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Our homemade cherry cobbler is made with sweet, juicy farm-ripened cherries, then topped with sugar-crusted, tender, cakey biscuits. Our version of this delicious cobbler boasts 2 1/2 pounds of fresh cherries.
This is about twice as many cherries as most recipes use. We’re talking a whopping 9 cups! We add enough sugar to create a lovely sweet dessert and enough cornstarch to thicken the juices into a lovely syrup. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla and watch this cobbler disappear!
If you love cobblers, I hope you’ll try our fan-favorite peach cobbler, strawberry cobbler, blueberry cobbler, and my personal favorite, blackberry cobbler next!
BEFORE YOU START
→ Which Cherries Work Best? I use sweet cherries such as Bing, Rainier, or Lambert. I prefer my cobbler sweet. Even sweet cherries have some tartness. If you’d like an even more complex flavor in your cherry cobbler, feel free to mix in some tart cherries. (Just to be clear, I don’t think tart cherries are necessary, but I want you to have all options!) You may wish to adjust the amount of sugar you add. I generally make this cobbler when ripe cherries are at their peak. With one cup of sugar, the cobbler is sweet but not overly so, and its natural tart component comes through.
→ Can I Use Frozen Cherries? Yes, you certainly can. You’ll still need to cook them on the stovetop as directed on the recipe card below. There is no need to thaw them before use. Just dump them straight out of the freezer into a large pan.
→ Can I Use Cherry Pie Filling? You’ll need approximately 3 (21 ounces each) cans of cherry pie filling.
→ Do I Need To Cook The Cherries On The Stovetop? This is a step I don’t incorporate with my other cobblers. That’s because different fruits can perform differently when baked. Cherries are a firmer fruit and may not release as much juice unless cooked first. If you bake them without pre-cooking, the cherries may remain crunchy, which could be less desirable in a cobbler. Cooking the cherries briefly on the stovetop helps to soften them and release some of their juices. If you skip the stovetop cooking, the cherries may remain firm, which is not what we’re looking for in a cobbler.
→ How Many Pounds Of Cherries Do I Need? I started out with 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds of fresh cherries.
→ How Do I Pit The Cherries? I use a cherry pitting tool. I think it’s well worth the investment, and by far, in a way, the easier way to get the job done. If you don’t want to buy one, you can use the larger end of a chopstick to push the pit out of the fruit. A second, though far less effective way, is to use a straw. In my humble opinion, the only way a straw can do the job is if it’s made of metal. Plastic straws are too flimsy to really work.
→Why is Boiling Water Called For? Using boiling water helps dissolve both sugars, activates the baking powder, slightly melts the cold dough, and hydrates the flour. Boiling water does all these things significantly better than regular tap water does. All these factors create a more cohesive batter and enhance the flavor, texture, and overall quality of the cobbler topping.
How Do I Cut The Butter Into The Dough? Pulsing the butter with the dry ingredients in a food processor is the quickest and easiest way to get the job done. No food processor, no problem! I typically use a pastry blender, but you can use two butter knives.
- Here’s the pastry blender I use. I like it because it has sturdy stainless steel blades. Some pastry blenders have flimsy wires. That won’t be effective in getting the job done.
TIPS + VARIATIONS
- Let It Cool: This is an important step. It’s not suggested just so you don’t incinerate the inside of your mouth, cooling also allows the juices to thicken, so that it won’t be runny when you serve it.
- Add Almond: Almond flavor complements the cherries beautifully. If you’d like to add almond flavor to the filling, I suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the filling after it has cooled for 10 minutes. Almond extract is powerful, so more than 1/2 teaspoon may ruin the cobbler. While it’s not conventional to add nuts to a cobbler topping, there’s no reason you can’t add chopped almonds to the batter for the topping.
- Cutting Butter: Why should you cut butter into your flour, rather than just mixing it all quickly? You want those chunks of unmelted butter to stick around! That’s what will give you a really tender, moist cake at the end.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Refrigerator? You can store the cobbler in the fridge for up to four days. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- How To Reheat: Bake in the oven until the cobbler is heated through. You may need to tent it with foil loosely so the topping doesn’t burn. I heat smaller portions of leftovers in the microwave. Place in a microwave-safe dish, loosely cover with damp paper towels, and microwave until heated through. Yes, the topping softens and isn’t as crispy on the top, but I love it this way! Maybe I’m weird!
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! Make sure your cobbler is fully cooled (you don’t want to lower the temperature of your freezer with hot cobbler!) and freeze for up to eight months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Make-Ahead: You can prep the cherry filling up to a day in advance. Cool it completely and store, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Food Safety: For more information on food safety, please refer to this article. I’ve yet to find an article that specifically lists cobblers and crisps. I use the “fruit pies” under baked goods as my reference.
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY COBBLER
- Make the filling: in a saucepan, add cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir.
- Cook and stir occasionally until the juices begin to thicken.
- Remove from heat and add lemon zest.
- Pour the cherry mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Make topping: mix all the cake topping ingredients, except the boiling water.
- Use a pastry blender to cut the butter until it looks like a coarse meal.
- Pour the boiling water and stir.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough topping over the cherries.
- Sprinkle the dough with coarse sugar.
- Bake then serve.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE COBBLERS YOU’LL LOVE
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Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients
Filling
- 9 cups pitted cherries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest optional
Cake Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Sugar Topping
- 3 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177ºC). Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish; set aside.
Make Filling
- In a large saucepan, add cherries (9 cups), sugar (1 cup), cornstarch (1/4 cup), and lemon juice (1 tablespoon). Stir until evenly combined.
- Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the juices begin to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes. If using, stir in lemon zest (2 teaspoons).
- Pour the cherry mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Make Topping
- Meanwhile, mix all the cake topping ingredients, except the boiling water, to a medium bowl.
- Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients (12 tablespoons) until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.
- Pour in the boiling water (1/2 cup) and stir just until the mixture comes together and is just mixed through.
- Drop large spoonfuls of the dough topping over the cherries.
- Evenly sprinkle the top of the dough with the 3 tablespoons of coarse sugar.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (in case the cobbler bubbles over and drips) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden and baked through and the cherries are tender.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Let It Cool: This is an important step. It’s not suggested just so you don’t incinerate the inside of your mouth, cooling also allows the juices to thicken, so that it won’t be runny when you serve it.
- Add Almond: Almond flavor complements the cherries beautifully. If you’d like to add almond flavor to the filling, I suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the filling after it has cooled for 10 minutes. Almond extract is powerful, so more than 1/2 teaspoon may ruin the cobbler. While it’s not conventional to add nuts to a cobbler topping, there’s no reason you can’t add chopped almonds to the batter for the topping.
- Cutting Butter: Why should you cut butter into your flour, rather than just mixing it all quickly? You want those chunks of unmelted butter to stick around! That’s what will give you a really tender, moist cake at the end.
We love this! I tried some of your cobblers, this is one of my favorite!
Yaaay! That’s great, Vicky! I hope you like the other cobblers. Thanks for the positive feedback and 5-star rating!! 🙂