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This delicious Cherry Cobbler is ready for the oven with just 10 minutes of prep. You’ll love the from-scratch buttery topping baked until golden brown and the piping hot, bubbling cherries beneath.
I approach the recipes on Culinary Hill with an “editor’s eye.” The recipes on the site are all related and are constantly considered within the context of each other. For example, If we have the most amazing mashed potatoes, they better be the same mashed potatoes that show up on our Shepherd’s Pie (and they are).
In the case of cobblers, I was looking for “one cobbler recipe to rule them all.” We used to have several different versions of cobblers depending on which fruit it was, but they were all completely different. How can I say each one is “the best” when there can only be one “best”?
The way I see it, we need to spend time figuring out the ideal cobbler recipe and work to make sure it’s interchangeable with most fruits. They still need to be tested individually, of course, so we can account for variations (like strawberries have more water than other fruits, so there is no orange juice in that recipe).
But overall, I want all cobblers to be made the same way, the best way we possibly can. So here we are, my favorite cobbler recipe Cherry Edition, and I hope you love it as much as I do.
(Looking for the “original” Cherry Cobbler recipe? Download the PDF here.)
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cherries: Aim for 1 ¼ pounds (4 cups) of cherries before pitting. You’ll have about 1 pound (3 ½ cups) cherries after pitting. Choose any variety: Sour Montmorency cherries are on the tart side, while Bing and Hudson cherries are sweeter. Rainier and yellow cherries are lighter in color but full of flavor. They all taste great in this cobbler.
- Butter: To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger, and if it still feels too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Vanilla ice cream: Store-bought or homemade; either is a treat. Whipped cream would also be dreamy.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, add cherries, orange juice, and sugar, and stir to combine, then pour into a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working in batches, add ⅓ of the flour mixture at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter over the cherry mixture (I like to use the OXO small scoop, a #70 portion scoop, heaped).
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of Cherry Cobbler, enough for 6 (1-cup) servings.
- Storage: Leftover cobbler is safe covered at room temperature the same day you bake it. Beyond that, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 more days. Reheat if desired before serving.
- Freezer: Bake the cobbler according to the recipe, then cool completely, wrap in freeze-safe plastic wrap or foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
- Original Cherry Cobbler recipe: Do you prefer the old version I used to have on the site? I hear you! You can download a PDF of the original Cherry Cobbler Recipe here).
- Homemade Apple Cobbler Recipe: With a from-scratch topping that is ready in minutes and bakes up soft, chewy, and golden brown. It’s the perfect dessert to wind down a chilly fall day.
- Pear cobbler: Transform fresh pears into a luscious dessert worthy of any dinner party, brunch, or weeknight meal. It’s a great way to celebrate this juicy fruit during their short seasonal window.
Recipe FAQs
A cobbler is a fruit dessert where biscuit-like dough dropped by the spoonful onto fresh fruit and baked. After it’s baked, the golden brown top resembles a bumpy cobblestone road, thus the name “cobbler.”
To pit cherries with an empty wine bottle and a wooden chopstick, position the cherry on the mouth of the bottle. Hold the cherry carefully, then poke the chopstick through the cherry where the stem would be. The pit should pop right out of the fruit and (hopefully) into the bottle, and you are left holding a pitted cherry.
Yes! Just thaw frozen cherries overnight in the refrigerator and proceed as directed.
I love the easy-release and portion size simplicity (and you can find them on Amazon for about $16), but if you don’t already have one, you don’t need to buy one just for this. Just substitute a regular tablespoon (or any spoon you want, really).
You can download the original Cherry Cobbler recipe in PDF format. I changed the recipe in May 2022 because I wanted something easier and more streamlined. But, I know many of you miss the old one!
Cherry Crisp
This recipe for Cherry Crisp is is easier than pie! If you’ve been making Cherry Crisp with cake mix, you’ll love this from-scratch version which is just as simple to make but tastes even better.
View Recipe
More cobblers to try
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Blueberry Cobbler
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Peach Cobbler
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Blackberry Cobbler
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Cobbler
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Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 pound fresh cherries pitted (1 ¼ pounds with pits, see note 1)
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the topping:
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened (see note 2)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional (see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, add cherries, orange juice, and sugar, and stir to combine, then pour into a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working in batches, add ⅓ of the flour mixture at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of batter over the cherry mixture (I like to use the OXO small scoop, a #70 portion scoop, heaped).
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cherries: Aim for 1 ¼ pounds (4 cups) of cherries before pitting. You’ll have about 1 pound (3 ½ cups) cherries after pitting. Choose any variety: Sour Montmorency cherries are on the tart side, while Bing and Hudson cherries are sweeter. Rainier and yellow cherries are lighter in color but full of flavor. They all taste great in this cobbler.
- Butter: To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger, and if it still feels too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Vanilla ice cream: Store-bought or homemade; either is a treat. Whipped cream would also be dreamy.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of Cherry Cobbler, enough for 6 (1-cup) servings.
- Storage: Leftover cobbler is safe covered at room temperature the same day you bake it. Beyond that, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 more days. Reheat if desired before serving.
- Freezer: Bake the cobbler according to the recipe, then cool completely, wrap in freeze-safe plastic wrap or foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I want to make this but have a question. I have several jars of canned cherries. How do you suggest I use them in this recipe? Drain juice?
Hi Becca, thank you so much for writing! A reader shared they used canned cherries, draining as much of the liquid as they could. They wrote it came out a little soft and would try a crisp instead. If you prefer to make it that way instead, here’s the link to the recipe – https://www.culinaryhill.com/cherry-crisp-recipe/. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Easy, delicious. Thanks for sharing
You’re so welcome, J! So glad you enjoyed it! – Meggan
Hello Megan,
I’m making the original Cherry Cobbler recipe you attached on this post in preparation for our Thanksgiving dinner and I am nervous how it is going to turn out. I used 9×13 baking pan, doubled all the recipe it called for and used frozen cherries. Baking it initially for 60 mins but anticipating it might take longer. Please tell me this is not going to turn out to be a disaster!
Hi Michelle! I’m sending positive vibes to you for your cobbler, I hope it came out well! Doubling the recipe and using frozen cherries could make it take longer to bake, so it’s good you had already added some baking time. – Meggan
Hello
should I sprinkle any cornstarch on the cherries to thicken the juice or does it kind of get absorbed by the batter
Hi Evelyn, thank you so much for your question! Yes, I didn’t find it necessary to toss them in cornstarch. The batter and heat reduced the juice from the cherries some, enough that the filling is juicy, but the fruit isn’t swimming in it. I hope you love this cobbler! – Meggan
I am planning to make this today! I don’t have a 9 in round baking dish. What would be your second choice? I have a 9 x 13, 8×8 and a cast iron skillet.
Thank you,
Emily
Hi Emily, thank you so much for your question! My first choice would be the 8″x8″ round, especially if it is 2″ deep, it would be the closest in volume to the 9″x9″. I haven’t tried this myself, but the cobbler does not reach the top in the 9″x9″, so I believe we have room to work with. I would monitor it closely as the baking time may change a little since the cobbler is deeper. (I’m adding making this in a cast iron to my list, sounds amazing! ) Take care! – Meggan
also meant to say- I made this with King Arthur’s Gluten free all purpose substituted directly for the flour and it came out perfectly.
I’m so glad you loved it and it was a hit! You’re welcome, t! Thank you also for sharing that it worked well with GF flour! – Meggan
Loved this recipe, rave reviews from family too. I doubled the fruit but otherwise exactly as written. Thank you, this is a keeper!
I’m curious to see what the differences are between the original and updated recipes. Could you please email me a copy of the original? Thanks so much! I have a ton of peaches and cherries I plan to use in a mixed cobbler =)
Hi Lisa, I’ll be updating the recipe to include a link to the old one. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
Could you send me the original recipe email would be great can not wait to make it thank you in advance
Hi Jim, I’ll get that sent over to you! Hope you enjoy. – Meggan