This easy mixed berry cobbler is a delicious mix of fresh berries with a sugar-crusted biscuity topping. Serve this dessert warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or plenty of heavy cream poured over it. If there are any leftovers, mixed berry cobbler also tastes great the next day for breakfast!
Mixed berry cobbler is a delicious dessert and a welcome addition to family gatherings, potlucks, and picnics. It’s also simple enough for a weekend night dessert—or even a weeknight when you have some extra time.
If you’re interested in more delicious desserts, you’ll love Pumpkin Steamed Pudding, Carmelitas, Molasses Spice Cookies, and Oatmeal Craisin Cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Mixed Berry Cobbler
- This is an easy dessert to make. If you stick with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, there’s no chopping at all, which saves time.
- Mixed berry cobbler tastes great year-round since berries are readily available, either fresh or frozen. That said, it makes a great July 4th cobbler, plus there’s nothing quite like a cobbler made with a bounty of fresh berries. If you’re interested in learning more about the journey of berries at an organic U-pick farm, you’ll enjoy Anna’s blog post.
- This easy recipe uses one pint of each type of berry, so you won’t have to worry about what to do with leftover berries.
What is Cobbler?
Fruit cobbler is a simpler version of a pie with a top “crust” that’s typically biscuits or cake-like topping baked directly on top of the fruit. This cobbler recipe has a biscuit topping (my favorite!). The term comes from the idea of ingredients being “cobbled” together.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mixed berries: Use a mixture of fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
- Frozen berries vs. fresh berries: Frozen berries work just as well and are just as nutritious as fresh berries. They are picked at the peak of ripeness and then quickly frozen in plants that are typically on farms or very close by. So, frozen mixed berries will have just as much flavor, if not more, than fresh berries.
- Lemon juice and zest: Wash your lemon before you zest it.
- Baking powder: Check the expiration date on your baking powder. If it’s expired, text a neighbor to ask if you can use theirs, or buy a new can of it before you make the cobbler. If the baking powder is expired, your cobbler topping might not rise as much as expected which can leave you with a dense topping.
How to Make Mixed Berry Cobbler Recipe
Rinse the berries under cool water and place them in an 11-inch oval baking dish or about a 6-inch x 10-inch baking dish. Mix the berries with the ⅓ cup granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and add the cold butter pieces. Using two forks, a pastry blender, or your hands, gently work the cold butter and flour mixture together until it resembles very coarse cornmeal. Whisk together the egg and milk and add the mixture to the butter and flour mixture. Using a fork, gently stir until the ingredients begin to come together.
After making the biscuit dough topping, pull off small pieces of dough, place them on top of the berries, and sprinkle the cobbler topping with the granulated sugar.
Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any berry juice that might bubble out during baking. Place in a preheated 400 F oven.
Summer Berry Cobbler Serving Suggestions and Substitutions
- Serve mixed berry cobbler (or any cobbler) warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or serve with a pitcher of heavy cream so everyone can pour as much or as little heavy cream as they want over their serving.
- Are you not in the mood for a mixed berry cobbler? You can substitute sliced, pitted nectarines tossed in sugar and a little lemon juice or a combination of the nectarines and blueberries. The nice thing about using nectarines instead of peaches is nectarines don’t have to be peeled, so you save lots of time.
Expert tips from a Registered Dietitian to support your picky eater
- Tip #1 Mixed berry cobbler offers an easy opportunity for kids to help in the kitchen, which is one low-pressure way to support your picky eater. Rinsing berries, mixing them with sugar, lemon juice, and zest, mixing the cobbler topping, and adding the cobbler on top of the berries are all simple ways my own kids have enjoyed helping. Kids can also sprinkle sugar on top of the cobbler topping.
- Tip #2 If your kids don’t like berries, this recipe is a great way to expose your picky eater to them. It’s easy to eat just the biscuit topping and ice cream if they’re not ready to try berries. And it’s easy to separate the biscuit topping from the berries if your child doesn’t feel ok with trying the biscuit topping with any berry juice on it.
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What to Do With Leftover Berries?
This fruit cobbler recipe calls for one pint each of the 3 different types of berries, so you likely won’t have any leftover berries. But if you do, or if you’re wondering what to do with berries besides making cobbler, I’ve got a few ideas for you.
- Place washed berries in individual serving bowls, sprinkle them with sugar, and pour half and half or heavy cream over them. This is my personal favorite way to eat berries!
- You can make smoothies, add berries to cereal, oatmeal, and salads, make muffins, or use them to top yogurt or ice cream.
- Add leftover berries to nut (or seed) butter sandwiches.
- Add leftover berries to any mixed green salad or fruit salad.
- Freeze any leftover berries or berries that are going bad. Wash the berries. Then, place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Once the berries are frozen, scoop them off the baking pan into a zip-top freezer bag. Don’t forget to label the bag with the date and the contents. You’ll have frozen berries to use in smoothies, muffins, pies, hand pies, and more. You can also make jam or compote from frozen berries.
- Do you have other ideas for what to do with leftover berries?
Frequently Asked Questions About Mixed Berry Cobbler
Definitely! (Though you’re not likely to have much leftover!) Once the cobbler is completely cooled, place it in a freezer-safe container. It can be stored frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also thaw cobbler in your microwave by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
To reheat the cobbler, place it in an oven-safe dish and cover it loosely with foil. Place it in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until it’s heated through. You can also use a toaster oven or microwave. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for reheating foods.
Yes, you can! Thaw the berries and drain off some of the liquid. Then, follow the recipe as you would for fresh berries.
There are a number of ideas for what to do with berries going bad: you can freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet and, once frozen, move them to a freezer-safe container; use them in a smoothie, or bake them in a quick bread or bars.
Yes, you can. Use 8-ounce oven-safe ramekins and fill each one 3/4 full with the mixed berries and sugar mixture. Top each with the cobbler topping. The individual berry cobbler won’t need to cook as long as one large mixed berry cobbler. Once the cobbler topping has begun to turn golden brown and the berry mixture is bubbling around the sides of the biscuit topping, you can remove them from the oven. Cool before serving.
Berry cobbler is easy to store. Cover the cooled cobbler with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. See above for how to reheat cobbler.
More great recipes and tips to support picky eaters
Mixed Berry Cobbler
Mixed Berry CobblerIngredients
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 pint raspberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cobbler Topping
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch of table salt
- ½ cup cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 egg
- Plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on the cobbler topping before it goes in the oven
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the unsalted butter into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.
- Rinse the berries. Place them in an 11-inch oval baking dish and mix with the ⅓ cup granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- In a medium mixing bowl gently whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter and using a pastry blender, 2 forks, or your hands and gently work the butter and flour mixture together until it resembles very coarse cornmeal.
- Lightly whisk the egg into the milk and add to the flour-butter mixture. Using a fork, stir until the ingredients begin to come together. The mixture doesn't need to completely come together because you knead it in the next step.
- Turn the topping mixture onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times until it's all come togehter and feels smooth.
- Pull off small pieces of dough and place them on top of the berries. The pieces of dough will be touching each other and you won’t really be able to see the berries if you’re using the smaller size baking dish. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Sprinkle the cobbler topping with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the berry mixture is bubbling around the edges and the cobbler topping has begun to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Top with vanilla ice cream or some heavy cream and enjoy.
Notes
We’re Elizabeth & Anna!
It’s great to have you here. We’re registered dietitians and we share tips to support you in raising kids with a healthy relationship with food.
