Strawberry Cobbler

I say, it’s time for a dessert… an ultra-comforting one at that. Strawberry cobbler. Such a homey, smells like Grandma was in your kitchen baking, kind of a dessert!

This cobbler is no exception. A simple cake batter is topped with sliced strawberries and sugar, and baked in a cast iron skillet until perfectly golden. Oh my goodness you won’t believe how tasty this dessert is.

Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a cobbler. Traditionally speaking though, cobbler is a baked fruit dish that’s either topped with a biscuit, pie crust, or shortbread-like top, or baked with a cake-like topping (like this recipe).

Then when baked, the topping creates a “cobbled” look, similar to a cobblestone street. 

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Butter – I prefer to use unsalted, but if you have salted on hand, you can use that too.
• Strawberries – fresh strawberries are preferred, but frozen will work also (just make sure you thaw them and pat them very dry).
• Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, but if all you have is dark brown sugar, that will also work.
• Milk – whole milk is what this recipe was tested and developed with, but it should work well with lower fat milk, or even half and half.
• Lemon – for the amount of lemon juice and zest called for, you should need 1 medium to large lemon.
• Vanilla extract – I prefer to use real vanilla extract, not the clear imitation stuff.
• Flour – just regular all purpose flour, nothing fancy.
• Baking powder – make sure it’s baking powder, not baking soda.
• Salt – I use kosher salt, but regular iodized or sea salt will work as well.
• Granulated sugar – this is just for sprinkling over the top before baking.

How to make strawberry cobbler?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Melt butter. You can do this right in the skillet in the oven if you’d like, or you can melt it separately and add it the skillet afterwards.
2. Make batter. Whisking together the liquids and sugar first, before adding the dry ingredients helps ensure a smooth batter.
3. Assemble cobbler. Pour in the batter, then sprinkle with strawberries.
4. Add sugar. Just sprinkle it over the top of the berries and batter.
5. Bake. When finished baking, the batter will be puffed up around the berries.
6. Cool. Let the cobbler cool for about 15 minutes, then serve with ice cream (my favorite part!).

Variations of this recipe

• Butter – feel free to use salted butter instead of unsalted, but omit the kosher salt from the recipe.
• Strawberries – in the summer, I always use fresh strawberries, but you can use frozen strawberries if you’d like. Just make sure you thaw them and drain them well on paper towels.
• Other fruit – instead of strawberries, you can use another type of berry.
• Milk – I recommend using whole milk, but if you’d prefer, you can use a lower fat milk, or even half and half.
• Baking dish – instead of an 8″ cast iron skillet, you can bake this cobbler in an 8×8″ baking dish. The cobbler bakes faster in a cast iron skillet, so if you’re using a baking dish, you may need to bake it a little longer (55-60 minutes).

Making cobbler ahead of time

I feel desserts like this cobbler taste better when baked fresh, but in a pinch, you can bake it ahead of time.

To help prep ahead, the strawberries can be sliced ahead of time and kept refrigerated.

Storage

Leftover cobbler should be refrigerated and enjoyed within 3-4 days.