Mixed Berry Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuits

Why you'll love this mixed berry cobbler

• Simple Mixed Berry Filling: This filling is super simple so the berries truly shine. A touch of lemon juice and zest brighten up the filling and make this recipe extra special.
• Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits: Buttery biscuits and fruit were meant to be! Especially when they soak up all of those sweet, jammy juices in this cobbler. A scoop of vanilla ice cream takes this summery dessert to another level, but I could also get on board with a generous dollop of whipped cream for a mixed berry shortcake situation!
• Make Ahead Dessert: You can easily prep this cobbler ahead of time! Make the biscuit dough the day before, and chill overnight. Make the filling just before you're ready to bake the cobbler.

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: Use a high quality unbleached all purpose flour for best overall results.
• Butter: Biscuits get most of their flavor from butter, so be sure to use a high quality European-style butter! This type of butter has more fat content than American-style butter, and therefore provides the best flavor.
• Buttermilk: Use cold buttermilk when making the biscuits! Alternatively, you can use an equal amount of cold heavy cream.
• Mixed Berries: You can use either frozen or fresh berries, but I find that frozen berries create a more jammy filling. I used a combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
• Cornstarch: This will help thicken the filling.
• Lemon: A touch of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest will brighten up the berry filling.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this mixed berry cobbler recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the biscuit topping; Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

STEP 2: Cut in the butter & add the buttermilk. Add in the cubed, cold butter and toss to coat. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients by squishing the cubes between your fingers (or a pastry cutter) until they are quarter-sized. Pour in a small amount of the buttermilk and gently mix the dough with a spoon. Continue adding the buttermilk in a little at a time, aiming for the dry spots. 

STEP 3: Chill the biscuit dough. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

STEP 4: Cut & stack the dough. Once the dough has rested in the fridge, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1" thick. Cut the dough into quarters, then layer them on top of each other. Roll the dough out again to 1" thick, and repeat this cutting & stacking process two more times. After the last stack, roll the dough out to a rough 8" circle about 1" in thickness. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut 9 pieces. Place the dough on a small baking tray or cutting board and freeze for at least 15 minutes. 

STEP 5: Make the berry filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. 

STEP 6: Transfer the filling to 9" baking dish. Pour the berry mixture into a 9" pie dish. 

STEP 7: Assemble, then bake. Arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush each with a small amount of buttermilk, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place the pie dish on a large baking sheet. Bake the cobbler for 15 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden on top, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes until the juices are bubbling and the biscuits are baked through. You may need to tent the cobbler with aluminum foil towards the end to prevent the biscuits from getting too dark. 

STEP 8: Cool, then enjoy! Allow the cobbler to cool for at least hour to allow the filling to thicken up. Enjoy with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Expert Baking Tips

• Keep the biscuit dough cold at all times! To avoid the butter melting out of the biscuits the minute they enter the oven, it's important to chill the dough every time after you touch it.
• Cut & stack the biscuit dough 3 times! This process of cutting the dough, stacking it, and rolling it out creates layers of dough & butter, which results in the flakiest buttermilk biscuits!
• After baking, let the cobbler cool for one hour. The key to getting a jammy fruit filling is to cook it until the juices are bubbling, then let it cool for a long time. When the fruit is cooked to the point of bubbling, the juices reduce, and the cornstarch activates. As it cools, the filling thickens up to the most delicious jammy filling.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x