Cranberry Cobbler
Looking for a unique cranberry dessert to serve this holiday season and beyond? This Cranberry Cobbler recipe is exactly that and is a lot easier to make than a classic pie. It feels familiar but is cozy and all kinds of perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Learn how to make it here!
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I love a cobbler so much. (Hello, my darlings, Peach Cobbler and Blackberry Cobbler.)
And more recently, I wondered if I could take a winter fruit and make it into one.
Turns out that cranberries are a brilliant candidate for a recipe like this because they burst and get beautifully jammy as they cook down.
And turns out, the end result has the BEST flavor and is something I recommend making all November and December long.
Why I love this recipe:
I love cranberry in all its forms, be it an appetizer, a side dish or a dessert.
This cranberry cobbler recipe feels special, but it calls for the same amount of work you might give any other dessert recipe this time of year.
Also? It takes significantly less effort than a pie. (Y’all know I love a pie, but my grievance with pies is they take a lot of time and effort. This dessert does not take a lot of either!)
The base of the cobbler is beautifully spiced, so the cranberry flavor shines through. (Truly, cranberries combined with spice are my favorite holiday flavors. And a sweet taste tester told me that this cobbler is Thanksgiving through and through.) The warming spices give the cranberry a little extra oomph and some intrigue.
I’m also delighted by the fact that you just throw this all together in a casserole dish and bake it off. Yes, you will need one to two extra bowls, but you don’t need to chill anything, and it all comes together pretty quickly.
The end result is gooey, bubbly and sooooo delicious. When paired with some homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you are in for the ultimate treat.
Other cranberry dessert recipes you might enjoy: Cranberry Crumb Bars | Orange Cranberry Cream Cheese Thumb Print Cookies | Creamy Cranberry Tart
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Square baking dish or casserole dish
- Nonstick baking spray
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups, measuring spoons and/or a kitchen scale
- Liquid measuring cup or a small bowl
- Microplane
- Wire cooling rack
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get at the store to make this recipe:
- Brown sugar — you may use light brown or dark brown sugar here. The dark brown sugar will give more molasses flavors than the lighter one, but both work.
- Fresh ginger — grate this directly into the brown sugar for the most distributed flavor. You can also purchase fresh grated ginger in the refrigerated section of the grocery store if you prefer to go that route.
- Fresh cranberries — you can find these in the store these days, and they’re so good. If fresh cranberries are unavailable, feel free to use frozen. Defrost them in the fridge before baking. Do not, under any circumstances, use dried or sweetened dried cranberries because you will not have the texture you want.
- Orange zest — I adore orange paired with cranberry, so we zest an entire orange into the cranberries. This adds wonderful citrus notes to the cranberry.
- Cornstarch — while cranberries are naturally gelatinous, we still add a little bit of cornstarch to the mixture to help the juices thicken as the cobbler cooks.
- Ground cinnamon — this is another warming spice that makes these cranberries feel so special!
- Kosher salt — I like to use a medium grain kosher salt for this. A similarly sized grain sea salt would also be OK.
- All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached AP flour at our house, but you can use whatever you’ve got at your house. I have not tried to make this recipe with a gluten free substitute flour, so I do not recommend doing that.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats — these add some texture to the cobbler mixture, and I personally love it. You can use thick-cut rolled oats, but I do not recommend using steel-cut oats or instant oats because that will completely change the texture of the cobbler in an unpalatable way.
- Baking powder — this is our leavening agent, and it helps the cobbler poof! Make sure yours is fresh. Please do not replace it with baking soda because it is not the same thing.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this gives our cobbler topping a lovely sweetness.
- Avocado oil — while I have used melted butter in the cobbler topping before, I really like how avocado oil works here. You may use another unflavored oil, like vegetable oil or corn oil, if you have those on hand instead. Do not use olive oil or another potent oil.
- Egg yolk — separate it from the white and save the white to throw into an omelet or a scramble later. This adds a little bit of fat and helps bind the cobbler topping together.
- Milk — use your favorite type! I have used non-dairy milks in this cobbler topping recipe as well as whole milk. They all get the job done. However, I do not recommend using a higher-fat milk product like heavy whipping cream, half and half or coconut cream because that will change the texture of the topping.
How to make homemade Cranberry Cobbler:
Prepare. Spritz a 9” square casserole dish with nonstick baking spray. (You can also line with a little parchment to create a sling.) Preheat the oven, too.
Make the cobbler filling. Add the brown sugar to a large bowl and measure in the fresh grated ginger until combined. Pour the cranberries into the bowl, along with the orange zest, cornstarch, ground cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour into the prepared casserole dish and set aside.
Make the cobbler topping. In a large bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
Measure the avocado oil, egg yolk and milk into a small bowl or a small liquid measuring cup. Whisk together using a whisk or a fork. (These will mix together a little more cohesively if they’re close to room temperature.)
Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir until the mixture has just come together.
Assemble the cobbler. Sprinkle the cobbler topping on top of the filling. I like to use my fingers to pinch off little bits of it to form little cobbles on top. You may also use a small cookie scoop.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cranberry mixture is bubbly.
Let cool for 10-20 minutes before scooping and serving immediately. I like this with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, but you could very easily pair it with homemade whipped cream, too.
how to store:
Let the cobbler cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and storing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave to warm it through, though the cobbler topping will not be as crispy.
You may also reheat it in the oven on lower heat. Not only will this warm it through, but it will crisp the topping back up. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to overbake and burn.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This might be my new favorite cobbler recipe and it would make a fantastic dish to share because it is so simple to assemble and bake off. I can see it being a hit at any gathering, especially if you make it and serve it hot to guests with your favorite toppings.
Here are some things that I might do if I were making this to share:
- Combine the cranberry filling early. The cranberries can hang out with the rest of these ingredients and macerate in the refrigerator. Mix them together a couple of hours before you plan to bake them.
- Double the recipe. Depending on the size of your gathering, you can make a double batch for a big crowd! (I recommend making two square pans of this instead of one larger pan because the bake time will be slightly different. However, that can be done, and I encourage you to do whatever works best for you.)
- Involve the kids. If you’ve got kids who like to lend a hand in the kitchen, this recipe is pretty simple! They can help measure, mix and assemble the cobbler.
- Don’t keep it to dessert. This would make a spectacular treat to the holiday brunch table!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re dairy-free, simply use dairy-free milk, and you will be good to go.
If you can’t have eggs, skip the egg yolk and use a tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce instead.
Quick tips and tricks for making the best Christmas cobbler
- Make sure your oven temperature is correct. During my first batch of testing out this recipe, the oven was running too hot, and the cobbler topping burned. Using an oven thermometer* (affiliate link) is a fantastic way to avoid this.
- Have fun with the spices. I personally love the addition of the fresh ginger, but I know that’s not for everyone. You could use ground ginger in its place or another mixture of warming spices that make your tastebuds happy.
- Serve it warm. I know that makes hosting slightly more complicated, but this dish is really at its best when it is warm, and you can pair it with a cold topping like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The combination of the hot and cold is just phenomenal, and the cranberries and how they are spiced just lend themselves really well to being warm.
Here’s how you can make this one at your home…
Cranberry Cobbler
EQUIPMENT
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- nonstick baking spray
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Microplane grater
Ingredients
Cobbler:
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 12 oz. fresh cranberries
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cobbler topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the cobbler filling. Mix the ½ cup dark brown sugar with 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger in a large bowl. Measure in the 12 oz. fresh cranberries, along with the Zest of 1 orange, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then pour into the prepared casserole dish and set aside.
- Make the cobbler topping. In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine. In another bowl or small liquid measuring cup, measure 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon milk. Mix together with a fork or a whisk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until the mixture has just come together.
- Assemble the cobbler. Sprinkle the cobbler topping on top of the filling. I like to use my fingers to pinch off little bits of it to form little cobbles on top, but you can use a small cookie scoop, if you prefer.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cranberry mixture is bubbly.
- Let cool for 10-20 minutes before scooping and serving immediately.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is the recipe developer, food photographer and founder of The Speckled Palate, where she shares recipes, many Southern and Louisiana-inspired, and easy, low-key entertaining ideas since 2011. Whether you’re searching for a weeknight dinner or a party menu, Erin’s recipes are made for sharing with the people you love. Learn more about Erin and learn more about TSP.
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