This cherry cobbler with sugar cookie crust has a perfectly juicy cherry filling topped with a sweet cookie crust that’s crisp on top and soft and fluffy underneath. It’s a classic cherry dessert that’s simple to make, and so delicious on its own or with a scoop of ice cream on the side.
You might also love this no bake chocolate cherry cheesecake, Linzer cookies with bourbon cherry jam, and cherry cheesecake ice cream.
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links. This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services. All opinions expressed on this site are my own.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easier than Pie. The sugar cookie dough for the cherry cobbler topping is much easier to make than pie dough, and both the filling and topping for this dessert comes together quickly and easily.
Versatile for Any Fruit Filling. Use fresh or frozen cherries, or try peaches, plums or blueberries instead!
Doesn’t Get Soggy. One of the biggest drawbacks about fruit pies is that the top crust inevitably starts to soften after a day, losing that crisp-from-the-oven texture. But the sugar cookie crust on top of today’s cobbler stayed crisp on top for days after baking with no soggy dough underneath.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- Cherries. You’ll need pitted cherries, and both fresh and frozen cherries work well in the filling. You can use either sweet or sour cherries, which of course will affect the overall sweetness of the cobbler.
- Granulated Sugar. Sweetens the filling. I’ve noted in the recipe card to use a bit more sugar if your cherries are sour, and a little less if they’re sweet.
- Corn Starch. Thickens the filling.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Lemon Juice. Adds acidity to enhance the flavor of the cherries.
- Spices. I like to add a little vanilla extract and a touch of ground cardamom for flavor.
- Butter. Gives the filling a rich flavor.
Sugar Cookie Topping
- All-Purpose Flour. Gives the cookie dough structure and strength.
- Sugar. Adds sweetness and a crunchy finish on top.
- Corn Starch. Tenderizes the cookie dough for a softer sugar cookie.
- Baking powder. This is the leavening agent that makes the sugar cookies fluffy.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Cardamom. This is a wonderful spice that adds a nice depth of flavor to complement the vanilla.
- Egg. Gives the dough structure and strength.
- Vanilla. Flavor.
- Unsalted Butter. Adds moisture and fat to the cookies for a flavorful, tender texture.
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Pit the cherries, then cut them in half. In a saucepan, combine the cherries with the sugar, corn starch, salt, lemon juice, vanilla and cardamom.
- Over medium heat, bring the cherries to a boil, stirring frequently. Once they start to bubble, cook for several more minutes, stirring constantly until the juice has thickened into a syrupy consistency.
- Remove from the heat and let cool while you make the cookie dough.
Sugar Cookie Topping
- In a bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, corn starch, baking powder, salt and cardamom until well combined.
- Add the egg, vanilla and melted butter, and stir into a soft dough.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal portions (the dough will still be fairly soft). Roll each portion into a ball, then coat the dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
- Use the bottom of a glass to flatten each dough ball, and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little more sugar.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
- Spread the cherries into the baking dish, then arrange the cookies over the cherries.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling, and the cookies are crisp on top, with light golden browning around the edges.
- Let cool for 20 minutes, then enjoy warm or at room temperature. Cherry cobbler is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a cobbler, crisp, crumble or pie?
While cobblers, crisps, crumbles and pies are all made of a fruit filling with a crust of some sort, there are a few differences. A pie begins with a bottom crust that’s rolled out, pressed into a pie pan, and then filled with fruit. It may or may not have a top crust or some type of streusel or crumble topping.
Cobblers, crisps and crumbles are similar in that they don’t have a bottom crust. Instead, the fruit filling is spread directly into a baking dish, then topped with a crust or topping.
The topping on a cobbler tends to be more like a dough or batter, and can range from biscuit dough, cookie dough or even thick cake batter. As the cobbler bakes, the topping takes on a bumpy “cobbled” appearance, like cobblestones, hence the name.
A crumble has a topping that’s usually made of flour, sugar and butter, tossed together until crumbly, and sprinkled over the fruit filling before baking. A fruit crisp usually has some oats added to the crumble topping.
Should I use fresh or frozen cherries?
Both fresh and frozen cherries work well in this recipe. You may prefer frozen, since they will already be pitted, saving you the chore of pitting fresh cherries.
Should I adjust the sugar in the filling for sweet or sour cherries?
Yes, I recommend sweetening the filling to your preference, and based on how sweet or sour your cherries are. With sour cherries, you’ll probably want to use the full 1/2 cup of sugar. With sweet cherries, you may only need 1/4 cup sugar.
What spice can I use if I don’t have cardamom?
If you don’t have cardamom on hand, you can just leave it out, or add a pinch of cinnamon or ginger instead.
How should I store the leftover cobbler?
Keep the cherry cobbler covered, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
How can I reheat leftover cherry cobbler?
You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 45 seconds at 50% power.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
Cherry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Medium-Sized Saucepan
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 1 ½ lbs pitted cherries, fresh or frozen and thawed (about 5 cups halved cherries)
- 1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Sugar Cookie Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Pit the cherries, then cut them in half. In a saucepan, combine the cherries with the sugar, corn starch, salt, lemon juice, vanilla and cardamom.
- Over medium heat, bring the cherries to a boil, stirring frequently. Once they start to bubble, cook for several more minutes, stirring constantly until the juice has thickened into a syrupy consistency.
- Remove from the heat and let cool while you make the cookie dough.
Sugar Cookie Topping
- In a bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, corn starch, baking powder, salt and cardamom until well combined.
- Add the egg, vanilla and melted butter, and stir into a soft dough.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal portions (the dough will still be fairly soft). Roll each portion into a ball, then coat the dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
- Use the bottom of a glass to flatten each dough ball, and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little more sugar.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
- Spread the cherries into the baking dish, then arrange the cookies over the cherries.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling, and the cookies are crisp on top, with light golden browning around the edges.
- Let cool for 20 minutes, then enjoy warm or at room temperature. Cherry cobbler is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
This has become my husband’s favorite dessert. That’s saying a lot as it has been pecan pie for 50 years!