Next Post
20 Minute Orzo Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
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.
(adding cream cheese to the dough)
(stacking the squares of dough one on top of the other)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Looking for other spring strawberry recipes? Try these.
Strawberry Glazed Chai Doughnuts
The Best Strawberry Shortcakes
Strawberry Ripple Almond Cheesecake
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
These looked so good, I tried it but I halved the recipe and used so apples as the fruit so it was a bit dry (but still yummy)! I will make it again today, do you think it will work with a mix of melon, apple and frozen berries?
Hi Chanel,
So sorry but I have only tested this recipe with strawberries. I would think you would have better luck with another berry like blueberries as opposed to melon. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this during my lunch break today, it was soooo good! I️ cut the recipe in half and used both strawberries and blueberries. Will definitely make again!
Yes! I am so happy to hear that Danielle! Thank you so much for trying this one! I hope you are staying healthy and safe! xTieghan
Do you think This could be made without the bourbon? I don’t have any in the house….yet
Hi Ruth,
Yes that is totally fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could I sub blackberries or blueberries without any other changes to the recipe?
Hi Kayley,
Yes that would work! I also have this cobbler recipe that you might enjoy! xTieghan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/blackberry-lavender-cobbler/
This looks so delicious! Can I make it with raspberries or other berries?
Hi Mona,
You absolutely can or check out this other cobbler recipe! xTieghan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/blackberry-lavender-cobbler/
I’m making these tomorrow as a reward for taking my final!! Would almond milk or vanilla Greek yogurt be an ok substitute for buttermilk in the biscuits?
Hi Idia,
Yes almond milk would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could sub grand marnier for the bourbon?
Hi Becky,
Yes I think that would work, you could also leave it out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks like a great hearty brunch selection. Have you ever done any work with a buckle dessert? Just curious…
Hi Darren! I have actually! I will link it below for you if you would like to try it! xTieghan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/blueberry-buckle/
This looks absolutely gorgeous. And the biscuits look incredibly yum.
Thank you so much Arpita! xTieghan
This looks delicious. I’m going to try it with rhubarb and I’ll be back to tell you the results.
Thank you so much Lily! I hope this turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Yum! I’m saving this recipe for when our first ones appear. Xx
Thank you so much Kelly! I am so glad you are enjoying this! xTieghan
During this “stay home” order I have cooked/baked so many recipes from your Super Simple cookbook and they have ALL been a huge hit. When I got this Skillet Strawberry recipe in my email this morning – I couldn’t open it fast enough. I am so glad you decided to share this – I can already tell it will be a family favorite. I think you can make any “traditional, simple” recipe absolutely amazing with the little tweaks you always come up with. THANK YOU!!!
Wow I am so glad you have been loving the recipes in the super simple book! SO happy to hear that! I hope this one turns out just as amazing… or even better haha! Thank you Amy! xTieghan
Could this recipe be made for 2 people instead of the full amount? Will it come out the same?
Hi!
I have not tried cutting this recipe in half, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Looks amazing and I have most of the ingredients on hand so I can’t wait to make. Could I sub flour for cornstarch in the filling or would that not work? Thank you!!
Hi Kay,
Yes you can absolutely use flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Looks delicious! The biscuits seem like they could be a side for dinners too. If I were to just bake the biscuits, would I still bake them for 30-35 mins at 400?
Hi Evelyn,
To make just the biscuits I would do 400 for 20-25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan