This easy and delicious blueberry cobbler recipe is old-fashioned dessert comfort food like grandma would make from her 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook. Enjoy it with a side of vanilla ice cream today.
Introduction
When I do a recipe, I do a fair amount of research. Even if I have done it myself a hundred times, I research. I think it is the science training in me.
There are many beautiful recipes for a blueberry cobbler out there. They were all a bit different but, in many ways, the same. There were "Texas" cobblers with the berries going on top vs. the more traditional berries on the bottom. But I know the recipe I was using.
I wanted a classic recipe that your grandmother might have made. It called for our old favorite cookbook, the 1972 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. Yep, it had just what I wanted after a little touch-up.
I kick up the sugar in the topping a bit and use butter instead of the 1972 shortening.
👨🍳How to make this recipe
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and blueberries.
- Stir continuously over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and thickens, then an additional minute.
- Pour into a 2 to 2 ½ quart casserole dish.
- Mix the topping of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix well, then "cut in" butter with a large fork. Mix until crumbly, and then mix in milk.
- Put 6-8 large "dabs" of the dough on top of the berry mixture.
- Bake until the top is golden brown—about 25 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes and serve hot.
🫐Ingredients
Blueberries
Fresh or frozen, either will do. Fresh and frozen berries should be rinsed and picked over. Many frozen berries are frozen without rinsing.
You do need to access the sweetness of your berries. Some blueberries are not as sweet as others.
If you taste them and you wouldn't put them on your cereal without sugar, you need more sugar. The original recipe used ½ cup of sugar with the berries; you can add up to another ¼ cup if needed.
Topping
The suggested topping is a slight modification from the original recipe, with butter replacing shortening.
The ratio of liquid to dry is a bit higher than for things like biscuits or shortbread to make it light and fluffy and allow it to level out during baking.
❓FAQs
Cobblers are easy; they have a biscuit or cake top.
Crumbles and crisps are frequently used interchangeably. But some feel that the differentiating factor is crisps have oats in the topping, and crumbles do not.
A 2 ½ quart Corningware dish is about 6 ½ by 11 inches. The sides are higher for any bubbling. A 9-inch round dish with high sides can be used instead.
A full-size 9X13 baking pan can be used but resulting in a thinner cobbler.
This cobbler can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days but is better if used within 3 days.
You can freeze the cobbler after cooking it covered tightly for up to one month, but the topping will deteriorate some.
Reheat in the microwave or in a medium oven covered lightly for 15-20 minutes.
📖Blueberry Recipes
Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar, one tablespoon cornstarch, one teaspoon lemon juice, and 4 cups blueberries. Other berries could be added. Also, check the sweetness of your berries. They can vary a lot. You may need up to ¼ cup extra of sugar.
Stir continuously over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and thickens, then an additional minute.
Pour into a 2 to 2 ½ quart casserole dish.
Make the topping by mix 1 cup AP flour, two tablespoons sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, then "cut in" 3 tablespoons of butter with a large fork. Mix until crumbly, and then add ½ cup milk. Mix until combined but don't over mix.
Put 6-8 large "dabs" of the dough on top of the berry mixture.
Bake until the top is golden brown. About 25 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes to set and serve hot.
📝Recipe
Easy Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients
Filling
- ½ cup sugar - or more per taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 cups blueberries - frozen or fresh. Rinsed and picked over.
Topping
- 1 cup AP flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder - aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar, one tablespoon cornstarch, one teaspoon lemon juice, and 4 cups blueberries. Also, check the sweetness of your berries. They can vary a lot. You may need up to ¼ cup extra of sugar.
- Stir continuously over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and thickens, then an additional minute.
- Pour into a 2 to 2 ½ quart casserole dish.
- Make the topping by mix 1 cup AP flour, two tablespoons sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, then "cut in" 3 tablespoons of butter with a large fork. Mix until crumbly, and then add ½ cup milk. Mix until combined but don't over mix.
- Put 6-8 large "dabs" of the dough on top of the berry mixture.
- Bake until the top is golden brown. About 25 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes and serve hot.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This recipe will cut in half easily in a smaller baking dish.
- Use a 2 ½ quart Corningware dish which is about 6 ½ by 11 inches. A 9 inch round dish will also work well. Similar recipes use a full-size 9X13 baking pan, resulting in a thinner cobbler.
- Taste test the berries and add up to ¼ cup more sugar if needed.
- Be sure to rinse and pick the berries over for stems.
- You can use fresh or frozen berries.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid the metallic after-taste.
- Cook until the topping golden brown. The filling is already cooked, so the endpoint is the topping.
- Good stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but better in 3 or less.
- Great with ice cream.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published March 22, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ginni
Excellent recipe.i used cream in place of milk . A perfect 5 ! Thank you 😊
Lane
I have the same 1972 Betty Crocker cookbook that you do! It belonged to my mother who handed it down to me. My favorite recipe that she made from this cook book was chicken fricassee with dumplings! I’m glad to know that the blueberry cobbler is worth making!
DrDan
Almost everything in that cookbook is good. I have hit a few bummers.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Claire Mallard
Can you make a blueberry cobbler with no milk I don't have any milk
DrDan
Hi Claire,
I don't think it will work well without milk or a milk substitute like soy or almond milk. I always keep dry milk for times like this.
Dan
Al
Hi Dr. Dan,
the frozen berries and only few other ingredients give the possibility to prepare this cobbler dessert spontaneous.
I like it. Delicious!
Just have your BBQ section opened in another window and the Beef Brisket Sandwich is displayed. Mouth-watering. :-)
Scrolling through your blog definitely makes me hungry - to me a clear indicator that you are doing a great job with your blog.
Thank you.
Greetings from Germany
Al
DrDan
Yep, stuff I always have on hand.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Note to readers: Al's blog is Bobbini's Kitchen
Chris
Great looking cobbler, Dan. For a moment I was questioning if Deloreans came out in 1972 because I had them pegged for early 80's. Then I got your reference that you were making,
We love making cobblers in our Dutch Oven with a very simple recipe not much different than yours. We change out the fruits that we use but mixed berry is my preferred favorite.
DrDan
The Delorean reference was maybe a little old for most. A friend had one in med school in 1973.
Cobblers should be the lazy man's pie and this fits for me. Any fruit should do.
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
Note to readers: Check out Chris's blog Nibble Me This
pat
I am going to make this tonight. But what is AP flour? Is it a brand or a special kind? I live in Canada and have just regular flour on hand.
Thanks, this looks so good and I have everything on hand if regular flour is ok.
DrDan
AP flour is all-purpose flour which is regular white flour.