In the fall, I like to do warm desserts such as pies and cobblers and crisps. Since it is almost Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a small batch of cherry cobbler so that we could finish it off before I make mincemeat pie.

Image shows cherry filling with a cobbler biscuit on top in a white bowl.
Warm cherry cobbler, ready for some vanilla ice cream!

There are numerous recipes for cobbler out there, and several that used canned pie filling. Some are dump cakes, others use Bisquick for the base of the topping.

I often make cobbler with fresh fruit and cook the filling from scratch. This recipe uses canned pie filling, and the same topping I use when I make it with fresh fruit.

It is important that the filling is hot when you add the dough to the top so that it bakes evenly. When you are making it with fresh fruit, you keep the fruit hot in the pan while you are making the topping.

This recipe has you heating the pie filling in the casserole while you are making the dough. It also has a biscuit like topping as opposed to a cake like topping. You can read more about making biscuits in my post here.

Quick Cobbler

  • One can of fruit pie filling, your choice of flavor
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
Image shows white round casserole pan with cherry pie filling inside.
Cherry pie filling in the pan

Put the pie filling in an un-greased 1 and 1/2 quart casserole pan. Put it in the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Let it heat in the oven for about 10 minutes. The edges will be starting to bubble.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Butter mixed in, then add the egg and milk

Beat together the egg and milk, then add to the dry mixture. Mix gently with a fork until it is all moistened. Then drop it by large spoonfuls on the top of the hot filling. Put it in the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until it tests done when stuck by a toothpick or cake tester.

Dough dropped onto the hot filling.

When the topping is done, let it cool for a while and then enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven!

Make sure you use the pan size specified by the recipe as the fruit filling will bubble up and you don’t want it to overflow.

Digging deeper – Crisp, crumble, cobbler, betty or buckle?

There are numerous ways to prepare baked fruit desserts. In addition to pies, there are several dishes that have a topping over the cooked fruit. A crisp contains oats in the topping, and there is no leavening agent. The topping completely covers the fruit. A crumble is similar to a crisp, but does not contain oats.

A cobbler has a more cake or biscuit like topping that is dropped on the fruit. It’s topping recollects cobblestones as the fruit is not completely covered, which is where it got its name.

A betty has a topping like a crumble, but is layered alternating with the fruit as well as on top. A buckle is cake and fruit baked together with a crumble topping on top. This is like a coffee cake, and is often served this way. Coffee cake technically refers to any cake meant to be served with hot coffee and teas.

You can read more about them here on the Farmer’s Almanac website, and there are a few interesting looking recipes to try.