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This cherry cobbler recipe is the perfect summer dessert! The sweet fruit layer is topped with an easy batter that bakes up fluffy and golden.
Here’s a fruity summer dessert you need in your baking repertoire: cherry cobbler! Seasonal fruit is perfect for baking into crisps, crumbles, and cobblers, and this one is a stunner.
Sweet cherries make a juicy, cinnamon-scented layer. Layer that with an easy batter that takes no time to whip up and bakes into a golden, fluffy topping. This cherry dessert is a pan of old-fashioned, cozy goodness that will impress everyone.
Ingredients in Cherry Cobbler
A cobbler is a dessert with a layer of fruit topped with batter and baked. Unlike a crisp or crumble that has a streusel-like topping, the batter is closer to a biscuit or cake.
Some cobblers are dolloped with a biscuit-like, lightly sweetened dough, whereas others have a more solid batter layer that’s sweeter and cakey. This cherry cobbler recipe uses the latter concept; it’s more cake-like than biscuity! The ingredients for cherry cobbler are:
- Sweet cherries, fresh, frozen, or canned (see notes below)
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice and zest
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and salt
- Salted butter
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
Type of Cherries
The flavor of this cherry cobbler recipe is best with fresh sweet cherries (I recently picked a mound in Michigan for a fraction of the price you’d pay at the grocery!). But you can use grocery-store-fresh cherries, or even swap in frozen or canned cherries. Here’s what to know:
- Sweet cherries: The most popular types of sweet cherries are Bing (dark red) and Rainier (golden and red). Bing cherries are easy to find at the grocery store, and often you can find them fresh or frozen. They are very sweet, firm, and juicy.
- Tart cherries: Montmorency cherries are sour cherries grown in Michigan. They’re more fragile to transport, so most often you’ll find them dried or sometimes frozen. You can use them here if you can find them fresh, but add about 2 tablespoons extra sugar to the filling (then taste and add more as desired).
- Frozen cherries: Frozen cherries work well as a substitute! Keep in mind the note above about adding sugar to tart cherries.
- Canned cherries: Canned cherries also work! It’s best if they are packed in water and unsweetened. (Avoid using cherry pie filling because it has an artificially sweet flavor.) One 15-ounce can of cherries has about 2 cups of cherries, so you’ll need 2 ½ cans.
How to Pit Cherries
If you’re using fresh cherries for this cherry cobbler recipe, the most time-consuming part of the recipe is pitting them! I’ve found the easiest method is to use a straw to remove the pit. Make sure it is a metal or a strong plastic straw (not a disposable one, which is too flimsy). Here’s what to do:
- Remove the cherry stem.
- Place the end of a straw where the stem was and hold the cherry with one hand.
- Press the straw into the fruit firmly but gently, and the pit will pop out the other side.
- Keep in mind, this is a messy process! Wear an apron, and you may want to wear plastic gloves to keep the cherry juice from staining your hands.
Flavor Variations
If you love playing with flavors, it’s simple to step up this cherry cobbler with a few additions! Here are some ideas:
- Cardamom: Use ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom in the filling, or sprinkle with a hint of ground cardamom when serving (I also love this in a Cherry Crisp)
- Orange: Substitute the lemon zest and juice for orange zest and juice (use ¼ teaspoon orange zest instead of ½ teaspoon)
- Amaretto or bourbon: Why not? Stir in 1 tablespoon amaretto or bourbon for a boozy boost
Serving Ideas and Storing Leftovers
For this cherry cobbler, make sure to let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the textures can set. Cobbler works served plain, but I always find it’s heightened with a topping! This one is best with Vanilla Ice Cream or Homemade Whipped Cream.
While cobbler is best the day it’s made, this cherry cobbler also works well made in advance! It’s best prepared the night before, but it can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until room temperature or warm, then serve.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is vegetarian.
Easy Cherry Cobbler
This cherry cobbler recipe is the perfect summer dessert! The sweet fruit layer is topped with an easy batter that bakes up fluffy and golden.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 5 cups sweet cherries (1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided, plus more for topping
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup-all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted (or unsalted)
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pit the cherries (see tips above). Stir together the cherries with ½ cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a 9 x 9″ or 7 x 11″ medium baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Stir in the melted butter, milk, and vanilla, and mix until a smooth batter forms. Let the batter stand for 1 minute to thicken.
- Pour the batter over the cherry filling, smoothing it to the edges. (If desired, you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons of additional granulated sugar on the top.)
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and set. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Scoop into individual servings and serve with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Stores up to 3 days refrigerated; reheat in a 350°F oven until room temperature or warm before serving.
Let us know if you have any questions!