Easy Blackberry Cobbler (from Scratch!)

Blackberry Cobbler is an easy, from-scratch, scrumptious, summer dessert recipe featuring plump, tart blackberries ribboned through a layer of sweet, tender cake. And don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

Aerial view of Blackberry Cobbler with text overlay.


 

One of my favorite summer desserts is cobbler. And while that often brings to mind peaches, I also love to change things up with Blackberry Cobbler! I don't know about you, but there aren't many baked desserts that bring summer to my mind more than a homemade cobbler...served warm, oozing with fruit, and topped with vanilla ice cream. And blackberries add such delicious flavor and gorgeous color to this popular seasonal treat!

I realize that different regions around the country make different versions of cobbler. And while they all involve fruit and some type of dough or batter, there are various expectations of what a cobbler should truly be. Well, I'm not here to argue technical or historical definitions, but I would venture to claim that this Blackberry Cobbler recipe is a pretty common manifestation of cobbler in the south.

Blackberry Cobbler on a plate.

Ingredients

So what do you need to make this homemade, easy Blackberry Cobbler? No artificial cake mix or Bisquick here! Just a few simple, real ingredients...

  • Blackberries. If it's blackberry season, by all means use fresh! But any other time of year, frozen and thawed berries will work just dandy.
  • Sugar + water. For the simple syrup that the blackberries simmer in.
  • Butter. For the baking dish
  • Flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, + milk. To make the homemade cobbler batter.
  • Pure vanilla extract. Because everything's better with vanilla!
Blackberry Cobbler with piece scooped out.

How to Make Blackberry Cobbler

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Your start with your fruit. As I previously mentioned, in Texas, that typically means peaches or blackberries, since those are abundant through the summer in these parts. Of course, when your favorite stone fruit or berry is out of season, frozen fruit makes a great substitute for fresh.

So here's how ya make this from-scratch Blackberry Cobbler recipe:

  1. In a medium pot, combine blackberries, sugar, and water.
Blackberries in pot.
Adding sugar to pot.
Adding water to blackberries and sugar to make syrup for Blackberry Cobbler recipe.
Making filling for easy Blackberry Cobbler.
  1. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Blackberry Cobbler filling in pot.
  1. While blackberries are cooking, whisk together flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 
Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in glass bowl.
Whisking dry ingredients in bowl.
  1. Slowly blend in milk and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.
Blending in milk and vanilla to make best Blackberry Cobbler batter.
Homemade cake batter in bowl for Blackberry Cobbler recipe.
  1. Put pats of butter in the bottom of a baking dish and place it in your preheated oven for a couple of minutes to melt. Remove the dish from the oven and tilt it so that the melted butter evenly coats the bottom.
Pats of butter in baking dish.
Melted butter in baking dish.
  1. Slowly pour batter over melted butter.
Pouring homemade Blackberry Cobbler batter into glass baking dish of melted butter.
  1. Gently spoon berries and syrup evenly over batter without stirring.
Spooning blackberries onto homemade Blackberry Cobbler.
Easy Blackberry Cobbler ready to go into oven.
  1. Bake until Blackberry Cobbler is light golden brown and tests done with a toothpick inserted in the center. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream!
Blackberry Cobbler in dish and on plate.

And that's it friends! But before you dig in, I feel obligated to mention something that I often get questions about...

An Important Note!

When you spoon the blackberries on top of the batter, the fruit will initially sink.

How to make blackberry cobbler.

However, as your cobbler bakes, some of the berries will rise a bit. The result is a cake-like dessert with a gorgeous, fruity layer ribboned throughout.

So -- here's the important part -- that's why the photos in this post show blackberry deliciousness on the bottom of the baking dish...even though the instructions tell you to spoon the fruit on top of the batter.

Blackberry Cobbler recipe straight out of the oven.

How to Serve Blackberry Cobbler

Have I mentioned ice cream yet? In my humble opinion, cobbler is best served warm (either fresh out of the oven or reheated). And it must be topped with vanilla ice cream. If you're feeling particularly industrious, homemade ice cream is even better. 😉

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been known to enjoy this Blackberry Cobbler recipe for breakfast. It's made with fruit, right? So it can't be that bad. Of course, it's easier to justify eating cobbler for breakfast than ice cream, but what's a girl to do?

Well, let me tell you what a girl does. A girl gets a carton of vanilla yogurt out of the fridge and spoons that on top of her cobbler for a perfectly acceptable breakfast variation. Brilliant, right? And, I can assure you, also delicious.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler recipe with ice cream and spoon.

So the next time you have an occasion to make a summertime sweet treat -- like perhaps this weekend? -- go for this glorious, homemade, easy Blackberry Cobbler!

It's like the downhome comfort food of desserts.

And rumor has it it can even double as breakfast. 😉

Blackberry Cobbler recipe on a plate with ice cream on top.

More Berry Favorites

Blackberry Cobbler in dish and on plate with scoop of ice cream.

Easy Blackberry Cobbler (From Scratch!)

Blackberry Cobbler is an easy, from-scratch, scrumptious, summer dessert recipe featuring plump, tart blackberries ribboned through a layer of sweet, tender cake!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 294kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh blackberries
  • 1 ½ cups sugar, DIVIDED
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium pot, combine blackberries, 1 cup sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  • While blackberries are cooking, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly blend in milk and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.
  • Put butter (sliced into 6 equal pieces) in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and place in preheated oven for a couple of minutes to melt. Remove dish from oven and tilt so that butter evenly coats the bottom. Slowly pour batter over melted butter. Gently spoon berries and syrup evenly over batter without stirring.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cobbler is light golden brown and tests done with a toothpick inserted in the center. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Video

Notes

  • About 20 ounces of frozen blackberries (thawed) may be substituted for fresh.
  • The blackberries will start to break down when they are simmered. If you prefer some whole blackberries in your cobbler, you may simmer only 3 cups of berries with the sugar and water and then stir in the remaining 1 cup of berries after removing from the heat.
  • The longer you cook the berries, the thicker the syrup will get.
  • Blackberries are typically pretty tart, but if you use particularly sweet blackberries, you may reduce the sugar used in the simple syrup.
  • The blackberries and syrup are to be spooned on top of the batter. However, the berries will sink through the batter and then partially rise as the cobbler bakes. This is why you see the blackberry layer at the bottom of the cobbler in the photos.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 12.1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on May 26, 2014, and updated on June 19, 2019, September 2, 2020, and June 21, 2023.

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Recipe Rating




72 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I made this tonight and my batter turned out doughy rather than fluffy. Not sure what I did wrong but I was really disappointed as this recipe looked so simple and delicious! The blackberries and ice cream were still good though!

    1. You can follow the directions in the recipe, Casey...the berries and syrup sink through the batter to the bottom of the dish while the cobbler is baking. 🙂

    1. It's correct, Besy. I'm sorry this recipe didn't work out for you. If you watch the video, you can see that the batter is supposed to be thin but it bakes up nicely.

  2. Blackberries are one of my favorite fruits...right off the bush or baked in a delicious cobbler. This recipe looks delicious. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks for sharing it!

    1. Thank you, Nicole! I hope you enjoy this cobbler...it's a summertime staple at my house! 😉

    1. Thanks so much, Chelsea! I'm with you...blackberries and cobbler can't be beat, on their own or in a happy little marriage. 😉 Thanks for stopping by...hope you're having a great week!

  3. This looks like the perfect dessert, especially with a scoop of ice cream! I'm loving fresh berries right now:)

  4. Samantha, that cobbler is gorgeous!! I absolutely agree, that anything made with fruit works for breakfast! 😉

    1. Great minds think alike, Lisa...breakfast cobbler for all! 😉 Thanks for stopping by...hope your weekend is getting off to a great start!

  5. So I love this!! Blackberries are one of my favorite berries! That dollop of cream on top is AMAZING 🙂

    1. Thanks so much, Zainab! Blackberries are so yummy this time of year. I'll be making this cobbler as often as I can while they're in season...and then I'll make it with frozen berries. 😉 Happy Friday, and hope you have a great weekend!

    1. Awww...I'm so glad to hear that, Patti! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! 🙂

  6. Samantha, you have stolen my heart! I love all your recipes, and this one looks fabulous! I am definitely making this soon because I think blackberries are on sale this week for $1. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. You are too sweet, Audra. Yes...make good use of those $1 blackberries! 😉

  7. I am totally with you-----fresh berry cobbler says SUMMER to me. That photo where the ice cream is melting a bit, which says the cobbler is warm. Oh my that made me salivate involuntarily. Sigh.

    1. Sorry to do that to you, Carol! You'll just have to make some cobbler soon and eat it warm with ice cream on top to satisfy the craving... 😉

    1. Thank you, Liz! It's so easy to throw together. Hope you enjoy it if you have a chance to try it! 🙂

  8. That blackberry cobbler looks amazing! In fact, just a bowl of blackberries like that would satisfy me. They're so sweet and delicious!

    1. Thank you! I love blackberries, too, in just about any incarnation. Plain is great but ice cream on top is even better -- ha! 😉

  9. "Berry" cobbler has always been my very favorite! We had it all year round, thanks to my grandmother freezing some berries. The best ones are the wild ones. And she spoiled us- no seeds! Thank you!

    1. No seeds?! Boy, Deb, you were spoiled... 😉 Seriously, though, I bet your grandmother's cobbler was wonderful. And I agree that wild berries are the sweetest and the best! Did y'all call them dewberries, too?

      1. Yes we did call them dewberries! Of course most of the time we just called them berries. I grew up with a Boxer who would keep ahead and eat them off the vines. Had to leave her at home. Awesome days!

          1. I just read this, and my female bulldog is a blackberry monster as well..we made the mistake of leaving our gallon dmp bag near where we had her tied off..I'll bet you can figure out the rest of the story!