Cherry Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Crust is a taste of summer all on its own; it’s also a delicious dessert to serve for a special occasion, after a grilled dinner, or as a breakfast treat.

I love cobbler. It’s been a part of my life since I was a little girl. When I was young, my grandmother made cobblers all the time. So did my mother. I’m guessing the same is true for most of my readers since cobbler is such a classic dessert. One of the first desserts I ever made was cobbler, and over the years, I’ve made no telling how many of them. While cobbler is one of my favorite desserts, even the tastiest things can become old hat after a while. That’s why I love make this version that features a tasty twist of brown sugar and pecans on top!
Cherry Cobbler
This delicious cobbler starts with a sweet homemade cherry filling. Then, I top it with an easy homemade cobbler batter, and finally I sprinkle the entire thing with a brown sugar pecan crust that’s sweet and crunchy. I bake the whole thing until the top is golden brown, and then I serve it with ice cream. You just can’t beat it. Whether I bring it to a holiday gathering or just make it for dessert when my kids and their families come over, this dessert is always a hit.
Why You’ll Love This Cherry Cobbler Recipe
- The combination of sweet cherries and crunchy pecans is simply irresistible, and the cobbler topping with the brown sugar pecan crust is absolutely delicious.
- It’s perfect for a special occasion, but casual enough for a weeknight dinner, potluck, or backyard barbecues.
- It is easy to make using simple ingredients, and it’s delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cherry Cobbler Ingredients
This recipe uses basic baking ingredients, most of which are probably already in your kitchen right now. Anything you don’t have can be found at your local grocery store. You’ll have everything you need in a flash.
- Fresh Bing cherries, pitted
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice
- Zest from large lemon
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Boiling water
- Chopped pecans
How to Make Cherry Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Crust
This is a very straightforward recipe. Although ever part of this cobbler is homemade, each and every step is so simple even beginners can do it. It’s as easy as it is delicious!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 3-quart baking dish or 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Combine the cherries, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then, stir and pour into the baking dish.
Step 3: Make the Cobbler Batter
Whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Then, cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Pour boiling water into the mixture and stir until combined. Then, pour the batter over the filling.
Step 4: Make the Topping
Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon evenly over the cobbler.
Step 5: Bake
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until golden.
Recipe Tips
- Cut your butter into chunks and then place them in the refrigerator until ready to cut them into the flour mixture. The butter needs to be as cold as possible.
- It’s important that your water is boiling hot, not just very hot.
- If your cobbler seems to be getting too dark, loosely cover it with foil.
Variations
- Use any of your favorite berries for the filling.
- Combine berries for a mixed berry cobbler.
- You can use sliced apples, peaches, or pears for the filling, as well.
What to Serve with Cherry Cobbler
This cobbler is perfect with a scoop of ice cream on top. It’s also delicious with a dollop of whipped cream. Of course, a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea also pairs well with this tasty treat.
Recipe FAQ
Cherry cobbler is made with a sweet cherry filling and cobbler topping that can be cakey, biscuit-like, or similar to a pie crust.
Cobblers have crusts that are similar to biscuits, pie crust, or cake-like. Crisps have a streusel topping with oats.
Any cobbler can be made a day in advance. In fact, many people like cobbler even better when after it sits for a day because the dough topping has a chance to soak up all the filling.
No. One of the hallmarks of cobbler is that it has no bottom crust.
Cherries can be frozen easily, and they keep very well when frozen correctly.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Cherry Cobbler
Store this cobbler for up to 4 days in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. You can also wrap the entire dish in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil.
To reheat the cobbler, cover it with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.
Try This Delicious Easy Cherry Cobbler Recipe Today
This cherry cobbler is loaded with sweet cherries, classic cobbler crust, and a sweet twist with the addition of a brown sugar pecan crust. The best part is that it’s just as easy as it is delicious, so you can make it for any occasion or no occasion at all! Give this cobbler a try, and I know you’ll find yourself making it again and again. You’ll have to if you want your family to leave you alone!
More Delicious Cobbler Recipes You’ll Enjoy
This Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler is a family favorite cobbler recipe made with real homemade caramel, fresh apple slices, a classic cobbler topping, baked to perfection and drizzled with even more caramel.
Cherry Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Crust Topping
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 8 cups fresh cherries pitted
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest from large lemon
Cobbler Topping
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup boiling water
Brown Sugar Pecan Crust Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 3 quart baking dish, or a 9 x 13 baking dish, with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Cherry Filling
- Add cherries, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and lemon zest to a large bowl.Stir and let sit for 5 minutes, stir and pour into the prepared baking dish.
Cobbler Topping
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt together.
- Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly.
- Pour boiling water into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Spoon mixture over cherries and spread evenly making sure to cover all the cherries.
Brown Sugar Pecan Crust Topping
- In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until combined.
- Spoon teh brown sugar pecan mixture evenly over the cobbler topping.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes. Lightly cover with foil if the topping is getting too brown.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes before serving. The liquid will also thicken up as it sits.
Nutrition
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It was delicious! The only question I have is my batter was so thick if wouldn’t pour. I just spooned it on and it was very hard to spread. Maybe not enough water?
Hi Frances,
The cobbler batter is pretty thick. We “spread” it covering all the cherries. It might not look pretty but it tastes delicious. Then the brown sugar pecan crust topping goes on top of that. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing. :)
Looks delicious. Can you use canned red tart cherries?
Hi Linda,
Yes, you can. I haven’t made it with canned fruit but I’m sure it will work just fine. I hope you enjoy this recipe. The toppings are amazing! :)
Can you use frozen cherries?
Hi Peggy, Yes, you can use frozen cherries. :)
I made this using homemade cherry pie filling my mom canned, it came out perfect and delicious. My entire family loved it, will be making this again! I didn’t have pecans sadly so I substituted the pecans for walnuts, and it still came out perfect.
Thank you for sharing :)!
Hi Kristen,
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe especially with your mom’s cherry pie filling. And, thank you for the 5-star rating! :)
Do the cherries need to be chopped up
Hi Terry, No, they don’t need to be chopped. You can cut them in half. I hope you enjoy this cobbler. :)
Can you use cherry pie filling?
Hi Janney,
Yes, you can. I would use at least two cans if I were to make with with pie filling. I hope you enjoy this recipe. :)
Fantastic recipe! It’s in the oven baking, I wish you could smell my kitchen….divine!
Thank for an easy to do recipe, it came together so quickly!
Hi Christine, I bet your kitchen does smell absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing. I hope you and your family enjoy this cobbler as much as my family does. Thank you for the 5-star rating too! :)