This rhubarb, strawberry, apple cobbler features a sweet and tangy fruity filling topped with some flaky dropped biscuits. This no-fuss recipe is always a winner!
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When you can’t decide between a pie, a fruit crisp (crumble) or a cake, go for cobbler! Way easier than a pie, it has a crunchy bite with a moist inside, and pairs very well with all kind of fruits. Just go for seasonal produce and it will do! Last fall, I shared a Spiced Chocolate and Pear Cobbler, and I’m now back with a more summery version!
This easy cobbler recipe combines rhubarb, strawberries and apples under a thick layer of dropped buttermilk biscuits. The result is very lightly sweetened, a little tangy and absolutely irresistible.
Ingredients you need:
Luckily, you don’t need much to make this rhubarb strawberry apple cobbler. They come in 2 parts: the one for the fruit compote and the ones for the buttermilk dropped biscuits. Here’s what you need:
- Rhubarb. Fresh or frozen is fine.
- Strawberries. Prefer them fresh for more flavors, or substitute with frozen raspberries.
- Apples. Any kind would do. You can use them cubed or sliced.
- Lemon. You will need the juice and the zest to give a touch of acidity to the fruit compote.
- Cornstarch. It will help thickening the fruits and prevent them from being too juicy and risking to make the biscuits soggy.
- All-purpose flour. It’s the main ingredient for the dropped biscuits.
- Baking powder. This leavening agent helps to create soft and flaky biscuits.
- Butter. Make sure you use it cold and diced. Salted butter and unsalted butter work fine.
- Sugar. I used very little sugar to sweeten the fruit compote and little to create the biscuits.
- Buttermilk. You can either use store-bought buttermilk or make your own.
Why choose a fruit cobbler?
I love pies, all kinds of crisps and fruit cakes too. But sometimes you just don’t want to decide, and that’s when cobbler becomes an eligible option.
- A cobbler is indeed way easier to make than a pie, a bit crunchier than a cake, and a little bit more structured than a crisp.
- It’s a very versatile dessert. Missing a fruit? Just swap it with another one (apples with pears, strawberries with raspberries…).
- Fruit cobbler is the perfect rustic and family-style dessert to share with as many guests as you want. And you don’t have to worry about making it beautiful, the juicy fruits underneath will be the star of the show underneath the flaky biscuits.
A few words about the fruit compote
In this recipe, I paired rhubarb with apples and strawberries. Often you would find rhubarb with either one or the other (check my Meringue Strawberry Rhubarb Pie) but truth is all three work pretty well together. That being said, the recipe would also work with a rhubarb-strawberry compote, a rhubarb-apple compote and even a strawberry-apple compote!
Try to pre-cook the apples and rhubarb together beforehand until they become a little bit softer. Add sugar, lemon juice, then mix with the fresh strawberries. Last but not least, do not forget the cornstarch to thicken the fruit compote a little.
How to prepare the dropped biscuits?
I’ve baked these buttermilk dropped biscuits many times, with always the same success. Truth is, it’s pretty simple to make as long as you keep some basic principles in mind:
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, sugar and salt).
- Use very cold and diced butter. Add it to the flour mixture and work with your finger tips until it resembles to coarse meal.
- Slowly pour in the buttermilk (reserving one Tablespoon buttermilk for later) and work quickly until incorporated. Do not overmix, you want to keep a rustic touch.
- At this stage you can either take handfuls of dough and flatten them slightly with your hands before dropping them randomly over the fruits, or you can use a cookie cutter to make it more elegant.
- Brush with the remaining buttermilk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake!
Can I use frozen fruits?
Yes and no. Ideally, I will always encourage you to use fresh summer fruits to make this cobbler; this will guarantee the most flavors. If however you cannot find your hands on all the ingredients, you can absolutely use frozen rhubarb. I find that apples and strawberries are definitely best when prepared fresh however, but you could replace strawberries with frozen raspberries with great success!
Other summer fruit desserts you’ll love:
- Best Ever Cherry Pie
- Blueberry Pie with Oat Crust (Gluten-Free)
- Honey Peach Galette with Buttermilk Crust
- Rhubarb Crumble Bars
- Strawberry Cheesecake Blondies
- Triple Berry Crisp
Rhubarb, Strawberry Apple Cobbler
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes and pies
- Cuisine: American
This rhubarb, strawberry, apple cobbler features a sweet and tangy fruity filling topped with some flaky dropped biscuits. This no-fuss recipe is always a winner!
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
For the fruits:
- 2 stalks rhubarb, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 cups (300g) strawberries, cut in half
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and cubed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup (70g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon butter, diced
For the dropped buttermilk biscuits:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar + extra for dusting
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) homemade buttermilk**, cold and divided
Instructions
For the fruits:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish or alternatively a a 9-inch (23 cm) cast iron pan. Set aside.
- Place cubed apples and diced rhubarb in a saucepan placed over medium heat. Pour in the sugar, lemon juice, and cook up until fruits are slightly softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cooked fruits to a large mixing bowl. Add fresh strawberries, lemon zest, cornstarch and combine.
- Add the fruits to the baking dish in an even layer. Add diced butter on top and set aside.
For the dropped buttermilk biscuits:
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture and press with your finger tips* until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized crumbs). Slowly drizzle ½ cup buttermilk** (minus one Tablespoon) and mix until combined.
- Take handfuls of dough and gently flatten out (you can also use a cookie cutter to make regular circles of dough). Place dough all over the top of the fruit filling in a way that covers most of the fruits.
- Brush the top of the biscuit dough with the remaining Tablespoon of buttermilk, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until biscuits are slightly golden and cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes on the countertop and serve warm with some vanilla ice cream on top.
Notes
* You could also use a fork or alternatively a pastry cutter, that makes this step very easy and quick. One other option consists in using a food processor instead.
** To prepare homemade buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (or alternatively white vinegar/apple cider vinegar) to a measuring cup and cover with very cold milk until it reaches 1/2 cup (120 ml). Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes until curdled.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Rhubarb, Strawberry Apple Cobbler, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
