Blueberry Cobbler with Cornbread Biscuit Topping

This blueberry cobbler with cornbread biscuit topping makes the perfect summer dessert!  Made with fresh blueberries and corn, it's an easy cobbler recipe that's best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It's not summer without a homemade blueberry cobbler.

This version of blueberry cobbler is topped with a cornbread biscuit topping that's made with sweet corn.

The biscuits are soft on the inside, yet crispy on the tops and sprinkled with sugar.

I like using fresh blueberries with a bit of lemon juice and vanilla.

The cobbler gets baked until the blueberries are thickened and bubbling and the biscuits are lightly browned.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop (or two!) of vanilla ice cream.

A fresh fruit cobbler is definitely one of my favorite summer desserts.

Plus, they're so quick and easy to make!

You can also use a mixture of fresh berries in addition to the blueberries; raspberries, strawberries or blackberries all would work in this cobbler recipe.

Easy Blueberry Cobbler Ingredients:

• fresh blueberries
• granulated sugar
• light brown sugar
• cornstarch
• vanilla extract
• lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Cornbread Biscuit Topping Ingredients:

• flour
• cornmeal
• granulated sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• butter
• fresh corn kernels
• buttermilk
• melted butter and coarse sugar, for topping before baking

The filling is very simple to make: you just place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to evenly combine. 

Set aside while you make the biscuit dough.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand (which I almost never do!), you can easily make your own.

Refer to my recipe notes at the bottom of this post :).

How to make the cornbread cobbler topping:

1. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl.  Whisk to combine.
2. Add in the cold, cubed butter and using a pastry blender, work it into the flour mixture until you have pea-sized pieces.  
3. Stir in the fresh corn kernels.
4. Add the cold buttermilk and gently stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.  You may need an additional tablespoon of buttermilk if your dough is still dry.  The mixture should hold its shape and be slightly sticky.

How to make the best blueberry cobbler:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Place a tablespoon of butter in the bottom of a cast iron pan or 8x8" baking dish.  Place in oven until the butter is melted.  Remove and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine all the filling ingredients: blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon.  Place in the buttered dish and set aside while you make the biscuit dough.
3. Once the biscuit dough is made (see above), take a scoop and flatten it slightly with your hands, then top the blueberry filling.  Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Brush the biscuits lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake until the blueberry filling is bubbling and the biscuits are lightly browned (about 40 minutes).
5. Let cool slightly, then serve warm with ice cream!

What's the difference between cobbler, crisp and crumble?

A cobbler is fruit filling topped with a biscuit-like dough.

Crisps also have a fruit filling but they're usually topped with streusel topping made of flour, sugar, butter and oats.

A crumble is very similar to a crisp except the topping usually does not have oats.

How do you thicken berry juice for a cobbler?

This recipe uses cornstarch mixed with the blueberries as a thickener. 

You want the filling to be juicy but with a syrupy consistency and that's why we use the flour; to thicken the blueberry juices as they burst when baked.

Other cobbler recipes may also use flour to thicken the berry juice.

I prefer using cornstarch as the thickener because it keeps the filling clear, whereas the flour may turn it cloudy.

Can I use frozen berries in this blueberry cobbler recipe?

Yes, you can use un-thawed berries in this recipe.  However, you may end up with a more liquid-y filling.  

If using frozen berries I would increase the cornstarch by ½ teaspoon.

For more summer desserts try:

Peach Blueberry Lavender Crostata

S'mores Trifle Dessert

No-Churn Strawberry Crumble Ice Cream

Mixed Berry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

We went blueberry picking with the kids last week and we picked a TON of fresh blueberries.

I can't tell you how many the kids picked and ate off the trees.

Let's just say Johnny's diaper was almost blue ;).

Nothing like a homemade cobbler using our freshly picked blueberries.  Some of the berries were a little tart for eating, but perfect for our cobbler.

If you think your berries are too tart (especially if using raspberries) you can increase the amount of sugar in the filling.

Next month we will go apple picking (my favorite).

Don't forget to leave me a comment or star rating if you give this recipe a try; I always love to hear your feedback!