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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.
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)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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
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
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cubed, plus melted butter, for brushing
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese, sliced into 3 slices
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Strawberries
- 6 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced (about 3 pounds)
- 1/4-1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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.
My husband still asks for this dessert after a year. I only made it once because I have less time to bake these days (new mom here). However, I dream of this dessert as well. It’s a fail safe and has such a beautiful presentation. The only thing I changed was that I added some powdered sugar to the cream cheese. I have a problem with my sweet tooth and it took it up another notch for me! So yum! Thanks for all the amazing recipes!
Hey Cassie,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
Does the salt go into the biscuits? I saw it on the ingredient list but forgot while I was making my biscuits.. about to put the biscuits in the oven and looked back over the recipe and gasped because I forgot the salt.. but then realized it’s not in the instructions… will my biscuits not be good now? Or will there be little difference?
1st time biscuit maker… so I’m concerned
Hey Kris,
Sorry for any confusion, yes the salt goes in step 2. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
It was amazing!!!
Thanks so much!!
Made this with blackberries instead of strawberries and it was a hit. We had it for Mother’s Day and everyone agreed it will be made again soon. The biscuits were easy to make in the food processor and the cream cheese added an extra layer of deliciousness.
Hey Julie,
Happy Monday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Delish!! A great ending to Mother’s day brunch. Thank you!!
Hey Kristina,
Happy Monday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
My daughter made it and it’s delicious ❣️
Hey Ina,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxTieghan
Cherry season is coming up! Can I use this same recipe and sub cherries for strawberries?
Hey Juliana,
Yes, that will work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
The biscuits came out amazing but the filling was kind of dry and minimal, don’t know if it was something I did. I actually even used extra fruit because my strawberries were really big. My husband said please don’t make again which he never says with your recipes! ‘sad face’.
Hi Jennifer! I am really sorry to hear that.. Is there anything that changed while making this recipe? I would love to help! xTieghan
Más allá de bueno!! Se ve espectacular!! Que hambre!!
Saludos desde Costa Rica!
Muchas gracias! ¡Estoy muy contento de que esta receta te haya resultado tan bien! xTieghan
Made this last night for a crew of self-proclaimed foodies and they loved it! it’s a big bonus that compared to most desserts, it was super easy and quick to make! I would recommend drizzling in the buttermilk slowly as I found I didn’t need the whole amount. I made it with fresh berries because they were on sale – the lemon juice really makes the strawberry flavour come out. This will likely be my go to dinner party dessert – I made the filling and dough in advance and got major points for putting it together and popping in the over at my friend’s place! Just kept the uncooked dough squares in the fridge after making it, then popped it in their fridge when I got there, and I made all the filling in advance and carried it over in Tupperware. Delicious. I continue to be amazed at your recipes. Thank you so much from Canada!
Thank you for trying this Laura!! I am so happy you and your friends loved this recipe! xTieghan
Loved this idea so I Made the Strawberry Skillet recipe today. Biscuit tops were beautifully brown. Bottoms of biscuits were raw and soaked up too much strawberry juice. What went wrong?
Hi Nita! How many biscuits did you use for your cobbler? All of them? That might be too many for the size of skillet you have used. Next time try only using 2/3rds of the biscuits for topping. This will allow them more room to properly bake up. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This looks so good! Do you think gluten free flour would work?
Hi Michelle,
Yes you can use gf flour, I would recommend Cup4cup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Long time reader/baker of your recipes! This was a yummy 4th of July treat. I used frozen strawberries, this came together so quickly and easily. The fruit to biscuit ratio was too heavy on the biscuits for my preference, I’d definitely add a couple of more cups of fruit next time. But given how easy this was I would certainly make it again.
Thank you so much Melissa! xTieghan
Making this tonight for a family dinner. I don’t have a food processor for making the dough, what could I use instead?
Hi Madison,
I would recommend freezing the dough and using a cheese grater and then mixing by hand. Just be sure to keep the butter super cold! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m so excited to make this for 4th of July! Could I do peaches instead of strawberries? I know you have a different peach cobbler recipe but this one sounds so fun. Thanks!
Hi Erica,
Yes peaches would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan