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Juicy old-fashioned blackberry cobbler
Blackberry cobbler brings back warm and cozy memories of days gone by.
Why does this old-fashioned Blackberry Cobbler recipe look more like pie?
A similar approach is used in making a pandowdy.
Our recipe can be adapted using a drop biscuit cobbler topping instead of pastry crust if you prefer.
Overview of ingredients
- one double crust pie pastry – this can be store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- cornstarch to thicken the juices – use double the amount in flour if desired
- ground cinnamon
- boiling water
- fresh blackberries – if using frozen blackberries there’s no need to thaw first. Reduce the water by 1/4-cup. Wild blackberries are not as juicy as the giant store-bought blackberries you’ll find in the grocery store. You may need to adjust the cornstarch and/or water as needed.
- fresh lemon juice as needed to add tartness – again store-bought blackberries may be sweeter than wild so add lemon juice for a zing of acidity.
- unsalted butter
- large egg
- coarse sugar for topping
TIP: This recipe can be adapted using blueberries or peaches.
How to make old-fashioned Blackberry Cobbler
1. First prepare a double crust pie pastry
The crust can be store-bought or you can try our easy homemade pie crust in 3 easy steps.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch casserole dish, baking pan or skillet. Set aside.
2. Make the cobbler filling
In a medium saucepan mix together 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and boiling water. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until thickened.
Remove from the heat and add the blackberries and any accumulated juices. Stir gently until the blackberries release some juice. Set aside.
3. Assemble the cobbler
Cut on of the pastry disks in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut the pastry into a square roughly the same size as the prepared baking pan. Reserve any scraps.
Place the pastry square on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake until firm, lightly browned with bubbles starting to form on the crust, about 10 minutes. This will be used as the middle layer of the cobbler.
While the pastry square is baking roll out the remaining dough to a 12×12-inch square. Ease the dough into the prepared dish pressing it into the corners without stretching. Trim the edges leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
Spoon half the blackberry mixture into the prepared pan. Top with the pre-baked pastry square then all the remaining blackberries. Dot with butter.
Roll out the remaining dough to a 10-inch square. Cut the dough into strips and weave a lattice design on top. Trim the excess and fold together with the overhanging bottom crust. Crimp or seal the edges with a fork.
Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
4. Bake and serve
Place the baking dish on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for an additional 45 to 55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pick wild blackberries if you can find them, and make some memories!
Each summer when I was a young girl we’d get up early (early for summer) dress in long sleeved shirts, long pants, boots and hats and head out with Mom and Dad to pick blackberries. The extra clothing helped protect us from ticks and chiggers.
We headed out to the fields near our home and picked blackberries until our fingers were purple and the heat was too much to bear. Then Mom would spend the day cleaning berries, make jelly or jam and of course, dad’s favorite blackberry cobbler.
We continued the annual blackberry picking tradition with our kids when they were little too. However when we moved to Virginia we couldn’t find good wild blackberries to pick. So a few years ago we built an arbor and planted our own blackberries in the backyard.
This has been the best year yet with plenty of blackberries to enjoy. Garden to table baby!
This easy blackberry cobbler recipe uses a little cornstarch as a thickening agent.
A mixture of granulated sugar, cornstarch and water is boiled until thickened then combined with the blackberries before layering in the cobbler. For this cobbler pictured above I used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in the sauce but normally use only one.
My family loves a soupy cobbler so if yours does too, try the recipe with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch instead of 2.
There’s no right or wrong way to layer the crust in this cobbler.
I made a lattice crust on this cobbler and love the way it looks when juices bubble up in between the crust. You’re welcome to cut a square of pastry and float it on top of the berries instead of creating a weave. I’ve made it all different ways over the years and each one is delicious.
Occasionally I ladle a little blackberry sauce into the bottom of the baking dish then add one square of pastry to cover. Next layer half the remaining blackberries, another layer of crust using scraps or pieces of dough, then the last of the blackberries with the final layer of crust on top.
If you’re looking for quick and easy way to cobble together an amazing dessert, this is it!
Cool slightly before serving to allow the juices to thicken
Thanks for PINNING!
Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients
- 1 double pie crust recipe
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch (see notes)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 cups blackberries
- juice of ½ lemon (if needed to add tartness)
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Prepare a double crust pie pastry and refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch casserole dish or oven-proof skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan mix together 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and boiling water. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the blackberries and any accumulated juice. Stir gently until the blackberries release some juice. Set aside.
- Cut one of the pastry disks in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8th inch thick. Cut the pastry into a square roughly the same size as the prepared pan. Reserve any pastry scraps. Place the pastry square on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake until firm, lightly browned with bubbles starting to form on the crust, about 10 minutes. This will be used for the middle layer of the cobbler. Set aside.
- While the pastry square is baking, roll out the remaining whole disk of dough to at least a 12x12-inch square, about ⅛ inch thick. Gently ease the dough into the prepared dish pressing gently into the corners without stretching. Trim the edges of the dough leaving a ½-inch overhang all the way around. This overhang will be folded up and over the lattice top. Collect any scraps of dough and put them together with the remaining ½ disc of pastry.
- Spoon half the blackberry mixture into the prepared pan. Top with the pre-baked pastry square, then add all the remaining blackberry mixture. Dot the blackberries with butter.
- Roll out the remaining dough to a 10-inch square (for 9-inch pan). Cut the dough into 8 or 10 strips and weave a lattice crust on top. Trim the excess dough to the same size as the overhang. Lightly dampen the top and bottom edges of the dough strips with a wet finger. Fold the excess overhang up and over the edges of the strips to seal. Crimp or seal the edges with a fork.
- Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place the baking pan on the parchment lined baking sheet to catch any juice that may bubble over. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. If the crust is browning too quickly, tent the cobbler with foil as needed.
- Cool to room temperature or serve warm topped with ice cream or lightly sweeten cream if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Try our homemade double crust pastry recipe
- If the blackberries lack tartness add the juice of 1/2 a lemon to the blackberry mixture with the berries.
- Use fresh or frozen berries for this recipe. Do not thaw the berries before adding to the hot sugar mixture.
- This recipe also works well with blueberries.
- Cornstarch: If you prefer a juicy cobbler, use only 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. For a thicker sauce as seen in the photos, use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. I’ve made this cobbler for more than 30 years and usually use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch as my family prefers the cobbler extra juicy. Using 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch is perfect and the best of both worlds.
- This cobbler can be adapted using a drop biscuit topping instead of crust if you prefer. Make the berry mixture and pour into the prepared pan. Cover the berries with mounds of the biscuit topping and bake. Our best recipe for a biscuit topping can be found on our Easy Plum Cobbler recipe.
Nutrition
Enjoy this old-fashioned blackberry cobbler with the seasons best fruits
If you’re lucky enough to have plenty of blackberries you should also try our fabulous homemade Blackberry Pie with a buttery, flaky crust and loads of juicy berries. Nothing says home like a hand crafted pie.
Another popular recipe is our stunning Blackberry Tarts. Juicy ripe blackberries are nestled in a buttery, flaky crust for an iconic, all American summer dessert.
For a low-calorie option try this recipe for Blackberry Frozen Yogurt. This is a healthy way to enjoy a frozen dessert, sweetened with blackberries and honey.
Sharon
Can I make this with frozen mixed berries? What adjustments would I need?
Tricia Buice
Hi Sharon. I don’t think you need to make any adjustments. I would slightly thaw the berries to make sure they measure correctly. If you have a lot of raspberries you might find that they’ll break down easily and not hold their shape. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just maybe a little different than an all-blackberry cobbler. Sorry to be late in responding. I’ve had the flu which is not a great way to start the new year!
Sharon
Thank you and hope you are feeling better. My mom made her cobblers with pie crust and I like them so much better than a biscuit topping.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Sharon. I am much better, finally. Have a very happy New Year!
Gigi
The blackberries came out of oven soupy. Not enough cornstarch in syrup should have coated berries with cornstarch like my mom used too
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Gigi.
Jan Coleman
Best blackberry cobbler ever! I’ve made it 3 times and it’s been a big hit each time. I’m going to try it today using frozen mixed berries. Need a dessert for tonight and this just sounded good….thanks again
Tricia Buice
Thank you Jan. I truly appreciate your kind words. I bet the mixed berries will be terrific!
MaryLeeC
I made this with blackberries we picked Friday and it is perfect! I love a middle crust with fruit cobblers and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for. That and 1 T of cornstarch was the perfect blend of juice to crust.
Tricia Buice
Thank you MaryLee! This cobbler brings back so many memories for me. Glad you’re making some blackberry memories of your own.
Mary C
Yummy. Used frozen mixed berries.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Mary! Glad you enjoyed it.
Cathy K
I made this cobbler last night at the request of a friend. She requested a blackberry cobbler for her birthday celebration. I used a gluten free crust because she is gluten free and followed your recipe! I used 2 TBSP of cornstarch and I added the juice of 1/2 a lemon. I served it warm with vanilla ice cream. It was the hit of the evening. The birthday girl even licked the pie plate clean and requested the same dessert for next year. Thanks for a great recipe.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Cathy! So glad it was enjoyed by all. You’re a very nice friend to make this for her birthday. Wish I had a friend like that!
Michelle
Absolutely love this recipe, my family absolutely loves BlackBerry cobbler and your recipe was so delicious. I made your recipe for your homemade pie crust for the cobbler and it was so easy to make in a food processor and was so delicious and flaky. Loved it thank you so much.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Michelle! Your comment made me very happy 😁
Madeline
The recipe is great. Navigating through the recipe to find ingredients and instructions was frustrating. Way too many adaptations and pop-up ads and links. The layout and organization of the recipe was not good for me. To add more frustration, I was inundated with pop-up ads that would not go away and actually blocked me from being able to read the recipe. Anyway, I found my way through. Made with my fresh blackberries and it was worth every minute of frustration. I did not make any changes as it was perfect.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Madeline. Glad you were able to make this recipe!
Crystal Knight
My family said this was a bit too tart, so I would leave out the lemon juice or at least reduce it by half. The crust is not a flaky crust like the cobblers my grandmothers made or the ones we had at church dinners growing up. This is more like a pie. It wasn’t a bad recipe, just not the perfect southern cobbler I’m use to.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Crystal. As stated in the post, some blackberries are more tart than others. Perhaps you had extra tart berries instead of sweet.
David Emard
We just picked Blackberries and are put them to use.
Awesome recipe….just like my Grandmother made
So easy and the final product worth the effort
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much for your comment David. We adore this cobbler and look forward to it every year. Happy picking and baking!
Karen from OK
Made this with our first picking of blackberries and it was delicious. Question: can you freeze and bake later?
Tricia Buice
Hi Karen! Great question. My grandmother always froze unbaked pies with great success. I’m not sure if the crust will be a bit soggy but I think it’s worth a try, especially if you find yourself with tons of fresh blackberries. Thanks for taking the time to comment!