From-Scratch Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

A classic dessert, this is the perfect blend of sweet and tart with a topping that is by far the best one you’ll ever try. A top three cobbler recipe in our family.

So many cobbler recipes are too dry, too soupy, or have a topping that’s just… there, not really adding anything other than a way to cover the fruit. This recipe is different! If you’re used to thick, bland, biscuit-like toppings, you will never go back to those after trying this sugar-cookie-inspired cobbler topping. It mixes up in just a few minutes and gets scooped on top of the fruit, just like in most cobbler recipes. But the texture and flavor is unbeatable.

What You’ll Need

Rhubarb is only available in late spring and early summer and only for a brief period of time. Look at farmer’s markets. Some stores will carry frozen diced rhubarb, which will work fine.

This will make 8 servings in a 8×8 or 9×9 dish. You can also double it in a 9×13 dish easily. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• 8 or 9 inch baking dish round, square, either is fine
• Aluminum foil
• Hand mixer
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients 

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

• 8 cups chopped rhubarb (½ inch cubes; frozen is fine – just let it thaw a bit)
• 8 cups halved strawberries (frozen is fine – just let it thaw a bit)
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch

Sugar Cookie Topping

• ½ cup salted butter softened to room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

How to Make

You may want to place the dish on top of a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow.

Step One: Make the Filling

Preheat your oven to 375 with rack the center. 

Our first step is to make the filling by combining the chopped rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl.

Step Two: Pre-bake Filling

We are going to bake this filling in our baking dish. Seems a bit weird, but if we don’t take this step, the topping will over brown before the fruit cooks through. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake just the fruit in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

As you can see, it won’t look dramatically different: slightly softer and juicier. It will finish cooking when we bake it with the topping.

Step Three: Make the Topping

While the fruit is baking, we can start on the topping. It tastes like a sugar cookie, but it’s easier to make and just takes a few minutes.

You’ll need to beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt until you have a sticky dough.

Step Four: Assemble and Finish Baking

Once the filling is done pre-baking, pull it out of the oven and drop the topping onto the hot filling using a spoon. Just scoop and drop.

Now pop the whole thing back into the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. (And add some coarse sugar in the last few minutes of baking for a little extra crunch!) Let it cool down for about 20 minutes before you serve (the filling will be very hot).

Storage Instructions

Homemade cobbler will stay fresh for a day or so at room temperature. After that, you should cover it tightly and pop it in the fridge.

If you want to reheat it, the best way is to warm it in a cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven to maintain that right amount of crunch on the top of the cobbler.

Servings Ideas

Serve this at an early summer party.

• Use up more garden produce with this cucumber and onion salad with vinegar.
• Or try my Amish broccoli and cauliflower salad. It’s got cheese!
• And no outdoor party is complete without some classic coleslaw.
• For your main course, buttermilk fried chicken is a real crowd pleaser.
• And no dessert is complete without a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Questions and Troubleshooting

More Cobbler Recipes You’ll Love

All with my signature topping.

• Plum cobbler is a family favorite in late summer.
• Make this triple berry cobbler in the winter with a frozen berry mix from Costco. Easy!
• Try this caramel apple cobbler in fall. Much easier to make than an apple pie.
• I make this Christmas cranberry strawberry cobbler every December.

Printable Recipe