Blackberry Cobbler

This blackberry cobbler has a thick, bubbly layer of jammy blackberries topped with perfectly lightly buttery, sweet, golden-brown biscuits. It pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Dare I call it cobbler perfection??

If there is one recipe that encompasses summer, for me it’s Blackberry Cobbler. It reminds me of picking fresh blackberries out at Thunderbird Farm in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with my sister, enduring the sticky heat of mid-summer in pursuit of juicy berries. Anything we brought home—blackberries, blueberries, raspberries—would either be made into a fresh pie or cobbler or frozen and saved for a future treat.

My mom was queen when it came to turning our abundance of berries into desserts. She’d make blueberry peach pie and top chocolate cake with fresh tart raspberries. But no one holds a candle to my sister, Jennifer, when it comes to making a mouthwatering blackberry cobbler. Her cobbler recipe is still the gold standard for our family. 

And it’s her recipe that I am sharing with you today, with just the minor modifications to help cut back on the butter and sugar. Don’t worry, it’s still cobbler perfection.

Blackberry Cobbler Ingredients

• Blackberries – fresh or frozen blackberries work well in this cobbler. We prefer fresh berries, because they are a little more robust and will hold their shape a little better when baked. Frozen berries are also a great option, because they speed up the cooking process slightly, are more easily available year round, and they result in a thicker, jammy cobbler, which is also very delicious.
• Sugar – not surprisingly, this recipe calls for regular cane sugar. Our recipe cuts back substantially from other cobbler recipes, which allows the vibrant blackberry flavor to take the main stage, while sugar plays second fiddle.
• Cornstarch – we use cornstarch as a thickening agent in this recipe, which results in a deliciously syrupy berry layer.
• Whole wheat flour – we’ve made this cobbler with 100% white whole wheat and equal parts white whole wheat and all-purpose flour for the biscuits, and each was delicious in its own right. We like to incorporate whole wheat flour when we can to add in a little extra nutrition without much difference in taste and texture.
• Lemon juice and zest – lemon juice and lemon zest really brighten the berry mixture and give it a little zing that contrasts nicely with the sweetened blackberries.
• Chilled butter – we opt for lower-fat vegan butter in this recipe to keep the fat content down. It makes the dough a little stickier and the biscuits more cakey than flakey, but it works. You can always swap in unsalted butter to get a little flakier biscuit topping if preferred.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I only share links to companies and products I truly use and stand behind.

How to Make Blackberry Cobbler

In a medium sauce pan, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Add the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat until the berries are simmering. For fresh berries, simmer covered for 20 minutes. For frozen berries, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked berries to an 8 inch square baking dish or a 1½ quart oval baking dish (pictured in recipe post). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. Cut in 4 tablespoons of chilled and cubed butter and distribute the butter using a pastry cutter. Work the butter in until small pebbles appear in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water and mix to incorporate.

Turn out the biscuit dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. Break the dough into small pieces and flatten with your palm to form rough round biscuits about ½ inch thick. The dough will be slightly sticky, so you may need to refrigerate a few minutes before forming.

Evenly place the biscuits on top of the berry mixture. The biscuits should cover the majority of the berries. Bake the cobbler 20 to 25 minutes, or until the berries are bubbling and the biscuits are lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes to allow the berry filling to thicken. Serve with alone or with your favorite ice cream!

This cobbler may take up to 40 minutes to bake, depending on your oven. This recipe is based on our conventional oven. So, to be sure your cobbler is done, check for bubbling around the edges and a lightly golden brown biscuit top. If your biscuits brown before your berries are bubbling, you may want to cover the top with a layer of foil to prevent further browning and increase the cooking time until the berries are bubbling.

Tips for Making Cobbler

• Use fresh berries over frozen for more a more robust cobbler. If you use frozen berries, do not thaw them.
• Make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it is expired the biscuits won’t rise into their deliciously fluffy forms.
• Check for bubbling and golden brown biscuits to ensure the cobbler is fully cooked. If the biscuits brown before the filling is bubbling, cover the top with tin foil to prevent burning.
• Refrigerate the biscuit dough for 10 to 15 minutes before forming biscuits if the dough is too sticky to handle.

How to Store Blackberry Cobbler

Refrigerate: this cobbler will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The biscuits will become soggier the longer it is stored. Reheat as needed.

Freeze: for the best results, allow the cobbler to cool completely after baking. Then cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat covered with foil at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes, until warm. Or you can microwave individual portions, as desired. Note that freezing a fully assembled cobbler will have soggier biscuits.

Another option is to mix and cook the cobbler filling over the stove top. Allow the filling to cool completely and then freeze it in a ziploc bag. Thaw the filling overnight, transfer the filling to an oven-safe dish, and follow the instructions for making the biscuits and cooking the cobbler according to the original recipe.

Blackberry Cobbler: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the difference between blackberry pie and blackberry cobbler – pies are made with pastry dough lining the bottom and sides of the pan and sometimes over the top of the filling as well. Conversely, cobblers feature berry filling that is topped with sweet biscuit dough and don’t typically have a bottom or side crust.
2. Do you bake cobbler covered or uncovered – uncovered. You only need to cover the top if the biscuits start to brown before the filling is bubbling to prevent burning.
3. How do you make cobbler not runny/soggy – add cornstarch to the berry mixture to make it thicker and less runny. You can also use fresh berries instead of frozen, as they will have lower water content and result in a more robust filling.
4. Can I freeze cobbler – yes! But it’s best to make the berry filling only and not the biscuits, as the biscuits will not raise well once frozen. Allow the filling to cool, then freeze it up to 3 months. When you want to make the cobbler, thaw the filling in the fridge overnight, then make the biscuit dough fresh and proceed as written in the recipe.
5. Can I use frozen berries in cobbler – yes! We use frozen cherries in the winter when fresh cherries aren’t as readily available or juicy. Just note that the cobbler may be a little runnier than when using fresh berries.

Check out our other healthy dessert recipes:

• Chocolate Hazelnut Avocado Mousse
• Avocado Brownies
• Lemon Loaf Cake
• Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
• Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Let us know what you think about this recipe for blackberry cobbler by dropping a comment and/or rating on the recipe card below! We love to hear from you! Also, please share on Pinterest if you enjoyed this recipe!