Southern Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

This Southern Blackberry Cobbler is a classic dessert made with a flaky buttery crust over a sweet and bubbly fresh blackberry mixture for the ultimate treat when served with ice cream.

If you're craving more tasty blackberry recipes, then be sure to try making Blackberry Macarons or a Blackberry Thyme Mocktail. Also for another fruit cobbler recipe, try making an Easy Peach Cobbler recipe.

Now I have made blackberry cobbler before, but this time I decided to challenge myself by making a homemade flaky buttery crust that can be prepared up to six hours prior to making the cobbler. I decided to do this instead of making the usual softer dough that cooks up light and fluffy with a biscuit-like consistency.

Either way is fine but there is just something about having a hand-rolled crust that makes a really good pie. Especially when it blankets over tart bubbly blackberries with a big scoop of your favorite ice cream to top it all off. Am I making you hungry yet?

So why did I choose to make blackberry cobbler you ask?

Well, that’s a great question. I was actually on a day date that included a trip to Whole Foods. The organic blackberries were on sale, they looked amazing, and blackberries are my absolute favorite berries to eat this time of year.

Actually, come to think of it, they are my favorite berry period.

As a child being raised in the South, I remember stumbling upon blackberries growing in the wild. These berries would be picked and loaded in the front make-shift holder of the bottom of my shirt and taken to the nearest water hose so they could be quickly washed off and eaten. I actually still can find the occasional wild blackberries growing in my yard.

Anyway enough about berries, be sure to give this Blackberry Cobbler a try.

Let's get started!

Ingredients You'll Need

1. Fresh Blackberries - The main ingredient in this cobbler recipe is juicy blackberries. You will need at least six cups of fresh blackberries to make the fruit filling. Use organic or conventional whichever you prefer, but be sure to wash/clean your berries well to remove any debris.
2. All-Purpose Flour - Plain all-purpose flour is needed to combine with the other dry ingredients to make the top crust to cover the blackberry mixture. This ingredient helps to make our crust flaky.
3. Baking Powder - Be sure to check the date to make sure that it has not expired before use. This ingredient will help to give our pie crust dough a great texture.
4. Sugar - Granulated sugar or cane sugar is needed to sweeten the crust and the berry mixture.
5. Salt - Helps to balance the ingredients and keep them from tasting flat. I prefer to use kosher salt for baking.
6. Ground Cinnamon - Great warming spices that give out cobbler that classic flavor.
7. Ground Nutmeg - Warming spice that adds a nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
8. Butter - Cold butter is needed to make the pie crust to top the fruit cobbler.
9. Heavy Cream - This will help to make the dough and bring the ingredients together to form the dough. It will also be used to brush on top of the crust before baking.
10. Cornstarch - Helps to thicken the blackberry filling. Make sure that you check the date on the package to make sure that it has not passed.
11. Lemon Zest - Add a nice punch of fresh citrus flavor to balance the sweetness of the filling.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

How to Make Blackberry Cobbler

Begin the recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. and butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until combined.

Using a pastry blender, fork, or clean hands, add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and blend the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is about pea-sized and the flour mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Pour the heavy cream over the flour mixture and stir until it is fully combined and forms a soft dough.

The dough will be soft and sticky, do not overwork or it will be tough. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and cover it with another sheet.

Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a 9-inch round shape. Place the dough on a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator while preparing the blackberry filling.

In a large bowl, make the filling by gently stirring together the fresh blackberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest until mixed together.

Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut a 2-inch wide hole in the center with a cookie cutter to create a steam vent. Carefully place the dough on top of the blackberry filling and brush lightly the top of the dough with heavy cream and evenly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Place the pie into the oven to bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling.

Carefully remove the cobbler from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serve the blackberry cobbler warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Be sure not to overwork the dough to prevent it from being tough. Just mix it enough until it sticks together to form a soft dough.
• Topping the crust with cinnamon sugar is optional but it really gives it an additional layer of flavor. Just mix together 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to make it yourself or use the premixed spice blend.
• Use fresh blackberries and not frozen. You could substitute fresh raspberries or a mixture of them both in the same unit of measure.

Storage Tips

Storage. Be sure to store any leftover or unused portions of cobbler in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may cover the pie plate tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container.

Reheating. Serve cold or reheat it in the microwave or oven on low heat.

Freezing. Unfortunately, this dessert does not freeze well and is best enjoyed shortly after making it.

More Recipes You'll Love

• Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
• Blackberry Macarons
• Creamy Berry Trifle Dessert
• Blackberry Thyme Mocktail
• Blackberry Thyme Margarita
• Easy Peach Cobbler
• Frozen Blueberry Muffins
• Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways to enjoy this Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 01/31/2018. Updated 03/17/2023 and 07/17/2024.