Easy Blueberry Cobbler With Biscuit Topping

The berry best. This easy recipe for blueberry cobbler with homey biscuit topping is a summer must-have. Perfect for brunch or dessert, this cobbler has all the fresh blueberry satisfaction of an old-fashioned blueberry pie, but with a simpler biscuit crust. 

Meet this easy recipe for blueberry cobbler.

I strongly believe that even very beginning bakers deserve a good, homemade baked fruit dessert. And this blueberry cobbler recipe is so, so easy. It’s a bottom layer of juicy, jammy blueberries — baked with just the right amount of sugar and cinnamon — topped with a buttery, craggy biscuit crust, baked until golden and bubbly. Best of all? None of the complication of pie dough.

Good blueberry cobbler counts among the very best joys of summer (or all year long, thanks to frozen blueberries). This bakes up easily, in two simple steps.

What is a cobbler?

Cobbler is a very old, traditional American dessert, adapted from a British colonial baking tradition. Think of homemade blueberry cobbler like blueberry pie without the fuss. Unlike a blueberry pie, where you have to make, roll, and chill pie dough, a blueberry cobbler recipe is easy to make because of the simple filling and drop biscuit topping.

Some blueberry cobbler recipes call for a cake batter topping. Not this one. The biscuit crust gives it an extra-homey feel and is not too sweet. Simply mix together the berries, sugar, and a little cinnamon and flour, then top with a simple biscuit crust and bake.

And If you like homey desserts, you will love this blackberry coffee cake recipe.

Ingredients

This lovely, easy little blueberry dessert uses an identical filling to blueberry pie, so the ingredients are the same. Instead of a pie crust, though, you will make a simple, crusty drop biscuit cobbler crust. You will need:

For the cobbler topping:

• All-purpose flour: to build the dough
• Baking powder: helps make the biscuits rise
• Sugar, plus more to top: for a little sweetness and to help make a crust on top
• Kosher salt: to season the dough
• Cold butter, diced: this adds fat and makes the biscuits light and flaky
• Milk: for moisture, fat, and to help form the dough
• Egg: adds protein and a golden-brown gloss to the top of the biscuit topping

For the blueberry filling, you will use:

• Blueberries: A lot of berries to make this sweet and jammy. You can use fresh or frozen — no need to thaw
• Sugar: for sweetness
• All-purpose flour: to thicken the filling so it does not get runny when baked
• Kosher salt: for seasoning
• Cinnamon: adds an earthy baking scent to complement the blueberries
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon: Lemon juice brightens the berry flavor
• Butter, cut in a few pieces: for just a bit of richness to enrich the filling

Instructions

The basic steps of this blueberry cobbler recipe are 1) get the blueberries baking in the oven, 2) add the biscuit topping when the blueberries are about halfway cooked, 3) finish baking until juicy, bubbly, and golden brown. The prep time is only about 15 minutes; the baking time will go for upward of 45 minutes, for about an hour of total time.

1. Make the Blueberry Cobbler Filling

• Mix together the blueberries, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice. You can also use lemon zest, if you’d like.
• Pour the blueberry mixture into the pie plate or baking dish
• Bake the blueberry filling about halfway

2. Make the Topping and Finish Baking

• While the blueberries get their head start on baking, make the biscuit topping.
• Whisk the egg and milk together. Add into the butter and flour mixture and mix to a shaggy mass.
• Dollop dunks of biscuit topping over the surface of the half-baked blueberry filling.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes more. Cool, then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

F.A.Q.s and Baking Tips

Substitutions

Blueberries are suggested here, of course, but you could also bake this with raspberries or fresh of frozen peaches. Do not use strawberries; they will be too watery. You can also substitute pastry or cake flour for all-purpose flour for an extra tender biscuit topping. If you want to avoid milk, unsweetened non-dairy milk will be fine for the biscuits.

What are the best blueberries for baking blueberry cobbler?

You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. No need to defrost the berries first if you’re using frozen (also known as IQF or individually quick frozen). They will bake up in about the same time and be just as juicy and delicious. For frozen blueberries, I love Wyman’s, a top wild blueberry producer. These are somewhat easily found in most major grocery stores.

Why is my cobbler soggy?

This cobbler should have a jammy interior with a tender, moist, but crisp biscuit topping. The main reason your cobbler might be soggy is under-baking the topping. The hot oven helps ensure that the biscuit topping browns sufficiently and cooks through. Oh, and bake the cobbler on a parchment-lined sheet pan. This will catch any juicy blueberry drips as it bakes.

Serving Suggestions

This cobbler is best served warm or at room temperature the day it is made, for the best taste and most tender biscuit. That said, this will keep perfectly well for an additional day, covered with plastic wrap or foil to ensure the cobbler topping stays crisp and doesn’t get stale. It’s wonderful for breakfast.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and some good coffee.

If you love this blueberry cobbler recipe, you will also love these desserts:

• Easy, No-Peel Peach Cobbler
• Deep-Dish Apple Crisp With Oatmeal Topping
• How to Make Streusel Topping for Pies and Tarts
• Cranberry Cobbler With Biscuit Crust
• Blueberry Pound Cake

Why you should trust this recipe: I’m a C.I.A. pastry graduate with years of experience as a professional pastry chef and food writer. I develop and test each recipe from scratch, and am committed to ensuring that each recipe is accurate and trustworthy. Learn more.