Keep things scratch-made but easy with this recipe for blueberry cobbler with frozen blueberries - no thawing necessary. Enjoy perfectly thickened fruit, bold blueberry flavor, and a crisp, sugar-dusted biscuit topping in this extra convenient take on a classic fruit dessert.
There are a few recipes I've had a bee in my bonnet about perfecting through the years, and this one is finally off the list: an easy blueberry cobbler made with frozen blueberries.
It might not sound like a big distinction as lots of recipes say to use fresh or frozen berries willy nilly, but the added moisture from the ice crystals in frozen berries sets the stage for a seriously soupy situation if there isn't enough of a thickening agent in the recipe. That's especially true if you don't want to fuss around and thaw the berries beforehand (me, always).
I aimed to thread the needle with a from-scratch blueberry cobbler recipe that uses straight-from-the-freezer berries yet thickens up beautifully, all with a light and tender biscuit topping with a crisp top crust. Competing factors, for sure, but this recipe walks that line to achieve one seriously good blueberry cobbler you won't want to make any other way.
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What Makes This Blueberry Cobbler Great?
- Convenience - Frozen berries are convenient, with no washing, thawing, or draining necessary. They're also picked at optimal ripeness and quickly frozen to retain quality...
- No modifications - ...and because this cobbler recipe uses frozen berries specifically, you don't have to tinker with adding extra flour or cornstarch and crossing your fingers that it'll prevent soupiness. The fruit layer thickens up just right.
- Ultimate flavor - Especially if you use wild blueberries. While they're smaller than their tamer counterparts, they lean sweeter and have a more pronounced flavor for the best blueberry cobbler that's truly a cut above.
- Crisp, fluffy topping - Oooh is this cobbler topping delicious. Easy to mix by hand with the best of both world textures: a fluffy, raised interior with a crisp golden-brown crust. Adapted from a strawberry cobbler from America's Test Kitchen, the brush with butter and sprinkle of sugar is the perfect finishing touch.
Recipe Ingredients
Frozen blueberries: Standard frozen blueberries will work just fine here, but I strongly recommend frozen wild blueberries if you can find them for their more intense flavor. I've reliably found them at my regular supermarket far outside Maine, and also at Costco. Love them as a topping for stovetop steel cut oats, too.
Cornstarch: A thickening agent is a must when making a cobbler with frozen berries. Three-and-a-half tablespoons of cornstarch works during the lengthier bake time to turn the liquid nice and syrupy without becoming fully gelatinous.
Buttermilk: Thick, store-bought buttermilk goes a long way to providing the right consistency for the biscuit topping. Its slightly tangy flavor has come to be expected in biscuits, and its acidity reacts with the baking soda to provide lift. Homemade substitutes (like regular milk and vinegar/lemon juice) really don't thicken that much and will probably provide a less-than result.
Lemon juice/zest: Both featured in the fruit layer to provide a fairly subtle lemon flavor. If you'd like the lemon to shine more prominently, increase the amount of lemon zest for the biggest impact. Adding more liquid is asking for trouble as far as the thickening goes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Toss frozen blueberries in a bowl with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice/zest. Bake at 350°F in a deep-dish pie plate or 8-inch square pan for 15 minutes by itself.
- Step 2: Use that time to stir together the biscuit topping ingredients - wet and dry separately, then combine. You'll quickly see air bubbles forming.
- Step 3: After the 15 minutes, arrange the dough into flattish rounds equally-spaced on top of the blueberries. They'll look irregular but that's just fine.
- Step 4: Brush the tops of the dough rounds with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar.
- Step 5: Bake the fully assembled blueberry cobbler for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the berries are well bubbly and the cobbler topping is crisp and a deep golden to golden-brown. A long, thin tester (such as a toothpick) inserted in the center biscuit section will come out clean. Let the cobbler cool for at least 20-25 minutes on a wire rack before scooping and serving.
Ways I've Tested This Cobbler
Experimenting with this recipe for frozen blueberry cobbler was hardly a hardship. By ourselves, my husband and I finished off the pan within days every time I've made it, which isn't something I can say about many desserts.
My big goal was achieving a nicely-thickened blueberry layer without thawing the frozen blueberries. Because frozen berries release more liquid, you can't skimp on the cornstarch. I worked my way up to 3 ½ tablespoons which thickens the juices without becoming blueberry-dotted jello.
I also tinkered with the method. Frozen berries require longer to cook, and adding biscuit topping right from the start made me nervous it would become too toasty before the berries sufficiently thickened. So much so that on that test I did the whole "cover the pan with foil" thing partway through the bake time, which in turn made me nervous about the crispness of the biscuits. Giving the frozen blueberries a head start in the oven before adding the biscuit topping is the answer, no foil needed.
As far as flavor, I've used varying levels of lemon zest, from ½ to 1 teaspoon. All good, just a matter of personal preference.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Pan size - The blueberry layer will bubble up, so if using a 9-inch pie plate, make sure it's deep-dish (edges at least two inches tall) and not standard height. An 8-inch square baking dish will also work.
- Catch any drips - If you're concerned this cobbler may bubble over, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below your cobbler in the oven to catch any overflow. I like to put this on a separate rack as opposed to placing the cobbler dish on the sheet pan itself as to allow full air circulation around the cobbler.
- Fresh leavening agents - Has it been awhile since you've opened your baking powder and baking soda? They can sometimes lose their effectiveness even if they're not at their expiration date yet. If it's been around six months or so, see if they're still good by pouring hot water over a little bit of baking powder, and separately vinegar over baking soda. You should see bubbling/fizzing if they're active.
- A classic serving suggestion - Vanilla ice cream, a quintessential favorite, is the perfect pairing to warm blueberry cobbler.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blueberry cobbler is best prepared and baked the same-day you plan to serve it, as you want the biscuit topping crust to be nice and crisp. It inevitably will soften once refrigerated/reheated. The preparation steps also aren't conducive to making ahead, as the fruit is baked from frozen and mixing the dough can cause the leavening agents to lose their oomph as time goes by.
It can sit out for the day of baking as it cools or is at room temperature for serving, but I recommend covering it loosely and refrigerating it for up to five days after that.
Cobbler is best reheated in the oven at 350°F for 10-20 minutes, or until heated throughout. As needed, loosely tent the top with aluminum foil to prevent the topping from becoming too dark (tightly crimping the edges can trap in steam and soften the topping). The microwave will also cause the topping to soften considerably, though that way is still delicious in a pinch!
Related Recipes
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Blueberry Cobbler with Frozen Blueberries
Ingredients
Blueberry Layer
- 24 ounces (680g) frozen wild blueberries (scant 6 cups) or regular blueberries
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (28g) cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon packed lemon zest (see note)
Biscuit Layer
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (120 ml) low-fat buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon (4g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of your baking dish (a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or 8-inch square baking dish) and set aside for now. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add frozen blueberries, ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a mixing bowl and stir to coat so that the berries are coated evenly.
- Pour out the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish and lightly press the top into an even layer. Scrape out the bowl clean to make sure all juices are included.
- Bake the berry layer by itself for 15 minutes, during which time prepare the biscuit topping, as follows. Whisk together flour, ¼ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 5 Tablespoons of melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined with no flour streaks remaining.
- After the 15 minute bake time, carefully remove the dish from the oven and scoop and lightly press the biscuit topping into rounds of equal height around the surface of the blueberries. Brush biscuit rounds with 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Place the cobbler back in the oven and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the topping is deep golden to golden-brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The fruit will bubble up so if you're concerned the juices may spill over, place a rimmed sheet pan on the rack underneath the rack your cobbler is on to catch any drips.
- Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 25 minutes before serving warm. This rest time is to allow the fruit juices time to solidify more. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream!
Notes
- Frozen wild blueberries are recommended for their bolder flavor.
- Lemon zest can be increased to 1 teaspoon if you'd like a more pronounced lemon flavor.
- The berries will bubble up as they bake, so make sure to use a pan with tall enough sides. A standard-height (1.5 inch) pie plate will likely be too short.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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