This strawberry cobbler is one of the simplest summer desserts I make. Fresh strawberries tossed with a little sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla go into a baking dish, then get topped with drop biscuits and baked until the fruit is bubbling and the biscuits are golden. The biscuits soak up the juices from the strawberries underneath, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
I make this every summer when strawberries are at their peak, and it’s the kind of recipe I bring to cookouts because it feeds a crowd and travels well. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries – Fresh, ripe strawberries work best here. Hull them and slice them about 1/4 inch thick so they break down evenly in the oven. You can use frozen in a pinch, but don’t thaw them first or the filling will be too watery.
- Cornstarch – This thickens the strawberry filling as it bakes. Don’t skip it or the cobbler will be soupy.
- Gluten-free flour blend – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (blue bag), which contains xanthan gum. I can’t verify if other brands of gluten-free flour will work since I haven’t tested them.
- Cold butter – Needs to be cold so the biscuits turn out flaky. Dice it small and work it in with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
Cobbler vs. Crisp vs. Crumble
A cobbler has a biscuit topping that bakes up golden and fluffy on top of the fruit. A crisp has a streusel topping with oats or nuts, and a crumble is similar but without the oats. All three start with fruit on the bottom, but the biscuit topping is what makes a cobbler a cobbler.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but use them straight from the freezer without thawing. Thawed frozen strawberries release too much liquid and the filling won’t thicken properly. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
Absolutely. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or peaches all work well. Use the same amount and keep everything else the same. Mixed berries are great too.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Covered with foil or plastic wrap for up to 1 day. The biscuits soften as they sit.
Refrigerator: Airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp the biscuits back up. Microwaving works but the biscuits won’t be as good.
Freezer: Not recommended. The biscuit topping doesn’t freeze and reheat well.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this warm with a scoop of fresh strawberry ice cream on top. It sounds like a lot of strawberry, but warm cobbler with cold ice cream made from the same fruit is one of the best summer dessert combinations I know. If you have leftover strawberries, a quick strawberry coulis drizzled over each serving takes it over the top.
This is my go-to dessert when I’m making baked chicken kabobs or roasted chicken thighs for dinner. Something simple for dinner, something easy and impressive for dessert.
Gluten Free Strawberry Cobbler
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling:
- 6 cups (864 g) strawberries - hulled and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Biscuit Topping:
- 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free flour blend - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which contains xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter - diced small
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss 6 cups (864 g) strawberries with ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch, 2 tablespoons (30 g) fresh lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until evenly coated and no dry cornstarch remains.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free flour blend, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter.
- Work the butter in with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Pour in ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together. Stop as soon as you don't see any dry flour. Overmixing makes the biscuits tough.
- Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto the strawberries, leaving small gaps between each dollop. They will spread as they bake.
- Bake at 400℉ for 35-40 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through in the center (no raw dough when you break one open) and the strawberry filling is bubbling around the edges. Start checking at 30 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The filling will thicken as it sits.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (blue bag). Other blends may work but I haven’t tested them.
- Buttermilk Substitute: No buttermilk? Stir 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into 1/2 cup whole milk and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan Option: Swap the butter for vegan butter (I tested with Earth Balance). Use any non-dairy milk (I tested with unsweetened almond milk) plus 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in place of the buttermilk.
- Storage: Covered at room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp the biscuits back up.
I have made cobblers of every other kind of fruit with the exception of strawberry. I just don’t know why! You’ve inspired me to give it a try,
Have a great weekend,
Kathy
This looks amazing! Also, I nominated you for an award: http://binomialbaker.blogspot.com/2012/07/anniversary-and-award.html
Excellent update! Love the stop by step photos. I made a cobbler once, and wasn’t sure if I had done it right. With your pictures, now I can see that i did!
Hi there! Do you think I could make this with either almond flour or coconut flour instead? I’m out of gluten free flour so I was curious if you think the consistency would be the same? Thank you so much!
I wouldn’t suggest using coconut flour in the same ratio since it is really absorbent and requires a ton of eggs to make it work. Almond flour could work and I’d suggest starting with a 1-to-1 ratio on that. I haven’t tried it though so I can’t say for sure if that would work. You could definitely do some kind of crumble on top with the almond flour though if all else fails! It would be delicious!
This was really wonderful. I didn’t have enough strawberries so added some blackberries in as well. The crust was the superstar of this cobbler, so good!
Very good! I added sliced, raw almonds, to increase the nutrition. I know, silly of me, it IS a dessert after all.
Just like the days of old. Light fluffy biscuit on top. Any kind of fruit you want on the bottom, even frozen if that’s all you have.