Mini berry cobbler skillets made with fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. Topped with a homemade buttery biscuit cobbler topping.
Summer is in full swing and fresh berries are everywhere you go! We’ve been buying berries like they’re going out of season (because they kind of are) and I’ve been tossing all of the less appealing ones into these little berry cobbler skillets.
My kids are kind of weird in that they’re not super picky eaters, but they are picky when it comes to how their fruit looks. They hate bruises, scratches or any kind of blemish. I can usually cut out whatever imperfection the fruit might have, but with berries it’s slightly trickier. I keep the “undesirables” tucked away in a container in the fridge for smoothies or dessert.
Since we had already made smoothies earlier in the day, I thought it would be fun to whip up a EASY and delicious summery treat for our family. Berry cobbler it was… only this time I broke out our mini cast iron skillets and made mini versions. They absolutely loved them!
I started off by taking 5 cups of mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries) and mixing them with some sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. If you prefer your dessert on the sweeter side, feel free to add more sugar, I thought these were perfect just the way they were. Let the berries sit while you make the biscuits. This is especially important if you’re making this with frozen berries. I didn’t give any special notes for that below, because it’s basically the same process.
Meanwhile, you’ll want to make the biscuit/cobbler topping. This as a sweet cream biscuit recipe. They’re butter, thick and extra crunchy on top thanks to a brushing of heavy cream and a sprinkle of coarse sugar. Once the mixture comes together, divide the dough into 3 portions and form into biscuits. We’re using three 6.5-inch mini cast iron skillets in today’s recipe, so make sure your biscuits are the same diameter and about 1.5-inch in thickness.
Pour the berries in the three skillets, then top with the biscuit. Press the edges to seal in the filling, then add the finishing touches (cream and sugar). Pop in the oven and bake until the berries are soft and juicy and the top of the biscuits are golden brown. This generally takes about 18-22 minutes at 400 degrees, just keep an eye on them after the 15 minute mark.
Once they come out of the oven, let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving them. This will allow the juices to set and the skillets to cool a bit. Be careful- they stay HOT for a long time!
We topped ours with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream, although whipped cream would have been delicious too!
Mini Berry Cobbler Skillets Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 5 cup mixed berries - (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Biscuit Topping
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter - cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Topping
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar - OR demerara sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter. With a pastry blender, work until mixture becomes sandy. Pour in the heavy cream and mix until the dough becomes moist and no loose pockets of flour remain.
- Divide the dough into thirds and shape into biscuits approximately 6.5-inches in diameter and ½ inch thick.
- Divide the berries in between the three 6.5-inch cast iron skillets. Top with a biscuit, pressing the edges to the sides of the skillet to seal in the berries.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown in color.
- Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream or whipped cream, extra berries and a sprig of mint, if desired.
hey girl- these look amazing! yummy!