Quick Berry Cobbler for a Crowd

Need a quick and easy dessert to feed a crowd? This mixed berry cobbler will do the job and give you plenty leftover for sweet second helpings! Need it gluten free? Make my suggested substitutions and no one will miss the gluten!

Quick Berry Cobbler

preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Juice and zest 2 lemons and set zest aside

For Fruit Mixture:

In a large casserole dish or stoneware roasting pan, mix lemon juice together with:

4 pints rinsed, stemmed and quartered fresh strawberries

2 pints rinsed fresh or frozen blueberries

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

The applesauce is used to thicken the sauce in the cobbler, if you don’t have it try substituting with the same amount of mashed banana, or a complimentary flavor of jam (like berry or plum) ~ You may need to use less sugar if using jam to thicken your cobbler

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

For Streusel Mixture:

In a medium bowl, mix together:

2 cups whole (old-fashioned) oats or gluten free oats or dried coconut

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup granulated sugar

lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, shortening or coconut oil

Cut butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until all flour and oats are incorporated.

Sprinkle streusel mixture over the fruit mixture in the baking pan. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until cobbler is bubbly around the outside and streusel is a light golden brown color.

Let cool a little and serve in bowls with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream!

I have been harvesting blueberries for almost a month now, our warm spring temps and lots of rain moved the harvest up a little. After battling the squirrels and birds to get my harvest; I rinse and dry them, then freeze most of them in bags for later use. 

Contrary to popular belief, you can pick them when they are pink or light purple (under ripe) and leave them out on the kitchen counter to ripen. They’ll turn blue in one or two days. They will not ripen/turn blue if you put the under ripe berries in the fridge.