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Extra juicy, extra jammy, Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler…with layered cream cheese biscuits that are beyond words good! Every bite is layered with fresh strawberries and hints of bourbon. Then topped with buttery, flaky cream cheese layered biscuits. It’s so pretty, super simple to make, and you can swap out the strawberries for any berry you love. Or simply use a mix of all your favorites. Serve with whipped cream for brunch or vanilla ice cream for the perfect strawberry-filled spring dessert.

overhead photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits with ice cream in skillet

The calendar says it’s spring, our weather says it’s winter, but all is ok because fresh strawberries are back in season, and that makes me happy. The truth is, I continue to look at my google calendar every day only to see that we are deep into April…and I am still shocked every time. It just doesn’t feel like April. I’m not sure if it’s the weather or the quarantine, either way, it still feels like winter. How about all of you? I know I talked about this last week, but I’m ready for fresher eats, more color, and all the spring strawberries.

Thankfully we finally made it back to the grocery store for our weekly stock up. The fridge is now full of spring produce, strawberries, and well plenty of butter too. Because there seems to be no end in sight for all this baking madness! Which brings me to the simple, but then not so simple strawberry cobbler.

If you love anything strawberry…and you love anything buttery…then this is your Tuesday dessert! Trust me, this is so good.

And the smells that come from the oven as this cobbler bakes? Heavenly, like sweet springtime wafting through the air. So cheesy, but so true.

Layered Cream Cheese Biscuit dough

(adding cream cheese to the dough)

Layered Cream Cheese Biscuit dough

(stacking the squares of dough one on top of the other)

overhead prep photo of Layered Cream Cheese Biscuit dough cut into 12 biscuits before baking

The inspiration.

Honestly, I hesitated to create this recipe. Did you guys really want a strawberry cobbler recipe? I feel like it’s maybe not that exciting. But then what do I do with all of my strawberries? And juicy cobblers are so delicious. Ahh, what’s a girl to do? I went back and forth (it’s what I do, it’s so not easy to be me!). Finally, something told me to just to go for it.

Here’s the thing, I’ve always found cobblers of any kind to be lacking in two areas – sauce and biscuits.

I’m looking for the perfect berry-filled sauce. One that’s full of juicy berries and so flavorful, but also has a “jammy” like quality. I feel like most often you get a runny sauce or a super thick sauce. And both tend to lack enough sweet berry flavor.

So this sauce is different. It’s cooked twice and it contains bourbon, which helps to highlight the intense strawberry flavor. It is delicious!

The second area is the biscuits. For the longest time, I’ve been looking to achieve a biscuit that’s tall, layered with butter, and extra flakey. I’ve gotten close, but this biscuit recipe nails it.

prep photo of Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits before baking

The Biscuits…are extra special.

The three secrets?

One, stacking the biscuits one on top of another to physically create layers. I read about this method on Bon Appètit and am so happy I gave it a try. It’s a game-changer and truly creates the perfect flaky, buttery biscuit. I tried to capture as many process photos as I could, to give you all visuals, but it’s easier than you’d think. Essentially you’re just cutting the biscuits, stacking them, and then rolling them out a second time. It’s kind of like laminating the biscuit dough.

And it works.

overhead photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits

Secret two? Cream cheese in-between the layers. Yes. Cream cheese in-between the layers of buttery biscuit dough. The cream cheese adds a really nice “cream” flavor with every bite, which I particularly love when paired with berries.

And lastly, secret three. Freeze the biscuits for a few minutes before they go into the oven. This helps to re-chill the butter and in-turn gives your biscuits added flakiness. Just before baking brush the tops with butter and finish them with a sprinkling of coarse sugar. It adds the perfect crunch with every bite.

Plus, it’s that extra special touch that’s so pretty too!

overhead close up photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits

Onto the strawberries…

While the biscuits spend time in the freezer, start on the strawberries. I used a simple mix of strawberries (you can use fresh or frozen), honey, bourbon, lemon, and vanilla.

But here’s the key to this strawberry filling. Unlike most cobbler recipes, we’re going to cook half of the strawberries ahead of baking to give them a start on cooking.

You’ll simply add about half the berries to a skillet (it does not need to be exact, you can eyeball it), bring them to a boil, and boil until their juices bubble up and the berries begin to soften. Remove the skillet from the heat, then add the remaining berries. This helps to create a more intense flavor and jam-like texture. With every bite you’ll get a sweet juicy jam-like sauce. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s exactly what other cobbler recipes are missing.

side angle photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits on single serve plate

At this point, add the biscuits to the strawberries and bake. As the berries bake, they burst, releasing their juices and creating a sweet bourbon and vanilla-scented sauce. It feels very “southern” and tastes delicious.

As you pull this skillet strawberry bourbon cobbler out of the oven, the sauce will be bubbling, and the biscuits perfectly golden. You should definitely have vanilla ice cream on hand, because cobbler is best enjoyed warm, with a generous scoop of sweet ice cream.

Perfect Tuesday treat for these late April days.

And yes, if you don’t have fresh berries, frozen work too. No excuses…happiest Tuesday baking. Enjoy!

overhead photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits on plate

Looking for other spring strawberry recipes? Try these.

Strawberry Glazed Chai Doughnuts

Honey Strawberry Muffins

The Best Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry Ripple Almond Cheesecake

overhead photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits on plate with spoon

watch the how to video:

Lastly, if you make this skillet strawberry bourbon cobbler with layered cream cheese biscuits, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 606 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Biscuits

Strawberries

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
    2. To make the biscuits. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form larger pea-size balls. Drizzle in the buttermilk until the dough is "shaggy" looking. The dough will be a little dry.
    3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and pat into 1-inch thick square. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Add 1 slice of cream cheese to 3 of the squares, gently pressing to flatten. Stack the cream cheese topped pieces on top of each other. Add the final piece (with no cream cheese) on top of the stack (see above photos). Press down to flatten. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 12 biscuits. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes, to chill.
    4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine half of the strawberries and the honey in an 11 to 12-inch oven-safe skillet set over high heat. Bring the berries to a boil and cook 5-10 minutes, until their juices are bubbling. Remove from the heat and add the remaining strawberries, cornstarch, bourbon (if using), lemon juice, and vanilla, tossing to combine.
    5. Remove the biscuits from the freezer, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Arrange the biscuits on top of the strawberries. Place the skillet on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden on top. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp with ice cream.

Notes

To Make Ahead: the cobbler can be baked up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge. Serve at room temperature or warmed. 
To Halve the Recipe: you can easily cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8-inch skillet, 8-9 inch pie plate, or a 8x8 inch square baking dish.
If You don't Have a Skillet: bake in a 9x13 inch baking dish or dish or similar size.
Biscuits: the layering method was adapted from Bon Appètit
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overhead horizontal photo of Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My guests remarked: “I’ve never even thought of a strawberry cobbler but now I’ll be thinking about it all the time.”

    Delicious. I wanted more jammy strawberry filling as I felt the ratio of filling to biscuit was off. But my 12 inch skillet was already quite full as it was, and bubbling over while it baked. I might try this in a Dutch oven next time so I can add more filling.

    Biscuits with cream cheese layers were a REVELATION.

    Thank you for this recipe!

    1. Hey Traci,
      Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx

  2. Do I need to adjust the biscuit recipe if I omit the cream cheese? Wanting to make this vegan. And vegan cream cheese just doesn’t do it for me ?

    1. Hey Kelsie,
      You can just follow the recipe as is and skip the cream cheese, no big deal:) I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx

  3. Hi! I love this recipe and am using frozen cherries this time (always did fresh before). Should I thaw them first or just cook as the recipe says with them frozen?

    1. Hey Alicia,
      You can follow the recipe as written using frozen cherries. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  4. 5 stars
    Made this tonight with fresh strawberries as they are in season and wow! I think my brother used the words, “out of this world.” Another fabulous recipe, thank you!

    1. Hey Jean,
      Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!? xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    Reading the recipe I thought it was going to be complicated, but it wasn’t. I only made one modification and that was to do a 50/50 strawberry & rhubarb mixture. It turned out wonderfully and the house smelled amazing as it baked. We loved that it was not too sweet. Definitely make this recipe again!

    1. Hey Sara,
      Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best week:) xxT

  6. 5 stars
    Super yummy! Next time I will do a strawberry and rhubarb combo. Can also imagine other berries or fresh peaches too! Biscuits are simply amazing!

    I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and about 7-8 cups berries. I also used about 1/2 the biscuit cubes. We like a heavy berry to biscuit ratio. Didn’t have Bourbon so didn’t use and didn’t miss it.

    Made the strawberries about 2h before dinner and let them sit on stove top turned off, had the biscuits in the freezer. Put it together and let us cook while we had dinner. Enjoyed it warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream. For sure a do over!

    1. Hi Heather,
      Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT

  7. Hi. Just baking this recipe and it’s in the oven. I have a 1/4 tsp sitting on my counter ?. Looked at the recipe and instructions are missing to add the salt. Hope it turns out !!!!

    1. Hi Janet,
      Sorry about that, the salt should be added in step 2. It should be just fine:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

    1. Hi Caitlin,
      A pastry cutter will also work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    So good! I halved the recipe and used frozen strawberries & extra bourbon. Making biscuits seemed a little daunting since I’ve never made biscuits before, so I used store bought dough, cut them into layers, and added cream cheese to each layer. Cooked them separately from the strawberries and assembled when done – Straight out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream was heavenly! Next time I’ll have to try fresh strawberries and homemade dough.