Skillet Mixed Berry Buttermilk Cobbler is made with blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries covered with a delicious biscuit topping and baked in a cast iron skillet.
Skillet Mixed Berry Buttermilk Cobbler
Today is the perfect day to bake a cobbler! I love cobblers with their crusty tops and sweetened fruit. Baking them in a skillet makes them rustic and un-fussy. They are so versatile, you can swap the berries with any fruit that’s in season. You can even use frozen berries, I just let them thaw on the counter first. Some of my favorite crisps are Triple Berry Crisp, Blueberry Peach Crisp, and Apple Cranberry Crumble.
My favorite cobbler filling is mixed berries, but using just blueberries would also be fantastic. This mixed berry cobbler calls for raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. A little dollop of whipped cream on top is perfect for serving at the end.
This recipe is a lighter take on a traditional berry cobbler since it has less butter and sugar than most other recipes. Cobblers and crisps are great options for dessert because you get a good serving of fruit with all the yummy topping. You could even eat the leftovers for a more decadent breakfast!
Cast Iron Skillet
Everyone should have a cast iron skillet in their kitchen. I have several, one was my Dads from before he got married over fifty years old! Now that he’s gone, it’s one of the things I treasure and think of him every time I use it. If you want to start off with an inexpensive cast iron skillet, I also have this Lodge Set (affil link) which is a really great price. If you don’t have a skillet, you can use a pie dish instead.
How do you make cobbler from scratch?
- This cast iron mixed berry cobbler is easy to make. First, you need to whisk the cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl, add the berries, and toss to coat. Add in the honey, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract and pour into a cast iron skillet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-24 minutes until the edges are hot and bubbling. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees once you pull the berries out.
- While the berries bake, whisk together the dry ingredients for the topping. Then, using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the cold butter until it forms pebble-sized pieces. You can also use a stand mixer for this step.
- Combine the buttermilk and oil in a small bowl and stir into the flour/butter mixture until it’s just moist. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Drop the batter over the berries and bake for about 15-18 minutes. Once the berries are bubbling and the topping is golden and cooked through, you’ll know it’s done.
- The cobbler will be very hot when it gets out of the oven, so let it cool for about 15 minutes. It’ll be very tempting not to dig right in, but you don’t want to burn your mouth! Once cool, top with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!
Can you use frozen fruit in a cobbler?
Yes. If you don’t have any fresh berries on hand, you can use frozen fruit. I let them thaw on the counter before baking.
Other Berry Desserts You’ll Love:
- Mixed Berry Tartlet
- Individual Mixed Berry Pies
- Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
- Strawberry Crisp
- Skinny Strawberry Fool
Skillet Mixed Berry Buttermilk Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- cooking spray
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 5 cups fresh mixed raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- plus 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons chilled sweet whipped butter, cut into small pieces (such as Land O Lakes)
- 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 10-inch cast iron or enamel skillet with oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Toss in the mixed berries and gently mix to coat. Add honey, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla then transfer to a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Bake until the berries are hot and bubbling on the edges, about 20 to 24 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- When the berries are ready to take out of the oven, cut in the chilled butter (must be very cold) using a pastry cutter (or 2 knives) until they form pebble-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl combine buttermilk and oil; mix well. Add to the dry mixture and mix until just moistened, careful not to over-mix. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 400°F and spoon the batter over the berries.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 400°F and spoon the batter over the berries.
- Place back in the oven and bake until the berries are bubbling and the topping is golden and cooked through, about 15 to 18 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool 15 to 20 minutes before eating.
Yum!
Made for company and five of us all enjoyed it. Didn’t have a cast iron skillet so backed in an enamel pan. Delicious..great to make in the summer when berries at their peak. Another winning Skinny Taste recipe
Thank you!
I’d like to make most of it ahead. Do you think I can do all steps but the final bake and leave it in the fridge? I’m bringing dessert to a friend’s dinner party and just want to pop it in the oven for the 20mins to cook the topping.
Can you use a grill to make this recipe? In other words, make everything as directed but finish with the cast iron in the grill?
This is such a great recipe. I use frozen berries straight from the freezer – no problems at all. I use less sugar than the recipe says in the berries (2 tablespoons of coconut sugar sprinkled over the berries; but last time I baked this I added a slug of maple syrup to the berries instead). I also increase the amount of the topping slightly, just so there’s a generous covering over the fruit. For the topping, I always use regular butter, and some natural yoghurt thinned down with milk instead of buttermilk. I don’t have a skillet so I use a Pyrex pie dish instead. Super yummy – thank you for this delicious recipe!
Going to try this in a few days- but wondered if you can use regular butter, not whipped?? Thanks-it sounds fantastic!
So good…my husband didn’t even notice it was a healthier swap.
My favorite dessert! I’ve made this four times now – over the summer and now in December with frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and strawberries). I didn’t have buttermilk so I used greek yogurt + milk, didn’t have baking soda so substituted for more baking powder. Only had brown sugar instead of white. Didn’t have honey so substituted agave 5 calorie + stevia for the fruit filling. SO GOOD! Served with a little whipped but some ice cream would be perfection. Can’t wait to try with some peaches in the summertime 😍😍
This is sooooo good. Thank you for this recipe. We have made it twice, once with just blueberries, and once with four different types of berries. We added more topping when we made it the second time for more crust! So good.
This is perfection! I put Redi Whip on it. It’s great to have a healthy dessert like this. I’m tired of plain fruit being the “go to”. Thank you, Gina. I absolutely love your site.
Great basic recipe! Added sugar to the berries, added flour with the cornstarch, mixed in a cooked down berry sauce to berries before initial baking of berries, and used an alternative topping recipe for Angel Biscuits. Last 7 minutes of baking I brushed melted butter on the crust topping, and after it came out of the oven, brushed it lightly with butter and sprinkled liberally with sugar. Used a stablized whipped topping made with strawberry jello, cornstarch, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar! What a wonderful dessert!
This was delicious! I made this with frozen fruit including strawberries I picked in season last week. It was so delicious and portion size / WW points are perfect. Not super sweet but delightful with a bit of whipped cream.
This was great! Didn’t have butter milk, so did the milk/vinegar option that someone suggested – worked great! I also used frozen mixed berries (thawed and drained), and sprinkled a little coconut sugar on top before baking. Yum! Thank you for the recipe!
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat flour?
1/2 cup total flour doesn’t seem correct! Is that enough to cover the entire berry mixture?
I retract my earlier question! My daughter made this cobbler today and it turned out beautifully! Thanks for your consistently delicious recipes!
Was okay. Will try again. Used frozen berries, should have drained them, I will next time. Topping was bland. Needed a little more sweetness; will add a bit more sugar and/or sprinkle some turbinado sugar on biscuits before baking.
Loved this dessert. I was craving something sweet and I made it last night. Next time I think I’m going to add oat flour for a little more texture. But the topping was fluffy and light. Whole dessert was wonderful! Great recipe!
I made this yesterday for a little Easter treat for the husband and I. It was delicious.
wonderful!
Hi, does the butter get mixed into the buttermilk and canola oil and dry mixture? I could have missed it but, I don’t see what to do with it?
Direction #6- In a small bowl combine buttermilk and oil; mix well. Add to the dry mixture and mix until just moistened, careful not to over-mix.
Hope you enjoy it!
Made this for Easter dessert. Amazing!!! I used plain yogurt in place of buttermilk. Will be making this recipe a lot!!
Yay!
Did you use the same amount of yogurt as was called for buttermilk?
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. It was easy to make and very good. It wasn’t too sweet, but rather refreshing. The biscuits were light. Would definitely recommend. I will be making it again.
I am so glad!
Can’t wait to try this! I live alone though and can’t exactly share, so I was wondering how you suggest storing it? Would it microwave well or is it best to wait until I can have an apartment full of family/friends?
You can cut it down and make less!
So, good. I used maple syrup as the sweetener for the berries. I used frozen cranberries, blueberries and cherries. I let them half thaw out ( too impatient) and followed directions from there. I used a pie pan as my cast iron skillet was being used for dinner. Came out wonderful. Not too sweet and not too tart. I put a dollop of TruWhip on my serving. I also used plant based “butter” for the topping and it was perfect.
Yum!
Would this turn out right if I used all regular AP flour? I do not keep wheat flour as a staple
sure
Could arrowroot powder be used in place of cornstarch in this recipe?
I’m so excited to make this! I only have all purpose flour. Instead of 1/4 cup of each can I just use a 1/2 cup of all purpose?
YES!
If you don’t have buttermilk you can substitute milk with a Tblsp of white vinegar. Mix together and let stand for a few minutes. Been doing this for years. Works great.
Thank you Wendy! Used your tip and worked great!
how can you make this gluten free?
Any of the GF 1:1 baking flours should work! I’ve been subbing regular flour with it for EVERYTHING!
I dont have a skillet. Is there an alternative to baking without one?
Would regular milk be acceptable since I don’t have buttermilk?
I think it would be ok. I have not tested it with regular milk though, so please report back if you do!
This looks lovely. When I can get to the store, and the berries are in season, and local. I’ll give it a try.
Can you make this gluten free?
We have fresh cranberries left over from thanksgiving tgat we put in freezer. Would these work or be to tart?
Sure, maybe with some apples! But it may need more sugar.
Can you suggest a sub for the buttermilk?
Do you drain, rinse or strain frozen fruit after its thawed? I would love to make this but all I got is frozen stuff.
You can strain it but no need to rinse
What can you use if you don’t have buttermilk?
Could you skip the cornstarch or replace it with another item?
It’ll be super runny without thickening . You could try flour…
gelatin(not jello). I use Great Lakes.
Any suggestions if you don’t own a cast iron skillet?
You should be able to use any oven proof shallow pan – like a deep dish pie pan.