaspoons
baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup
cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 2 tablespoons
turbinado sugar or granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Equipment
8x8-inch square baking dish
Measuring cups and spoons
Microplane
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula
Fork
Box grater
Baking sheet
Instructions
Heat the oven and prepare the baking dish. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Coat an 8x8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Prepare the filling. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon into a large bowl, then squeeze the juice from the lemon into it. Add 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, 6 cups fresh blackberries, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Toss with a rubber spatula to gently coat the berries. Transfer to the baking dish and spread into an even layer.
Mix the dry ingredients. Place 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl and stir with a fork to combine well.
Grate and mix in the butter. Grate 1 stick cold unsalted butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture. Mix the butter into the flour with a fork or your fingertips until small, pea-sized clumps form.
Add the wet ingredients and form the dough. Add 3/4 cup cold heavy cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and press into a cohesive mass. Pat into a rough 6-inch square that’s 1-inch thick.
Top the cobbler. Cut the dough into 9 square pieces. Place on top of the filling, spacing them evenly apart. Brush the tops with more heavy cream and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar.
Bake the cobbler. Place the baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow. Bake until the blackberry filling is bubbling and the biscuits are lightly browned and cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Cover leftover cobbler loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days.
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