Our Best Fruit Cobblers and Crisps for Summer

Fresh fruit cobblers are high on the list of summer eating's greatest hits. These rustic, old-fashioned desserts go by many names, like crisps, crunches, crumbles, grunts, buckles, and Bettys. Yet, they're really all cobblers in the end. Here are some of our favorite summer fruit cobblers for you to enjoy, plus some tips for how to recognize the different cobbler cousins—you know, just in case you meet one for dessert.

01 of 15

Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler

Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler
Yoly

The easiest cobblers are simply made of fruit topped with a thick batter or with spoonfuls of biscuit dough. Biscuit-topped cobblers look like cobblestones after they're baked, hence the name. Our most popular peach cobbler showcases fresh Georgia peaches topped with homemade drop biscuit batter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

02 of 15

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

a vintage Pyrex baking dish filled with a lattice-topped peach cobbler

Katy Correa

You can also top cobblers with a lattice top woven from pie dough. "I was searching for a peach cobbler recipe that reminded me of the yummy dessert I ate as a young girl in Southeast Missouri," says recipe creator ELETA. "No shortcuts here. Fresh peaches and homemade crust...but worth every minute! Absolutely delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream! Never any leftovers with this dessert!"

03 of 15

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler
Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler | Photo by naples34102. naples34102

"Oh my gosh...this is an outstanding recipe. My daughter and I picked blueberries this morning and I made it tonight. My family devoured it. My husband happened to accidentally drop his second helping on the floor and I thought he was going to cry. Vanilla ice cream on top is the way to go. Thanks for the recipe!! I will make again and again!" – MOMZRIGHT

04 of 15

Triple Berry Crisp

Triple Berry Crisp
sweetserenade

Crisps are cobbler cousins topped with a crumbly mix that could include oatmeal, flour, bread crumbs, sugar, butter, and spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. You can make this top-rated crisp with fresh or frozen berries

05 of 15

Classic American Blueberry Crisp

berry crumble in glass dish with loose berries around
lutzflcat

Fresh or frozen blueberries brightened with a splash of orange juice and cinnamon are baked under a simple topping of flour, butter, and brown sugar. The blueberries are thickened with tapioca, but you can use one tablespoon of cornstarch instead.

06 of 15

The Ultimate Berry Crumble

The Ultimate Berry Crumble
Chef John

A crumble is just like a crisp with its oat-butter-sugar topping, but for this version, you'll add egg yolks to enrich the crumble, press half of the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, spread the berries over it, top with the remaining crumble, and bake. Home cook sara says, "I can't tell you how many crisps, crumbles and cobblers I've made over my 40+ years in the kitchen—but believe me when I tell you this one is the ultimate."

07 of 15

Chef John's Blackberry Buckle

closeup of a glass baking dish of Chef John's Blackberry Buckle topped with sliced almonds

Debbie Venus-Fenrich

For this kind of cobbler, you pour the batter into the pan first and then you top it with fruit. As it bakes, the batter rises around the fruit to form a cake with an uneven, or buckled, surface. Chef John says, " I was going to tell you to use any berry you want, but I changed my mind. This really needs to be done with blackberries. I added a handful of almond meal, since I had it around, and I think almonds and blackberries have a thing for one another."

08 of 15

Huckleberry Buckle II

closeup of a serving of huckleberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Kayla Blackbird

"This is a family recipe from my husband's mom and grandma. I like it better than the traditional cobbler. This works well with blueberries and blackberries also!" – Roni

09 of 15

Rhubarb Betty

closeup of a glass dish of rhubarb cobbler with whipped cream

Suziehomemaker

A "Brown Betty" is one of the first documented apple desserts in the early colonial United States. Theories abound as to the origin of its name, but none are conclusive. You make a typical Betty with apples layered between a mixture of sweetened bread crumbs, butter, and brown sugar. Here, this vintage dessert is interpreted with fresh rhubarb and cinnamon swirl bread.

10 of 15

Grunt

two white ceramic ramekins of blueberry cobbler on a white platter with scattered fresh blueberries

lutzflcat

Grunts are sweetened fruit stewed under a topping of batter or dumplings, typically on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet. The odd name might refer to the guttural sound the fruit makes as steam escapes through the thick topping. Commonly found in New England and Canada's Maritime provinces, grunts and slumps are thought to be the closest early British colonials could come to recreating the traditional steamed puddings of their homeland.

11 of 15

Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch

Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch
Kim's Cooking Now!

This classic sweet-tart combination of strawberries and rhubarb is baked under a crunchy lid of oats, butter, and brown sugar. Many reviewers added more fruit, tweaked the amount of topping, and adjusted the sugar to suit their tastes—but this is the sort of customizable recipe that you can easily make your own.

12 of 15

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

top-down view of a serving of cherry cobbler topped with sliced almonds, garnished with powdered sugar with whipped cream on the side
Doughgirl18

Fresh cherries are a must for this fruity cobbler. Yes, it's a bit time-consuming to pit cherries, but that's what lazy summer days are for. Good thing the batter comes together in a snap. Doughgirl18 baked hers with sliced almonds over to top, and and served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a big dollop of whipped cream.

13 of 15

Baron's Blackberry Cobbler

a serving of blackberry cobbler garnished with raw blackberries, a mint sprig, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream
abapplez

It's worth braving the blackberry brambles to pick enough to make this easy, batter-topped cobbler. "We love it!" raves abapplez. "I have had biscuit-type cobblers, cake-type cobblers, and pie crust (I know...not really a cobbler but my Mamaw called it that so....to me it was a cobbler) type cobblers. This is almost a mixture of all three! And it is delicious. Hubby took one bite and said, 'just like my mom's!'"

14 of 15

Rhubarb, Strawberry, and Blueberry Cobblerette

closeup of two ramekins of strawberry-rhubarb cobbler with a fresh strawberry on the side

naples34102

This version of a cobbler has a shortbread cookie-like topping. You can bake this in one big dish or divide it into ramekins like naples34102 did to make perfect serving sizes for two or a few. Home cook pomplemousse says it firms up as it cools.

15 of 15

Mom's Peach Crisp

Mom's Peach Crisp
My Hot Southern Mess

The contrast in textures between the silky peaches and the crunchy, buttery oat topping makes this a standout dessert. Mara says, "Wow...easily the best crisp I've ever tasted! The recipe has the perfect ingredients for deliciousness; I will not look for another crisp recipe."

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