Juicy strawberries and a soft cream cheese biscuit topping come together in this easy, crowd-pleasing strawberry cobbler. Perfect for warm-weather baking.
If you’re looking for a simple spring or summer dessert that celebrates fresh strawberries, this easy strawberry cobbler recipe is a must-bake. It pairs a bright, lemony berry filling with dollops of soft, lightly sweetened cream cheese biscuit topping. Serve it warm with a scoop of whipped cream or ice cream, and you’re in dessert heaven.
If you love fruit-forward desserts like this, you might also enjoy my peach crisp or blackberry cobbler.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cobbler Recipe
- Fresh strawberry flavor. Just a few simple ingredients let the fruit shine.
- Cream cheese biscuit topping. A soft, tender topping that adds just the right richness.
- Easy to make. No rolling, shaping, or fuss. Just mix, drop, and bake.
- Perfect for spring and summer. It’s a great way to use peak-season strawberries.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the key ingredients you’ll need to make this strawberry cobbler. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and their specific amounts.
- Strawberries – Fresh, ripe berries bring bright flavor and color.
- Lemon – Both the juice and zest add tartness that balances the sweetness.
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken the filling as it bakes.
- Cream cheese – Gives the biscuit topping a little tang and softness.
- Butter and milk – Create a soft, tender biscuit texture.
- Sanding sugar – Optional, but adds sparkle and crunch on top.
Why Add Cream Cheese to the Biscuits?
Adding cream cheese to the biscuit topping gives it a bit of extra richness and a wonderfully soft texture. Unlike a traditional biscuit, which can be more crumbly or crisp, the cream cheese makes these tender and slightly dense in the best way. It also adds a subtle tang that complements the sweetness of the strawberries and the brightness of the lemon.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Fresh strawberries are always my first choice for cobbler, especially when they’re in season, but frozen strawberries can work, too. There’s no need to thaw them. Just add them straight to the filling. Keep in mind that frozen berries release more liquid as they bake, which can lead to a looser, runnier filling. To help counter that, try adding 2 to 3 extra teaspoons of cornstarch to the mixture before baking. You may also need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time to ensure the filling is bubbling and thickened. If you’d like to learn more about baking with frozen fruits, see my guide to fresh vs frozen fruits in baking.
How to Make Strawberry Cobbler
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 375°F. Set out a 1-quart baking dish.
- Make the filling. Stir together the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Let that sit while you make the topping.
- Begin making the topping. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- Add the cream cheese and butter. Use a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers to mix the topping until the butter is about the size of small peas.
- Add the milk. Pour about two-thirds of the milk into the topping mixture, and combine. Continue adding small amounts of the milk while mixing. Add just enough milk so that the dough comes together.
- Assemble. Transfer the strawberry mixture to the baking dish. Drop the topping in 1-tablespoon portions over the top of the strawberries. If you like, sprinkle the top with sanding sugar.
- Bake. Place the pan on a lined, rimmed baking sheet (to catch any potential drips), and bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Tips for Success
- Use ripe, flavorful strawberries. Fresh, in-season berries will give you the best flavor. If your strawberries are a little underwhelming, you can bump up the sugar slightly.
- Don’t over-mix the topping. Mix just until the dough comes together. Over-mixing can make the biscuits tough instead of tender.
- Drop the topping evenly. Spoon the dough in small mounds across the top of the filling. It won’t cover every inch, but it will spread a bit as it bakes.
- Bake on a lined baking sheet. The filling may bubble over, so place your baking dish on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet to avoid a mess in your oven.
- Let it cool slightly before serving. Giving the cobbler 10–15 minutes to rest helps the filling set up just a bit and makes serving easier.
Serving Suggestions
I love topping this strawberry cobbler with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream is always a classic choice. Whether you serve it warm, at room temperature, or sneak a bite straight from the pan, it’s the kind of dessert you’ll want to make again and again.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings briefly in the microwave. The biscuit topping is best the day it’s baked but still tasty after a day or two.
This strawberry cobbler is everything I love about simple, seasonal baking. Bright, fresh flavor with just enough comfort and indulgence. It’s easy to make, easy to serve, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Do you serve your cobbler with ice cream, whipped cream, or just as it is? I’d love to hear how you enjoy it!
More Strawberry Recipes
Strawberry Cobbler
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 32 ounces (907 g) strawberries, trimmed, hulled, and quartered
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- juice of 1 medium lemon
For the topping:
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- zest of 1 medium lemon
- pinch salt
- 2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- sanding sugar, optional
- sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
Recommended Products
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Stir together the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Set aside while you make the topping.
To make the topping:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- Add the cream cheese and butter. Mix with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until the butter is about the size of small peas.
- Add about two-thirds of the milk, and mix to combine. Continue adding the remaining milk, and mix just until the dough comes together. (It's fine if you don't need to use quite all of the milk.)
- Transfer the strawberry mixture to a 1-quart baking dish.
- Drop the topping by about 1-tablespoon portions over the strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- Place the pan on a lined, rimmed baking sheet to catch any leaks. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
14 Comments on “Strawberry Cobbler”
I was obsessed with peach cobbler when I was younger. There was a diner that made an amazing one. I’ve tried to replicate it, but haven’t had success yet. Strawberry is a great cobbler flavor and I’ll have to try this with some fresh, local berries 🙂
I’m so excited about this recipe! My strawberry patch is ready to pick and I can’t think of a better recipe to start with! We are so lucky in my area to have strawberries for 6 months. This year our spring is a good one with a nice balance of wet and dry and cool and warm. The berries are doing great and are early. I’m out with my basket in the morning and next stop will be the kitchen to wash, prep and bake. My favorite gardeners will hopefully be as excited to eat it as I am to make it for them. First strawberries of the season! Thanks, Jennifer!!
I hope you like it, Linda!
It was a big success. Mine was a little runny but they cut into it pretty warm which was ok with me. They didn’t want to wait. HAHA Thanks again for a keeper recipe!
Where I came from Cobblers were made by putting the fruit, sugar and water in a pan bringing to a boil. Rolling out dough, cutting into strips dropping 1×1 pieces into boiling fruit water, then making a solid size topping from the dough to cover the pan, butter that, sprinkle with sugar, , cut slits, bake until crust I golden brown. That is the real cobblers.
Can I use gluten free flour for the cobbler?
Hi, Margaret. I don’t have much experience with gluten-free flours. I’d recommend following the manufacturer’s recommendations for substituting.
When recipe calls for zest of 1 lemon….do i zest entire lemon?
Yes, you’ll need the zest of 1 medium lemon.
Will be trying two of the cobblers
and cupcakes for the little ones…
I made this last night for my family and it was gone in one night! My cobbler looked just like the picture and I did not tweak it at all. 5 stars!
I’m so glad it was such a hit!
One problem I find with biscuit cobblers is that the biscuit is often not completely cooked underneath, even when the biscuit isn’t very thick. I usually to a crisp to solve that problem. Thoughts?
Hi, Kathryn. I think it depends on the recipe. Usually, the filling should get hot enough to help bake the topping all the way through. I would also suggest taking care to measure accurately and making sure the topping isn’t too thick. If the topping isn’t browning well either, then you might want to check the accuracy of your oven’s temperature or try baking a bit longer. If the top begins to get too brown, you can loosely tent the baking dish with foil.