Blueberry Cobbler
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This rustic blueberry cobbler features tart, syrupy blueberries with a sugared biscuit topping.
I love rustic fruit desserts, and this blueberry cobbler with a lemon-scented buttermilk biscuit crust is one of my summertime favorites. As the dessert bakes, the fruit bubbles up into the topping, creating three delicious layers: a tart, syrupy blueberry bottom, a dumpling-like center, and a crisp, golden crust. One key to a delicious cobbler is getting the right ratio of fruit to crust. This topping is generous and lends just the right amount of savory buttery flavor to balance the tart-sweetness of the berries. Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream is a must.
“Been looking for a good recipe…this is it! Just finished devouring it…made it exactly per the recipe…it was great!! I will be making this over and over.”
What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Cobbler
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the fruit filling and helps the topping achieve a golden, flaky texture.
- Blueberries: Provide the sweet and juicy base for the cobbler, bursting with flavor as they bake.
- Sugar: Sweetens both the fruit filling and the biscuit topping, balancing the tartness of the blueberries.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the fruit filling and adds structure to the biscuit topping. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Lemon Zest: Adds a bright, citrusy note to the topping, enhancing the flavor of the blueberries.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavening agents that help the biscuit topping rise and become light and fluffy.
- Buttermilk: Adds tanginess and moisture to the biscuit topping, helping to achieve a soft, tender crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. See note in recipe below.
- Vanilla Ice Cream or Sweetened Whipped Cream: Optional but adds a creamy, cool contrast to the warm cobbler.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Fruit Filling
Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch square or 2-quart baking dish with butter.
In a large bowl, add 4 cups blueberries, 3/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
Toss well to combine.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and dot evenly with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
Step 2: Make the Biscuit Topping
In a medium bowl, combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon packed grated lemon zest, 1¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
Stir until combined.
Add 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks.
Blend the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within.
Add 1 cup of buttermilk.
Stir until just combined. It will look a bit lumpy; that’s good. Do not overmix.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake
Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the blueberries, allowing the filling to peek through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over the batter.
Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the biscuit top is golden, about 35 minutes. Check the cobbler; if the biscuit topping is nicely golden, cover loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes more (even if the top is golden, the center still needs time to cook through). If it is not yet golden, leave uncovered and bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove the foil and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Blueberry Cobbler Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
I have both peach cobbler and apple cobbler recipes if you’ve got a dirth of either of those fruits at home. If you’re interested in using another fruit, the answer is…it depends… when making desserts that contain fruit, you can’t automatically substitute one fruit for another because different fruits vary in juiciness and sweetness. These variables can impact the recipe’s texture and amount of sugar needed. If you have a question about substituting another fruit, I’m happy to weigh in! Just email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
The lemon zest just adds a subtle bright, citrusy note to the topping, complementing the sweetness of the blueberry filling. I promise it’s not overwhelming, but feel free to omit it if you’d like.
Sure! The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in 300°F oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.
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Blueberry Cobbler
This rustic blueberry cobbler features tart, syrupy blueberries with a sugared biscuit topping.
Ingredients
For the Fruit Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
- 4 cups fresh blueberries (see note)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Biscuit Topping
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon packed grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8 x 8-inch square or 2-quart baking dish with butter.
- Make the fruit filling: In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the sugar and flour. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and dot evenly with the 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Make the biscuit topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and blend with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Add the buttermilk and stir with a spoon until just combined. It will look a bit lumpy; that's good. Do not overmix.
- Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the blueberries, allowing the filling to peek through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon sugar over the batter.
- Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the biscuit top is golden, about 35 minutes. Check the cobbler; if the biscuit topping is nicely golden, cover loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes more (even if the top is golden, the center still needs time to cook through). If it is not yet golden, leave uncovered and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove the foil, if necessary, and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
- Note: When baking with berries, there's always some variation in the sweetness of the fruit. Taste the blueberries; if they happen to be very sweet, reduce the sugar in the filling to ⅔ cup.
- Note: If you’d prefer to make your own buttermilk, follow my easy method here.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in 300°F oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 390
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Sugar: 39 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 398 mg
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Our altitude is 3,500 feet, and this recipe worked fine. (I used the 1/2 c. sugar instead of 3/4 c. for the filling.) I don’t often have time to bake pies; thank you for helping us celebrate berry season anyway! We served our cobbler with lightly-sweetened whipped cream.
May I ask where you purchased your baking/serving dish? Mine was too small, and the filling overflowed during cooking. Thank you.
Hi Ellen, I wish I could tell you what brand the baking dish is but it’s at my mom’s place out of state and she’s not there right now – I’m sorry! Is your baking dish 2 inches deep? If not, that would explain why it bubbled over. I’d either purchase a baking dish that’s 2 inches deep or next time you bake this, put it on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Hope that helps!
Yes, it does help – Thank you!
I have made this delicious cobbler many times and now wonder if it can be frozen.
I would appreciate your comment and thank you in anticipation!
Hi Alice, so glad you like it! I haven’t frozen it, but I think you could freeze it before or after baking. Either way, I’d let it defrost in the fridge for about 24 hours and reheat per the Make-Ahead instructions at the bottom of the recipe.
Been looking for a good recipe…this is it! Just finished devouring it…made it exactly per the recipe…it was great!! I will be making this over and over
Have made this twice now, flavor is fantastic but my cobbler has come out flat and sad both times. Weighed the ingredients more carefully the second time thinking I had made an error the first go-round but number two is looking like another sad display.
Hi Lisa, So sorry you’re having trouble with the cobbler! Can you send a photo to jennifer@onceuponachef.com so I can help troubleshoot?
Have tried a few cobbler recipes and this is the absolute best-topping has an incredible fluffy texture. I used less sugar for the filling (1/2 cup- 3/4 cup just wouldn’t mix in with the berries) and added lemon zest and a bit of cinnamon to the filling as well.
I made this today for the first time, and I can say without reservation that it is the best blueberry cobbler I have ever had. . . . and that’s saying a lot because I am from the Deep South, and we take our cobblers very seriously! I served it with homemade French vanilla ice cream. Yum!!! I wouldn’t change a thing about it – except maybe try the same recipe with other fillings like peaches or strawberries. I’m looking forward to that 🙂
Very easy to make. Wonderful tastes
Halved the recipe for just my husband and I, and used frozen blueberries – not thawed. Just tossed them with 1/3 cup sugar and the flour. Followed the rest of the recipe as written. Served with vanilla ice cream. Delicious! Will be my go-to summer cobbler!
I made it. Big problem with this recipe. Once I got it done and cool I started eating it. Then ate some more and more and some more. Now I’m a fat stomach man with a very happy face. Thank you
What should I use to grease the pan for the cobbler – butter? Your recipes are ALWAYS top notch, you are my favorite cook!!!!
Yes, butter for greasing the pan (and so glad you like the recipes)!!