Easy Strawberry Cobbler with Biscuit Topping

This Easy Strawberry Cobbler has juicy fresh strawberries tossed with lemon, sugar, and just enough cornstarch to turn them glossy and jammy, then it's baked under my easiest biscuit dough. Ready in less than an hour, it uses basic ingredients, and can be served with an optional whipped yogurt cream for breakfast or with whipped cream for a quick dessert.

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This Simple Strawberry Cobbler recipe exists because I shared an Instagram story where I added a sweetened version of my 2-ingredient biscuit dough over strawberries, and suddenly everyone wanted the recipe, and because I'm the kind of mom that wants everyone to just be happy, I wrote it up immediately.

I get it. The idea of turning a container of strawberries and a little biscuit dough into a bubbling skillet of breakfast-dessert happiness is exactly my kind of thing. It is similar in spirit to my blackberry peach cobbler, but even simpler. Just sweetened strawberries underneath and a cream biscuit on top, but The Boy and I could not stop talking about it, which confirmed that it needed to go on the blog immediately.

What is strawberry cobbler?

A cobbler is a baked fruit dessert, usually with a biscuit-like topping. Unlike a fruit crisp or crumble, which usually has a streusel topping, a cobbler gets its soft, golden top from dollops of dough baked over the fruit.

This version uses fresh strawberries and instead of a cobbler batter, it has a simplified cream biscuit topping, so it gives you all the comfort of a classic cobbler without making a full biscuit recipe first.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy - The biscuit topping is made with self-rising flour, heavy cream, and a little sugar, so there is no cutting in butter or dragging out extra tools.
• Fast - You can have this strawberry cobbler assembled and baked in under an hour, which is exactly the kind of timeline I support.
• Flexible - Serve it warm with whipped cream for an easy dessert or with sweetened whipped Greek yogurt and call it breakfast with your whole chest.
• Small batch - This bakes beautifully in an 8-inch skillet or small baking dish, so you do not need to feed a church basement unless you want to. Then just double it and earn immediate bragging rights.

This strawberry cobbler keeps everything easy: sweet, jammy berries, a simple 2-ingredient biscuit topping, and no fussy steps between you and a warm skillet of something really good. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photo below shows what you need to make this easy strawberry cobbler. I will go over the major ingredients and how you can adjust them if needed.

• Strawberries - Fresh strawberries are my first choice here because they bake into a juicy, bright filling without releasing too much extra liquid. If using frozen strawberries, you may need to add a teaspoon more cornstarch, but expect the baked filling to still be a little more loose.
• Granulated sugar - Sugar sweetens the berries and the biscuit topping without making either one heavy. Depend depending on the sweetness of your berries, you can reduce the sugar in the filling slightly or add more if needed.
• Cornstarch - This helps thicken the strawberry juices so the cobbler is glossy instead of watery. If you would like to substitute with all-purpose flour, use 2 teaspoons. If using tapioca starch or arrowroot starch you may need to increase the amount slightly to get the same thickening.
• Lemon juice - Lemon keeps the strawberry filling bright and helps balance the sweetness. Fresh lemon juice is best here, but good quality bottled will do the job.
• Self-rising flour - This is what makes the biscuit topping so simple. If you do not have self-rising flour, use 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
• Heavy cream - Heavy cream brings both the liquid and the fat to the biscuit dough, which is why this topping is so easy. I would not swap in whole milk here because the biscuits will not be as tender.
• Coarse sugar - A sprinkle on top gives the biscuit topping a little sparkle and crunch. Granulated sugar works too.
• Greek yogurt - This is one of the optional ingredients for the optional whipped yogurt topping. Greek yogurt adds tang and makes this feel breakfast-adjacent in the most delightful way.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

This easy strawberry cobbler recipe is simple on purpose, but there is plenty of room to make it your own.

• Strawberry rhubarb cobbler - Replace half of the strawberries with chopped rhubarb for a sweet-tart spring version.
• Mixed berry cobbler - Use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, keeping the total fruit amount about the same.
• Strawberry shortcake cobbler - This recipe totally gives a strawberry shortcake cobbler vibe, so if you want to lean in to that, add a splash of vanilla extract to the strawberries and serve the cobbler with softly whipped cream
• Strawberry lemonade cobbler - Add a little lemon zest to the filling and the biscuit topping for a brighter lemon flavor.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This recipe is as easy as mixing the strawberries, stirring together the biscuit dough, and dolloping it on top. Follow the process pictures and remember that rustic is not only allowed here, it is the whole point.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Remove the tops from the strawberries and cut them into quarters. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the strawberries with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until evenly coated.

Step 2: Pour the strawberry mixture into a buttered 8-inch cast iron skillet or another small baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.

Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl, combine self-rising flour, sugar, and heavy cream.

Step 4: Stir until you have a sticky, cohesive biscuit dough. It should be soft and scoopable.

Step 5: Using your fingers or a spoon, dollop the biscuit dough all over the top of the strawberries, leaving a few small spaces for the fruit to bubble through.

Step 6: Sprinkle the top of the biscuit dough with coarse sugar, or use a little more granulated sugar if that's what you have.

Step 7: Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the strawberries are bubbling around the edges and the biscuit topping is golden brown. Let the cobbler rest for 10 to 15 minutes so the strawberry filling can settle and thicken a bit. Serve warm with whipped Greek yogurt for breakfast or whipped cream for dessert.

Recipe FAQs

More cobbler, crisps, etc