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Fresh mulberry cobbler is the perfect recipe to showcase this sweet summer berry. Bursting, juicy mulberries are covered in a classic and cakey cobbler topping. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream for a fabulous summer treat!
Fresh mulberries + cakey topping + fluffy whipped cream = a cobbler recipe to make you smile!
Mulberries are one of my favorite summer fruits! In spite of the fact that I didn’t know about them until two years ago. It wasn’t until moving in with Seth after our wedding that I learned what they were. They look similar to a blackberry, but are longer and thinner, and are a more delicate berry, like a raspberry.
We have trees down our lane that are lousy with the dang things during the summer. I’ve loved finding recipes to showcase their natural sweetness and flavor. This cobbler recipe is definitely high on the list! The filling is fruit forward and the topping is light, cakey, and full of vanilla flavor.
Perfect Fruit Cobbler Filling
As with most fruit-based recipes, like a pie or a crisp, it’s important that the consistency is correct. There’s nothing worse than a runny fruit filling that leeches out all over the place after the first scoop. But! It can’t be so firm that it’s like spooning jelly onto a plate. So, how do we achieve a sugary stability in our fruit fillings? Cornstarch!
Cornstarch is my secret weapon for fruit-filled desserts! It binds and thickens and steadies the whole situation. In this recipe we mix a few tablespoons into the filling, along with sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or juice from a bottle, if it’s all you have).
Easy Cobbler Topping Recipe
The topping for this cobbler recipe is what I would call traditional. It’s very cakey and just a touch sweet. It’s not a biscuit-based topping, which some people prefer on their cobblers, instead coming from an easy vanilla cake batter. For the cobbler topping you’ll need:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Milk
Basically, we’re making a baby batch of cake and then covering our fruit filling with it. My favorite thing about this recipe is that the topping has the texture and flavor of a cake, but not the height. Almost like a pancake and cake had a baby. And that baby was this fresh mulberry cobbler!
Prepared cobbler topping. Portioning out cobbler topping.
Frozen Fruit Cobbler Fillings
While it's always great to use fresh fruits when possible, I also love using frozen summer berries to make a dessert like this in the colder months. It's like a mini-warm weather vacation in the dead of winter. I do this by utilizing frozen berries! When mulberry season is in full swing here I like to pick more than I can use and freeze about half of them.
The Best Way to Freeze Fresh Berries
The easiest and best way I've found to freeze berries is as follows:
- Gather your berries (or buy them from the store, no judgement).
- Rinse well to remove any dirt or debris.
- Let drain in the sink for a few minutes before spreading onto a paper towel-lined baking tray.
- If desired, carefully and gently pat off the tops of the berries with a lint-free kitchen towel.
- When berries have completely dried, remove the paper towel and place the whole baking tray in the freezer. Make sure it's laying flat!
- Freeze the berries until solid (I do this overnight) and then transfer to a plastic storage bag for easy portioning and storage.
Voila! Summer berries on hand at any time of year!
Can you use other berries?
Absolutely! This is a great base recipe for fruit cobblers. It’s that classic, cakey topping that truly makes the dessert, in my opinion. Feel free to sub blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or a mixture of berries. Others kinds of summer fruit (umm, peach or plum) would also be delightful! So long as you have eight cups of fruit, you’ll have a delicious dessert!
As for me and my house, we will eat mulberries.
Fresh Mulberry Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients
For the berry filling:
- 8 cups mulberries or any other berry, like blackberry or blueberry
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 lemon juiced
For the cobbler topping:
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
Instructions
For the berry filling:
- In a glass bowl, toss the berries with the sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice. Set aside while you prepare the topping.
For the topping:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture, creaming well to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
- Add ½ of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix slowly to combine. Stir in the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
For the cobbler:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees before preparing the filling and cobbler.
- After mixing the berry filling and the cobbler topping, you’ll want to assemble the cobbler. For individual servings, divide the berry filling evenly among 10 ramekins. Alternatively, pour berries into a 9x13 pan or large cast-iron skillet.
- Using a large cookie scoop, portion out the cobbler topping evenly among ramekins. If baking in a large pan, space out the batter portions by ½ - 1 inch all around the pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes for the small ramekins or 40 – 45 minutes for a large pan, or until the top of the cobbler is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before topping with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Notes
- To avoid drips/a messy oven, it is a great idea to place ramekins or the baking dish on a large, rimmed baking sheet to catch any liquid that bubbles over the top during baking.
- To store leftover cobbler simply wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to three days.
Regina Thomas says
Your recipe calls for the addition of milk, but you forgot to include how much. I estimated 1 cup of milk aged on portion/size. Please update re ipe to reflect portion of milk needed.
Thank you
Amanda says
Hi Regina! Thank you for catching this! It's 1/2 cup milk. So sorry for any confusion! Hope your cobbler was delish!