Strawberry Cobbler Recipe

Strawberry cobbler is the best dessert to make during strawberry season. Strawberries are my absolute favorite and one reason I always look forward to spring.

This sweet-smelling berry is tart and juicy, making it the perfect ingredient for jams, compotes, and of course, cobblers. 

This strawberry cobbler recipe is refreshingly simple, with fresh strawberries, a buttery crust, and a naturally sweet syrup.

Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got the perfect dessert!

Strawberry Cobbler Recipe

Anyone with taste buds will tell you that you can’t go wrong with a cobbler for dessert. Heck, the Peach Cobbler Factory would bet its entire business on that!

No offense intended to peach cobbler, of course. But strawberry cobbler is where it’s at for me.

It’s the perfect blend of sweetness to tartness and berries to crust. It’s nearly impossible to resist. And this recipe for it is one of the very best.

It requires fewer than ten ingredients and is totally scrumptious. What more could you ask for?

Fresh Strawberry Cobbler Ingredients

Most of what you’ll need for this easy strawberry cobbler recipe should be in your pantry already:

• Sugar. White granulated sugar is fine for this recipe. However, some people like to use brown sugar for the crust portion of the recipe.

• Cornstarch. Cornstarch will help thicken the filling.

• Lemon juice. You’ll need this for its tart tanginess and its acidity. Freshly squeezed is best.

• Strawberries. The recipe requires about three cups of hulled and diced strawberries. Select berries that are perfectly ripe but not overripe. Avoid green berries or ones with soft places.

• Butter. You’ll add butter to the recipe twice, so be mindful and don’t dump it in all at once.

• Flour. All-purpose flour is essential for the thick crusty part of the cobbler.

• Baking powder. It’ll help the crust rise.

• Salt. It’s a good flavor enhancer for all of the other ingredients.

• Milk. I don’t like using skim milk for this recipe, but any other kind works fine.

How to Make Strawberry Cobbler

A good strawberry cobbler has a crisp, crumbly golden top with a sweet and tender fruit filling. Follow these steps to make that happen.

1. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prepare the strawberries. Add the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Mix well, coating the strawberries in the other ingredients.

3. Assemble the cobbler. Pour the coated strawberries into a butter 2-quart baking dish. Top it with two tablespoons of butter.

Then, combine the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Mix well, then stir in three tablespoons of butter and the milk.

Continue mixing until you have a dough-like consistency. Spoon this mixture over the berries in the baking dish.

4. Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.

Tips & Tricks

• Use lemon juice for the crust. Some people use water when making homemade crusts, but I highly recommend lemon juice instead. It gives a nice balance to the sweetness of the sugar and the strawberries, giving you a wonderful tasting cobbler.

• Make it richer. If you want a rich dough, use cream in place of milk.

• Heighten the color. The strawberries already give the cobbler beautiful red and pink hues, but if you want to make the colors pop even more, add a few drops of red food coloring to the filling.

• Experiment with other fruits. Don’t limit yourself to strawberries alone – you can use blueberries, blackberries, rhubarb, peaches, cherries, or whatever fruit you desire! Try to use fresh fruits as much as you can. Avoid canned filling as much as possible because they lead to gummy cobblers.

• Don’t forget the cornstarch! If you do, your pie will be all runny and will make the crust soggy.

• Cut back on the sugar. If you’re diabetic but still need some sweetness in your life, use Splenda in place of sugar.

• Always use cold butter when making the dough. Use a cheese grater to cut it effortlessly.

• Don’t cover the filling entirely with the biscuit topping. If you put too much, the fruits and the topping will steam instead of bake. You will end up with a wet rather than a crisp cobbler. So, when adding the topping, leave a space between portions. This will let steam escape from the fruit filling.

• Don’t over-mix the crust batter. It’s okay to leave it with a few lumps here and there.

• Be precise: use a thermometer. Since you have no way of seeing the bottom layer and filling, it can be challenging to determine whether your cobbler is already cooked. Not if you use a thermometer, though. Insert a probe thermometer at the center of the cobbler. If the filling has reached 200 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll know it’s done. 

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?

You should not use frozen strawberries for this recipe. Frozen strawberries retain too much liquid during the freezing process.

Once they thaw, all that liquid gets released into the cobbler. It’ll make it mushy and soft and can ruin the crust.

But what if frozen strawberries are all you have?

In that case, my advice would be to purchase fresh strawberries. If you really don’t want to do that, though, you can use the frozen ones.

Be sure to let them thaw completely first. Then, use a paper towel to soak up as much excess juice as possible before using them.

Can You Freeze Strawberry Cobbler?

I often get asked how to freeze strawberries, but what about cobbler?

Freezing strawberry cobbler will make it last for 1 to 3 months. Depending on which method you choose.

Here’s the first option:

1. Bake the entire cobbler.
2. Allow it to cool.
3. Cover it tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
4. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Reheat the pie in the oven.

A word of caution, though, once you thaw and reheat frozen cobbler, expect it to be a little mushier than normal. (The strawberries will ooze out juices as it defrosts.)

But admittedly, it’s still delicious! And this is definitely the easiest option for freezing.

If you intend on storing strawberry cobbler for a longer period, freeze just the filling instead.

Then, when you’re ready to serve it, thaw and defrost the filling and bake with the crust as instructed.

This way, you won’t sacrifice the integrity of the cobbler. Plus, freezing your berries allows you to enjoy the fresh taste of summer year round.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Mix the filling.
2. Place it in a baking dish.
3. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to bake the cobbler, bake the filling first for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts to bubble.

More Strawberry Recipes To Try

Strawberry Glaze
Fresh Strawberry Milkshake
Strawberry Bread
Strawberry Shortcake