Blueberry Cobbler
Blueberry Cobbler, with a juicy blueberry filling and a light cake batter topping, is the summer dessert we’re all craving. It’s fresh, sweet, and completely irresistible topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Fruit desserts have my heart in the summer, and cobblers are some of the easiest fruit desserts around. While I love making a Blackberry Pie or Cherry Pie, there’s something about the simplicity of a cobbler that entices me to bake on a mid-week summer day.
This blueberry cobbler recipe is everything I’m looking for in a summer dessert:
- It’s quick to make.
- It’s bursting with fresh berries.
- It’s perfect for serving with ice cream!
I especially love this easy blueberry cobbler because it’s a bit rustic and not fussy in the least. The blueberry filling is mixed up right in the baking dish. Then you’ll mix together a few ingredients for the topping, which you’ll pour over the berries.
The topping bakes up light and sweet and is the perfect counterpart to the juicy blueberry filling. Warm from the oven, this cobbler will call everyone to the kitchen. I’ll admit I had to sneak a taste, right from the baking dish!
What is a Cobbler?
A cobbler is a baked fruit dessert that is often topped with a biscuit topping (like my Peach Cobbler and Cherry Cobbler), or, like this blueberry cobbler, a cake batter topping.
Some old-fashioned cobbler recipes call for melting butter in the baking dish, then pouring in the cake batter and placing the fruit on top. In those recipes, the cake batter rises to the top while baking.
Cobbler vs. Crisp vs. Crumble
Crisps and crumbles differ from cobblers in that they have a streusel topping that crisps up as it bakes. Many times, the names crumble and crisp are used interchangeably, but sometimes a crumble topping is made without oats, while crisps typically contain an oat topping.
Try these:
Blueberry Cobbler Ingredients
Blueberry Filling
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are my favorite in this cobbler. You just can’t beat the flavor of fresh blueberries! Frozen blueberries work well too, and are a great option when blueberries aren’t in season.
- Granulated Sugar: The filling needs just a little sugar to sweeten up the already sweet berries. The sugar also helps to make the filling juicy.
- Lemon Zest: Lemon and blueberries are a delicious combination, and lemon zest brightens up the flavors.
Cobbler Topping
- All-Purpose Flour: For a healthy swap, replace half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour. I prefer white whole wheat over regular whole wheat flour because it is milder in texture and flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness.
- Baking Powder: To make the dough rise so that it is light, not dense.
- Cinnamon and Salt: For flavor. Salt is necessary in baking to bring out the other flavors.
- Milk: I recommend whole milk, but any type that you have on hand will work.
- Melted Butter: Adds richness and flavor and makes the topping light and tender in texture.
Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Blueberry Cobbler
- Make the filling. Place the blueberries in a baking dish. Sprinkle on the sugar and lemon zest and stir gently. Spread the blueberries out into an even layer, all the way to the edges of the baking dish.
- Mix up the cobbler dough. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in milk and then melted butter.
- Drizzle the batter over the blueberries.
- Bake. The cobbler is done when the filling is bubbly on the sides and the dough is cooked through when tested with a toothpick.
Blueberry Cobbler Recipe Tips
- If you are using frozen blueberries, you do not need to thaw them before using them in this recipe.
- For a pretty presentation, leave some blueberries peeking through when you pour the batter over the top of the blueberry filling.
- Bake the cobbler until the blueberry filling is bubbly around the edges and the center dough is cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the dough in the center of the baking dish should come out mostly clean, not gooey.
- Have other types of berries on hand? While I haven’t tried this recipe with berries other than blueberries, I bet it would be delicious with a combination of berries. I’d suggest blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
- You can halve this recipe and bake it in an 8×8-inch baking dish. The baking time will be the same.
- This is best served warm from the oven. After it cools, the blueberry filling loses some of its juiciness, but it is still delicious.
More Delicious Summer Desserts
Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling
- 6 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, no need to thaw if frozen
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- zest of 2 lemons, or 1 large lemon
Cobbler Dough
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Make Blueberry Filling
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place the blueberries in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons sugar and lemon zest over the top of the berries. Stir to combine and then make sure the blueberries are in an even layer in the dish. Set aside.
Make Cobbler Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter.
- Drizzle the batter over the top of the blueberries.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cobbler dough is browned on top and dough is cooked through in the center of the baking dish (a toothpick inserted in the center of the dough should come out mostly clean, not gooey). Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can halve this recipe and bake it in an 8x8-inch baking dish. The baking time will be the same.
- This is best served warm from the oven. After it cools, the blueberry filling loses some of its juiciness, but it is still delicious.
- Leftover cobbler may be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
I made this tonight with fresh blueberries, used half the recipe in an 8 x 8 glass dish, it was delicious. I especially liked the berries to dough ratio – lots of berries, not so much dough. Five stars!
Has anyone tried making this gluten free, maybe with almond flour?
Can you make this gluten free and dairy free using gluten free flour, dairy free milk, and dairy free butter?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tested this recipe with any of those substitutions, so you would have to experiment. 🙂
Made as written and it is delicious! I did not have a lemon to zest, so substituted orange zest. Big mistake but did not ruin the entire cobbler. Unlike Dee, I think I will try a bit more of the cake batter next time. It is so good I want more of that sweet deliciousness. Thank you for another super recipe that is not labor intensive.
It’s good but too much blue berry to dough ratio for me. I would do more batter next time.
I love this recipe! I used einkorn flour, coconut oil, oat milk and Saskatoon berries and it turned out perfectly! I love this more than my go to crisp recipe.
This was tasty, but it did need more dough. Too little compared to the blueberrues..
Thx.
I am gluten free. Do you have ideas of how to switch up the ingredients to make it gluten free?
I haven’t tested this as a gluten free recipe, but I’d try substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour, such as the one made by Bob’s Red Mill.