Southern Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

Fruit pie may technically be the great grand-OG of fruit desserts, having been around since Ancient Egypt, per the American Pie Council. However, fruit cobbler is more of an American classic, having been invented in the U.S. during the 19th century (via Bon Appétit). Although some early descriptions of cobbler involve layers of pastry dough surrounding a fruit filling, top and bottom, cobbler has come to refer to a "sweet dessert made with fruit and a biscuit-like topping," according to recipe developer Kate Shungu of Gift of Hospitality.

Cobbler is also about technique, Shungu tells Tasting Table. And that technique may just be the easiest that you'll ever come across in baking. But don't simply take our word for it. Come along and see for yourself, since Shungu's recipe is for a Southern blackberry cobbler made using the classic technique that's "common in a lot of Southern cookbooks," as Shungu explains. "The whole idea is that the recipe is easy to remember: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, 1 stick of butter," she continues. "While it's in the oven, the butter combines with the flour mixture to create a light and fluffy cobbler to complement the fruit." Sound easy enough? Then let's get right into it!

To make Shungu's recipe for Southern blackberry cobbler, you'll need a whole lot of fresh blackberries, some ground cinnamon, sugar (divided, because you'll need it for both the batter and the fruit filling), salted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and pure vanilla extract. To serve your Southern blackberry cobbler, Shungu recommends vanilla ice cream. However, whipped cream works well too — you could even make it in a cocktail shaker to simplify the process!

If you have not yet rinsed your blackberries, do so now. Then pat them dry, and in a large bowl, toss them with a ¼ cup of sugar. Set them aside for now, because it's time to move on to the key to the classic technique for making cobbler, according to Shungu. Start by setting your oven to 350 F. Now, grab a 9x13-inch baking dish. Unwrap the stick of butter, and place it onto the baking dish, and pop the dish into the oven for three minutes. 

After three minutes, check to see if the butter has melted. If not, give it another minute or two, and be sure to remove it before it starts browning. Set the melted butter aside on a heat-proof surface. 

Having gotten both the blackberries and the butter going, grab another large bowl. In this one, you're going to whisk together the remaining cup of sugar, the all-purpose flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Then you'll add in the milk, followed by the vanilla extract. Your goal here is simply to eliminate the lumps. Once you've done so, pour this mixture over the melted butter, without stirring. You will be tempted to stir, but resist this temptation — do not stir!

All that's left to do here is to scatter the sugared blackberries all over the top of your cobbler batter. That's right, the blackberries go on top, not on bottom. But they won't stay there as they bake, as you will see. Pop the assembled cobbler into your preheated oven, and bake for 35 minutes. If the cobbler, at that point, has turned golden brown at the edges, it's good to go. If not, give it up to five more minutes to achieve its perfect hue. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. With each bite, you'll get the perfect ratio of buttery cobbler alongside sweet blackberry — no wonder this recipe is such a hit in Southern cooking!