Blueberry Cobbler

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With jammy blueberries and a golden biscuit crust, this blueberry cobbler is simple, summery, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Partially-served blueberry cobbler in a baking dish.

I love rustic fruit desserts, and this easy blueberry cobbler recipe with a lemon-scented buttermilk biscuit crust is one of my summertime favorites. As it bakes, the fruit bubbles up into the topping, creating three irresistible layers: a syrupy blueberry base, a dumpling-like middle, and a crisp, golden crust.

One of the secrets to a great cobbler is getting the fruit-to-topping ratio just right. This one has a generous layer of biscuit topping that’s buttery and just savory enough to balance the sweet-tart berries. Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream—it’s a must.

“This blueberry cobbler is everything I love about blueberry desserts—fresh fruit tucked under that yummy biscuit topping. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!”

Nicolle B.

What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Cobbler

blueberry cobbler ingredients
  • Unsalted Butter: Brings richness and moisture to the fruit filling and helps the biscuit topping bake up golden and crisp.
  • Fresh Blueberries: They bubble up into a jammy filling as the cobbler bakes. Feel free to use frozen blueberries if fresh aren’t available.
  • Sugar: Sweetens both the blueberries and the biscuit topping, keeping the tart berries balanced and the topping subtly sweet.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the fruit juices a bit and gives the biscuit topping its structure. Measure by spooning into your cup and leveling off.
  • Lemon Zest: Adds a pop of bright citrus flavor to the topping.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leaveners that help the biscuit topping puff up nice and fluffy in the oven.
  • Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a hint of tang to the biscuit topping. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own buttermilk.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the blueberries. In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with ¾ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until coated. Don’t worry if they look powdery—that’s normal.

blueberry filling mixed in bowl

Step 2: Add to baking dish. Pour the blueberry mixture into the greased 2-quart baking pan and dot the top evenly with 2 tablespoons of butter pieces.

blueberries in baking dish topped with butter

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together 1½ cups flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

mixed biscuit topping

Step 4: Cut in the butter. Add the chunks of cold butter, and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits throughout.

butter worked into dry ingredients

Step 5: Add the buttermilk. Pour in the buttermilk and stir gently until just combined—it should be a bit lumpy.

Pro Tip: Don’t overmix! Overmixing can make the biscuit topping a little tough; a shaggy dough bakes up fluffy and tender.

blueberry cobbler biscuit batter

Step 6: Assemble the cobbler. Use a large spoon to drop 8 to 10 mounds of the biscuit batter over the berries, leaving some spots for the filling to peek through (leaving gaps lets the bubbling filling caramelize a bit around the biscuits). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the top—this helps the dessert brown nicely in the oven.

dolloped biscuit topping on top of blueberry mixture

Step 7: Bake until golden. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 35 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the biscuits are a light golden brown. If the biscuits are nicely golden but the center needs more time, loosely cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let the cobbler cool, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Letting it rest helps the juices thicken and makes serving easier (and less runny!).

baked blueberry cobbler

Blueberry Cobbler Video Tutorial

Pro-Tips for Blueberry Cobbler

  • Fruit subs. I generally don’t recommend swapping fruits in baked desserts—different fruits cook differently and may need other adjustments. That said, I have wonderful recipes for both peach cobbler and apple cobbler you may like instead. If you’re curious about another fruit, feel free to email me at jennifer@onceuponachef. I’m always happy to weigh in!
  • Make it ahead. You can bake the cobbler a day ahead; cover with foil and keep at room temperature. Reheat in a 300°F oven until warmed through.

More Blueberry Recipes You May Like

Print

Blueberry Cobbler

Partially-served blueberry cobbler in a baking dish.
This blueberry cobbler is the kind of unfussy summer dessert everyone loves.
Servings: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes , plus 15 to 20 minutes for the cobbler to cool

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

  • cups all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 7 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon packed grated lemon zest, from 1 lemon
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) 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 (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch square or 2-quart (20-cm or 2-L) 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 (75g) 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.

Notes

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.
If you’d prefer to make your own buttermilk, follow my easy method.
Make-Ahead Instructions: The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (8 servings)Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 398mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39g

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.

Comments

  • Loyal follower and have always had great success with your receipes and input. Would like to make the blueberry cobbler for a larger group. Am I safe to double everything and use a 9″ x 13″ pan?

    • — M A on May 14, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi MA, Thanks for your nice words about the recipes — so glad you like them! Yes, it’s fine to double this and use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

      • — Jenn on May 14, 2024
      • Reply
  • Can I skip the lemon zest? Daughter doesn’t like lemon flavor.
    P.S. You are my go to for recipes I can trust.

    • — Jana on May 11, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure (and so glad you like the recipes)! 😊

      • — Jenn on May 13, 2024
      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    As a non cook, I made this today before the fresh blueberries spoiled. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and more importantly how delicious it is. Do the leftovers stay on the kitchen counter or go in the fridge? I’m wondering if the crunch of the sugar on top will soften in the fridge.

    • — Susan Kay on March 7, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Susan, Glad you are enjoying it! Either the counter or the fridge is fine for storing. And regardless of how you store it, the crunch of the sugar topping will soften a bit.

      • — Jenn on March 8, 2024
      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I made these with blackberries as they grow like a weed near us. Since the blackberries were naturally very sweet, I cut back the sugar to 1/2 cup. The recipe came out delicious!

  • Wonderful cobbler. Tangy and tart and I loved the lemon zest in the biscuits.
    Delicious dessert recipe or for breakfast. Nothing like fresh Maine blueberries in August!
    Thanks Jen for another winner.

  • 5 stars
    Made this tonight with fresh blackberries and peaches. It was delish. A little juicy because of the blackberries but I think a little more flour would do the trick.

  • 5 stars
    Thank You…Another fabulous recipe.. turned out just as expected!

  • 4 stars
    I loved this recipe so much! Made it for my dad’s birthday. I used frozen blueberries, which made it a little more syrupy, but the result was still great! This cobbler has an old fashioned spin with its biscuit topping. Loved it!

  • 5 stars
    Thank you – this recipe was easy to follow and turned out great. Everyone who had it raved about it. Loved the biscuit-type topping. Will be making it again! We served it warm with vanilla ice cream.

  • 5 stars
    Hello Jen,

    I am making this for a dinner party tomorrow. My friend served it when we were there and it was so delicious. I am wondering tho if the 35 minutes is to be cooked on convection time or regular conventional temps. I don’t want to ruin the cobbler. I am giving this 5 stars even tho I haven’t yet made myself but I sure did enjoy it when my girlfriend served it to us.

    • Conventional (I always develop and publish my recipes using the regular setting on my oven (because many people don’t have convection settings on their ovens), so I’d go with the regular/non-fan setting.) And so glad you enjoyed it!

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