Cherry Cobbler (with fresh or frozen cherries)
Bursting with juicy cherries and topped with golden, buttery whole wheat biscuits, this cherry cobbler (with fresh or frozen cherries) is perfect for summer.
Whether you’re working with fresh cherries at their peak or frozen ones stashed away for later, this recipe delivers all the flavor of summer in every bite.
The biscuit topping is a standout—soft and tender, made with whole wheat flour for some nuttiness that complements the sweet-tart cherries underneath.
It’s simple enough to whip up on a weeknight, yet special enough for any gathering. If you’re looking for a dessert that celebrates the season, this cherry cobbler is the one to try.
Why you’ll love this cherry cobbler recipe
This cherry cobbler is the kind of dessert that feels just right—easy to make, packed with fruit, and topped with a biscuit layer that’s truly something special.
Here’s why this recipe stands out:
Buttery, tender whole wheat biscuits on top – The biscuit topping bakes up golden and soft, with just the right amount of sweetness. Made with whole wheat flour, they pair beautifully with the juicy cherry filling.
Not too sweet – This cobbler lets the natural flavor of the cherries shine. It’s lightly sweetened so it doesn’t overwhelm your taste buds or feel heavy after a meal.
Comes together with simple ingredients – No fancy tools or hard-to-find items required. If you’ve got a bag of cherries and some pantry basics, you’re halfway there.
Cherry cobbler ingredients
This cherry cobbler is a cozy, comforting dessert that’s simple to make.
Here’s everything you’ll need to bring it together:
- Cherries – Fresh or frozen
- Whole wheat flour
- Sugar – A little sweetness balances the cherries and helps the biscuits brown
- Butter – For the biscuits and the cherry filling
- Heavy cream
- Lemon – you’ll use both juice and zest
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken the cherry filling so it sets nicely
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract –A little goes a long long way, so add carefully
- Salt
How to make cherry cobbler topped with whole wheat biscuits
This cherry cobbler comes together in two parts: tender, flaky whole wheat biscuits and a juicy cherry filling.
Start by preparing the biscuit dough so it can chill while you make the filling.
Here’s how to bring it all together step by step:
- Make the biscuit dough. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and the zest of 1 lemon.
- Add cold, cubed butter. Use your fingers to smash the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Pour in cold heavy cream. Stir with a fork until a sticky dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured countertop. Pat it into a square. Cut the square into 4 equal pieces, stack them on top of each other, and roll the dough out to ½-inch thickness.
- Use a 2.5-inch round cutter (or the lid of a mason jar) to cut out biscuits. You should get 14–16 biscuits. Gather and re-roll the scraps if needed. Chill the biscuits in the fridge!
- Make the cherry filling. In a large bowl, combine fresh or frozen cherries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cornstarch, vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir until the cherries are coated.
- Pour the cherry mixture into a baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Arrange the chilled biscuits over the cherry filling, covering the top. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted and cooled butter, then sprinkle with raw sugar for a little sparkle and crunch.
- Bake the cobbler in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 50–60 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and the cherry juices are bubbling up around them.
Let the cobbler cool slightly before serving—then dig in and enjoy the mix of sweet-tart cherries and buttery whole wheat biscuits!
Cherry cobbler tips
To help you get the best results every time, here are a few simple tips that help you make the best tender, buttery whole wheat biscuits.
- Use sweet, ripe cherries (or frozen ones!). Fresh, ripe cherries bring great flavor and natural sweetness. Frozen cherries work wonderfully too—no need to thaw them beforehand!
- Keep your ingredients cold. Just like with traditional biscuits, cold butter is key. It creates little pockets of steam as the biscuits bake, leading to flakiness and lift.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing develops the gluten in the dough and can make your biscuits tough. Mix the dough just until it comes together, and gently pat it into shape.
- The biscuit dough will be STICKY. Flour your work surface and hands well to prevent a big mess. Also, flour your biscuit cutter when cutting the biscuits out.
Conclusion
This cherry cobbler (with fresh or frozen cherries) is everything you want in a dessert—juicy, sweet cherries bubbling under golden, tender whole wheat biscuits.
Whether you’re serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoying leftovers straight from the fridge, this cobbler is the kind of simple, summer treat that you’ll love.
Cherry Cobbler (fresh or frozen cherries)
May 30, 2025Equipment
- 2-quart baking dish
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 cups (230 g) whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 stick (113 g) cold, cubed unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cup (300 g) cold heavy cream
Cherry Filling
- 2 lbs (900 g) pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 TBS (21 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Topping
- 3 TBS (42 g) melted, cooled butter
- 2 TBS raw, coarse sugar
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the center position. Heat the oven to 400° F.
Make the biscuits
- In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and the zest of 1 lemon.2 cups (230 g) whole wheat flour, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 1 TBS baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, zest of 1 lemon
- Add the cold, cubed butter. Use your fingers to pinch the butter into the flour mixture until only pea-sized pieces of butter or smaller remain.1 stick (113 g) cold, cubed unsalted butter
- Slowly pour in the cold heavy cream, stirring with a fork. Mix with the fork until a sticky dough forms.1 ⅓ cup (300 g) cold heavy cream
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface (the dough will be STICKY). Pat it into a square. Cut the square into 4 equal pieces and stack them on top of each other. Press the dough down with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a ½" thickness, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Use a floured 2 ½" round cutter (or the lid of a mason jar) to cut out the biscuits. You should get around 14–16 biscuits. Gather and re-roll the scraps if needed.
- Put the cut biscuits into the fridge to chill while you mix up the cherry filling.
Make the cherry filling
- In a large bowl, combine the fresh or frozen cherries, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Stir until the cherries are coated.2 lbs (900 g) pitted cherries, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 TBS (21 g) cornstarch, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pour the cherries into a baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Arrange the chilled biscuits over the cherry filling, overlapping them a little bit.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted cooled butter, then sprinkle with raw sugar for a little extra sparkle and crunch.
- Place the cobbler on top of a rimmed baking tray lined with aluminum foil to catch drips. Place in the oven.
- Bake the cobbler in the 400° F oven for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350° F and bake for another 50–60 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and the cherry juices are bubbling.
- Let the cobbler cool slightly before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
