Pioneer Woman Blackberry Cobbler

Pioneer Woman blackberry cobbler from Ree Drummond uses just five pantry ingredients to bake a cake-style topping around fresh or frozen berries. And the cobbler serves 8 at approximately 310 calories per serving in 1 hour and 20 minutes, since most of that is hands-off oven time at 350°F.

Most cobblers drop biscuit dough on top of the fruit, but Ree pours the batter into the dish first and scatters the berries over it. So the batter rises up and around the fruit as it bakes, which creates crispy edges and a soft center without any scooping or shaping.

Using self-rising flour instead of all-purpose is the one substitution you cannot make in reverse here. And if you use regular flour without adding baking powder and salt, the batter stays flat and dense because nothing lifts it around the berries.

Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com)

Pioneer Woman Blackberry Cobbler

Recipe by medshi8Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

310

kcal

Melted butter whisks into sugar, self-rising flour, and milk before the batter pours into a buttered dish. Then blackberries scatter across the surface with a quarter cup of sugar on top, and 1 hour at 350°F turns everything golden and bubbly.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1 cup self-rising flour
  

• 1 cup milk
  

• 2 cups blackberries (frozen or fresh)
  

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling over the top
  

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, for optional final sprinkle

Directions

• Melt the butter: Place the stick of butter in a microwave-safe dish and melt it completely.
  
• Mix the batter: Then pour 1 cup sugar and the self-rising flour into a bowl, whisk in the milk, and mix well.
  
• Add the butter: Once the batter is smooth, pour in the melted butter and whisk everything together.
  
• Prepare the dish: Then butter a baking dish generously.
  
• Prep the berries: While the dish is ready, rinse the blackberries and pat them dry.
  
• Pour the batter in first: Then pour the batter into the buttered baking dish.
  
• Add the berries: Once the batter is spread, sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top.
  .
• Sprinkle with sugar: Then scatter the 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the berries and batter.
  
• Bake the cobbler: Place in the oven at 350°F and bake for 1 hour until golden and bubbly.
  
• Optional sugar finish: If you like, sprinkle an extra teaspoon of sugar over the top 10 minutes before it finishes

Notes

FAQs

Can I use frozen blackberries instead of fresh?

The source page says frozen berries work just as well, and you do not need to thaw them before scattering over the batter. But frozen fruit releases more juice during baking, so the filling may turn out slightly juicier than a fresh berry version.

And if the extra moisture concerns you, thaw and drain the berries first on a paper towel. Since the batter rises around the fruit regardless, a little extra liquid does not ruin the cobbler but it does change how firm the center sets.

What other fruit works in this cobbler?

The source page lists blueberries, raspberries, peaches, cherries, and sliced strawberries as swaps. And mixing blackberries with blueberries is called out as a particularly good pairing, since both release similar amounts of juice.

But stone fruit like peaches should be sliced thin so they soften in the same 1-hour bake time. And for a biscuit-style topping over peaches instead, try the pioneer woman peach cobbler, which drops scooped dough on top of the fruit for a different texture.

Why does the batter go in before the fruit?

Pouring the batter first and dropping the berries on top lets the rising batter surround the fruit as it bakes. And the berries sink into the batter at different depths, which creates pockets of jammy fruit throughout instead of a flat layer on the bottom.

If you stir the berries into the batter before pouring, they all sink to the bottom and the top bakes plain. So keeping them separate and letting the oven do the mixing is what gives this cobbler its signature uneven, cobblestone look.

How should I store and reheat leftovers?

The source page says to cover and refrigerate the cobbler for up to 4 days once cooled. And the cake-like batter holds its texture better chilled than a biscuit-style topping does, so leftovers stay enjoyable longer.

For reheating, the source page recommends loosely covering with foil and warming at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. But individual portions microwave well too, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top melts into the warm berries the same way it does on the pioneer woman pecan pie.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising?

Self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, so swapping in plain all-purpose flour without adding those leaves the batter flat. And for every cup of all-purpose, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to match the leavening.

But self-rising flour is the easier route since it keeps the ingredient list to just five items, which is the whole appeal of this recipe. And a bag of self-rising flour stores in the pantry for months, so it pays for itself across multiple batches of cobbler.