Nothing says summer like a warm, juicy berry cobbler fresh from the oven — and this one comes with a delicious twist: a sourdough discard topping that makes it uniquely flavorful and tender!
This easy sourdough berry cobbler recipe is incredibly simple to put together and completely customizable with your favorite fresh or frozen berries. The topping has a soft, cake-like texture that rises beautifully over a bubbling, ooey-gooey berry base — sweet, tangy, and absolutely irresistible.
Whether you’re looking for a way to use up your sourdough starter discard or just want an easy dessert to feed a crowd, this cobbler delivers on taste, texture, and that cozy homemade charm.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Berry Cobbler
Delicious Flavor Combination: The tartness of berries paired with the tangy flavor of sourdough discard creates a perfectly flavorful and fun dessert!
Zero Waste Baking: Using sourdough discard helps you reduce food waste by repurposing excess starter, making your baking more creative and sustainable!
So easy to Make: This cobbler requires simple ingredients and straightforward steps, making it accessible even for beginner bakers.
Customizable: You can use a variety of berries—strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries—or mix them for different flavor profiles.
🍲 Ingredients
Berries – I have made this with berries that I have in my house at the time, even frozen berries! My favorite combination would be the berry trifecta (strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries) but it would work with peaches and apples as well.
Butter – This recipe in whole takes one stick of butter, half for the berry mixture and half for the cobbler topping. So have one stick ready to just split in half!
Cornstarch – This makes for a thicker consistency with the berry mixture! So it is ooey gooey and delicious 🙂
Sourdough Discard – Unfed, inactive sourdough discard either straight from the fridge or that has been stored on the counter.
Flour – I use Kirkland’s organic, unbleached all-purpose flour but it will work with any flour you have on hand as long as it is unbleached. Organic is just preference.
Sugar – I like the taste that brown sugar has, especially paired with berries, but granulated sugar will also work.
Milk – Whole milk, or any milk your family prefers
Baking soda + powder – This is the leavening agent for the crumble topping, and what will make it rise during baking!
👩🍳 How to Make Sourdough Discard Berry Cobbler
Merry mixture
- In a large cast iron pan, melt half of 1 stick of butter (4 tbs)
- Add in your berries, honey, and cornstarch, mix together over medium low heat until all the berries are coated. Set aside. (this is optional, but also where you will add the lemon juice for an extra summer zest if you like!)
Cobbler topping
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, milk, and sourdough discard until all combined and there are no streaks left.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix together well.
- Transfer the batter directly on top of the berries in an even layer. Gently spread without disrupting the berries on the bottom.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake at 375 for 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown!
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream! Enjoy 🙂
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have a large cast iron pan for “one pot” making… cook the berries on the stove and then transfer everything to a 9×13 baking dish. Topping with your cobbler topping as normal.
- This recipe in whole takes one stick of butter, half for the berry mixture and half for the cobbler topping. So have one stick ready to just split in half!
- You can customize the berry mix based on what you have.
- Adjust sugar levels depending on berry sweetness and personal preference.
- Since sourdough discard contains flour and water, reduce these in your cobbler topping or batter accordingly to maintain the right consistency. Typically, you can substitute part of the flour with discard but keep an eye on the batter’s thickness.
🗒 Variations
Cobbler is such a fun and delicious dessert to make because who doesn’t love a warm cobbler with a scoop of ice cream? I haven’t met a person yet! It is also so easy to customize with fruit that is in season so you can enjoy it all year long. Here are more cobbler recipes that I think you’ll love !
- Sourdough Discard Peach and Blackberry Crumble – Acts Of Sourdough
- Sourdough Discard Peach Cobbler – Acts Of Sourdough
- Sourdough Discard Apple Cobbler – Acts Of Sourdough
🗒 Substitutions
- Frozen berries: Can be used instead of fresh; just thaw and drain excess liquid.
- Other fruits: Peaches, cherries, apples, or rhubarb can be substituted for berries, adjusting sugar and thickening agents accordingly.
- For the topping: Use a mixture of flour, oats, butter, and sourdough discard instead making it more of a crumble than a cake topping.
- Granulated sugar or even honey can be used instead of brown sugar!
- Flour – bread flour will make a chewier texture topping.
🗒 Best served with
- Add a Dollop of Cream or Ice Cream:
Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a dollop of Greek yogurt. The cold, creamy topping complements the warm, fruity cobbler beautifully. - Garnish: Consider adding a sprinkle of fresh mint, a dusting of powdered sugar.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Cool Completely: Allow the cobbler to cool to room temperature before storing. This prevents condensation and sogginess.
Choose an Appropriate Container: Transfer the cobbler to an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Refrigeration: Store the cobbler in the refrigerator if you plan to eat it within 2-3 days. Keep it tightly covered to maintain freshness
🤔 Common Questions
Sourdough discard is the leftover starter that you remove during feeding. It can add moisture, tang, and a slight yeast flavor to baked goods.
Yes, frozen berries work well. Be sure to thaw and drain excess liquid before using to prevent the cobbler from becoming watery.
Sourdough Discard Berry Cobbler
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Berry mixture
- 4 cups mixed berries blueberries, strawberries, blueberries
- 4 tbs melted butter
- 2 tbs honey
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- 1 tsp lemon juice optional
Cobbler topping
- 4 tbs melted butter
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Merry mixture
- In a large cast iron pan, melt half of 1 stick of butter (4 tbs)
- Add in your berries, honey, and cornstarch, mix together over medium low heat until all the berries are coated. Set aside. (this is optional, but also where you will add the lemon juice for an extra summer zest if you like!)
Cobbler topping
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, milk, and sourdough discard until all combined and there are no streaks left.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix together well.
- Transfer the batter directly on top of the berries in an even layer. Gently spread without disrupting the berries on the bottom.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake at 375 for 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown!
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream! Enjoy 🙂
Notes
Nutrition
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So yum! I didn’t have berries so i used strawberries and rhubarb from our garden! It was perfect, the texture itself of the cobbler topping was great!
Rhubarb sounds so yummy! Thank you for your review <3