This spiced cranberry cherry cobbler combines sweet cherries and tart cranberries with a warmly spiced buttery biscuit topping. Orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg add cozy flavor, while a little brown sugar gives the tender biscuits a hint of sweetness. The fruit filling thickens on the stove before bubbling up around the golden, fluffy topping. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a comforting dessert that’s especially welcome during the fall and winter months!
If you love a good fruit dessert, this one is worth adding to your list. The sweet-tart cranberry cherry filling and buttery, spiced biscuit topping are a delicious combination, especially served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Think of this recipe as the cozy, cold-weather cousin of summertime’s peach cobbler!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Cherry Cobbler
- Sweet meets tart. Sweet cherries balance the bright, tangy flavor of cranberries, creating a fruit filling that’s flavorful without being overly sweet.
- Warm spices and citrus. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh orange zest bring warmth and complement the fruit without overpowering it. (A great balance!)
- A soft, buttery biscuit topping. The topping bakes up golden on the outside and tender inside, with a little crunch from coarse sugar sprinkled over the top.
- Fresh or frozen fruit works. You can make this cobbler with fresh or frozen cranberries and cherries, which is convenient for making any time of the year. (More on this below!)
- This is an egg-free baking recipe.
- Simple enough for beginner bakers. You’ll cook the fruit filling briefly on the stove, mix together an easy biscuit dough, and assemble everything in one baking dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why
Here are some key ingredients to pick up for the fruit filling:
- Cherries: Sweet cherries provide the juicy, fruity base for this cobbler. If you’re using frozen cherries, there’s no need to thaw them first. Bonus: frozen cherries are already pitted!
- Cranberries: These are especially fitting for a fall or winter dessert! You can use fresh or frozen.
- Granulated Sugar: Cranberries are naturally quite tart, so the sugar is very important here. It also helps the filling thicken and set.
- Cornstarch: Fruit releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, and cornstarch helps thicken those juices into a glossy filling. Cooking the fruit with the cornstarch mixture before assembling the cobbler gives the filling a head start. (We also do this when making triple berry pie and blueberry pie bars.)
- Orange Juice & Vanilla: A little orange juice adds brightness and helps dissolve the cornstarch, while vanilla rounds out the fruit’s flavor. We use the same two flavor enhancers in this homemade cranberry sauce.
- Salt: Just a pinch brings the flavors together.
And here’s what you need for the biscuit topping:
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor that pairs beautifully with the spices.
- Baking Powder: This is the leavening agent that helps the biscuit topping rise as it bakes.
- Orange Zest, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg: These 3 ingredients add so much flavor.
- Butter: Cold butter is essential for a tender, biscuit-like topping. As the butter melts in the oven, it helps create a rich texture and little pockets of flakiness throughout. I recommend cutting the butter into cubes first, before you begin making the filling, and placing the cubed butter in the freezer until you’re ready to add it to the biscuit topping.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk brings moisture and helps create a soft, tender topping. Make sure it’s cold.
- Coarse Sugar: Sprinkling coarse sugar over the biscuit dough before baking gives the finished topping a little sparkle, extra sweetness, and a pleasant crunch.
Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Fruit?
Fresh fruits are a great option when they’re in season, but neither cherries nor cranberries a readily available year round. Using frozen fruit means you can enjoy this cobbler any time of year. As a bonus, frozen cherries come already pitted, so you can skip the pitting step!
Use frozen cherries and cranberries straight from the freezerโno need to thaw them first. And feel free to use a combination (such as frozen cherries + fresh cranberries, or vice versa) if that’s what you have.
Keep in mind that frozen fruit can release a little more liquid as it cooks, so be sure to follow the stove instructions and allow the filling to thicken properly before transferring it to the baking dish.
How to Make Spiced Cranberry Cherry Cobbler
Start with the filling on the stove. This step is very easy. Cook the cherries, cranberries, and sugar in a large saucepan until the fruit releases some juice. Whisk a spoonful of warm fruit juice with the cornstarch and orange juice until smooth, like this:
Then stir it into the cooking fruit mixture. Cook it all until thickened and bubbling around the edges. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and salt, and transfer to your prepared baking dish.
Make the biscuit topping: Whisk the dry ingredients together, then cut in the cold butter until you have pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the cold buttermilk just until combined. Why? Over-mixing can make the biscuits tough. Handle the dough gently.
Flatten pieces of dough into flat patties and arrange over the filling. This is a rustic dessert, so there’s no need to make the topping look uniform! Leaving a few small gaps allows the bubbling fruit to peek through as the cobbler bakes.
Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar for a sweet, crunchy finish:
Bake until the biscuit topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges.
The filling will be very hot straight from the oven, so give it a few minutes to cool before digging in.
This cobbler is delicious served warm, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold, creamy ice cream melts into the warm fruit filling, creating a simple but wonderful combination. For an extra-special presentation, top with a few sugared cranberries.
Spiced Cranberry Cherry Cobbler
Pastry Brush
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Spiced Cranberry Cherry Cobbler
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This spiced cranberry cherry cobbler pairs sweet cherries and tart cranberries with a buttery biscuit topping flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest. Cook the fruit filling on the stovetop, add the easy homemade biscuit topping, and bake. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a cozy fall or winter dessert.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- 5 cups (about 700g) fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries (do not thaw)
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (23g) cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) orange juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Biscuit Topping
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) buttermilk, cold
- for topping before baking: 2 Tablespoons buttermilk + coarse sugar
Instructions
- Tip before you begin: You need orange juice for the filling and orange zest for the topping. Zest the orange first and set the zest aside, then juice it. Itโs difficult to zest a cut orange!
- Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC). Lightly grease a 10-inch round or square baking pan that is at least 3 inches deep, or any 3โ3.5-quart baking dish.
- Make the filling: Combine the cranberries, cherries, and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the fruit begins to release its juices, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and orange juice, plus a Tablespoon of the cooking juices, stirring with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour into the saucepan with the fruit. Continue cooking, stirring, until the filling has thickened and is bubbling around the edges, about 7โ8 more minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. It’s ok if there are still some brown sugar lumps. Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbles. Pour in the 1/2 cup (120g/ml) buttermilk, and gently stir until evenly combined. You may need to use your hands to combine it all. The dough should be slightly sticky; if it’s too dry, add 1 more Tablespoon of buttermilk.
- Assemble the cobbler: Take handfuls of dough and use your hands to gently flatten out into patties. Place dough all over the top of the warm fruit filling. There’s no special trick to thisโjust flatten the dough in sections and cover most of the fruit. It’s supposed to look rustic. Lightly brush the top of the biscuit dough with remaining buttermilk, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 35โ40 minutes, or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. To test for doneness, stick a toothpick into the biscuit topping; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Remove the cobbler from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: For the best rise and texture, prepare the biscuit topping just before baking. You can make the filling ahead, cool it, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen filling overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the filling on the stove until warm before transferring to your baking dish, topping with freshly made biscuit dough, and baking as directed. You can also freeze the baked cobbler for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10-inch Round Baking Pan (or any 3โ3.5-qt baking dish) | Saucepan | Silicone Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowl |ย Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Pastry Brush | Cooling Rack
- Milk: Buttermilk is our favorite for its richness and tang, but you can use whole milk or nondairy milk in the dough and for brushing the topping. Whichever milk you use, make sure itโs cold!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Absolutely wonderful and quite forgiving – Sally never misses!
Can this filling be used for a pie with a crumb topping? Would it need more cornstarch to thicken?
Hi Mary, I can’t see why not. I would add another Tablespoon of cornstarch to help thicken, yes.
I made this today. Your recipe was easy to follow, and the cobbler was wonderful! The only thing I changed was to use Flori di Sicilia flavoring instead of regular vanilla. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
I was so excited when I seen this recipe this morning, I knew I needed to make it for dessert! It turned out better than I thought! The cranberries and cherries were perfect blend with the spiced biscuit topping! We didnt have ice cream but didnโt care it was so good!
I was so excited when I seen this recipe this morning, I knew I needed to make it for dessert! It turned out better than I thought! The cranberries and cherries were perfect blend with the spiced biscuit topping! We didnt have ice cream but didn’t care it was so good!
My daughter turned me onto this site. It was delicious and fun to make!
I just might become a baker now.
Delicious!
Would this work in a 10 inch cast iron skillet?
Yes, as long as it is about 3 inches deep.
A nice flavor combination and easy to make.
Iโm super excited to try this recipe but cannot find cherries anywhere. Iโm planning to use apples instead and will use cherries when they are in season. Do I need to change the recipe in any way with the apples?
Hi Pam, you can definitely try apples instead of cherries. Peel and chop them into bite-size pieces so they soften as the cobbler bakes. Apples release a little less juice than cherries, so I would reduce the cornstarch by a Tablespoon. I haven’t tested this particular variation, but apples and cranberries are always delicious together. Let me know how it turns out!
This was surprisingly easy to make and turned out very tasty! Great option for Thanksgiving dessert.
I made Sallyโs spiced cranberry and cherry cobbler and it was delicious. My whole family loved it! I followed Sallyโs directions exactly, and it was perfect. We all added the scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm cobbler and cold ice cream was so good together. I would highly recommend this recipe. Perfect for a Fall dessert.
First of all this gorgeous Spiced Cranberry Cherry Cobbler is very easy to prepare.
I think it has a yummy slightly spicy flavor and is delicious with a scoop of ice cream. We could hardly wait for it to cool enough to serve. The color is a show stopper. BTW, if you are not a fan of cranberries do not let them put you offโฆwhen blended with those juicy dark cherries, it is sweet and flavor packed.
Unfortunately in Australia we don’t have access to whole Cranberries and I like to make pie week as they come out so didn’t have any Cherries. I replaced with Blackberries, blueberries and strawberries and it is divine. Smells like heaven and is such an easy alternative to a full pie process.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely. The stove’s cook times will need to be extended since you’ll be working with more filling.
Just wondering if I can use something other than cranberries? I have a hard time digesting them. Thanks!
Where I live, fresh and frozen cherries are not available out of season. What might I use in place of the cherries?
Blueberries would be my top choice as a 1:1 substitution for the cherries. No changes necessary!
Can you put these in individual remkin dishes for individual servings?
Absolutely! The bake time will be a bit shorter. I’m unsure of exactly how long; it depends on the size of the ramekins. Same oven temperature.