Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
A rustic summer dessert featuring the classic pairing of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb, topped with a golden, buttery biscuit crust that bakes to perfection – crisp on top and tender underneath.
Ingredients
- For the Filling:
- 3 cups rhubarb cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
- 3 cups strawberries hulled and halved (about 1 pound)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the Cobbler Topping:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
- ⅔ cup buttermilk regular milk with a splash of vinegar works in a pinch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the middle. Butter or spray your baking dish.
- Combine the rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then sprinkle over the fruit. Add lemon juice and vanilla, then gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the fruit mixture to your prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. If the fruit has released a lot of juice, leave some behind to prevent a soggy cobbler.
- For the topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- Combine the buttermilk and vanilla, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir just until a shaggy dough forms – overmixing will make the topping tough!
- Drop spoonfuls of the dough over the fruit mixture, leaving some gaps for the filling to bubble through. Don’t worry about covering the entire surface – the dough will spread as it bakes.
- Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the topping for a beautiful sparkly finish and extra crunch.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the remaining baking time.
- Let the cobbler cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set up slightly. The cobbler is best enjoyed warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
- For the best texture, make sure your butter is very cold when making the topping. You can even freeze it for 10 minutes before cutting it in.
- If rhubarb is out of season, frozen works perfectly fine – no need to thaw it first.
- The filling might look very juicy before baking, but the cornstarch will thicken it as it cooks. Trust the process!
- This cobbler can be assembled a few hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
- Leftovers keep well at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes to crisp up the topping again.