Less than ten ingredients in my homemade Texas blueberry cobbler. Texas-style cobbler has more of a cake-like texture, and you drop the fruit on top, and as it bakes, the cake rises on top. So good when it’s warm right out of the oven topped with vanilla ice cream!

oval baking dish with blueberry cobbler topped with three scoops of vanilla ice cream

Would you believe I’d hadn’t even heard of a Texas blueberry cobbler up until last year? 

At this point, I’ve lived in Texas most of my life now, and somehow I’d skipped right over the worlds easiest dessert, right on to all the other things. I had my first Texas blueberry cobbler at a local bbq joint. I can still remember the day; it was blustery cold outside, and we stood in a line that seemed like forever. This place is so well known for their bbq, their ribs sell out within minutes of opening! And yes, they make more every single weekend and somehow, they still disappear!

So while we were waiting in what I call the worlds longest line, I happen to spot a worker bringing trays of what looked like blueberry cobbler and warm chocolate cake out of the kitchen. And though my husband was so hoping I’d go for the chocolate cake, I, of course, went for the cobbler. And I’m happy I tried it. Texas blueberry cobbler is like nothing you’ve had before. Especially when it’s warm, you can taste the cinnamon and the hint of cornmeal that gives the cake a little crispy texture and the warm blueberries as they melt in your mouth.

It’s a cake; it’s a cobbler, it’s basically the best thing ever.

blueberry cobbler in speckled bowl with ice cream and spoon on marble

Take it from someone who loves blueberry crisp or a good blueberry muffin; I take my blueberry desserts very seriously. So when I found something that tastes like a cross between a crisp and a muffin, you bet I’ve already made and shared this with everyone I know. Have you ever made or tasted a snack cake or a dump cake? Texas cobbler is very similar to those.

While still recipe testing, I made a batch for a dinner party I was hosting for ten people, and you know what? Every single person helped themselves to seconds. 

side shot showing texture of cobbler topped with vanilla icing

What is Texas-style blueberry cobbler?

Like with most things, Texas has its own way or doing things! A Texas-style cobbler is a buttery cake speckled with fresh fruit or berries and bakes up with a buttery snack cake. The coolest part is that the berries start on top and as the cake bakes, they move towards the middle, and the bottom and the cake develops a buttery golden top!

How is this cobbler different from traditional cobbler?

Regular or traditional blueberry cobbler is made with a biscuit topping – whether homemade or store-bought. The fruit filling (which can be anything from apples, to peaches, to berries, sits on the bottom of the pan and the biscuit topping bakes up on top. But if you ask a Texan, they’ll probably tell you that biscuits go with gravy and not on your cobbler!

Our Texas blueberry cobbler is much more simple to make and uses a cake mix. The edges get nice and golden brown and extra buttery. Trust me, once you have it, you’ll think twice before deciding what kind of cobbler you want to serve at your next shindig!

stainless steel bowl with blueberries tossed in sugar and cinnamon mixture

What do you need to make blueberry cobbbler?

  • butter
  • blueberries
  • sugar
  • vanilla
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • yellow cake mix
  • cornmeal
  • buttermilk

A note about the cake mix:

Though you can use just about any brand you like, I suggest making sure that your box mix is 16 ounces. Make sure you don’t use a family size or anything like that!

spoon resting in white oval dish holding the cobbler

How to make blueberry cobbler:

  1. Add four tablespoons of cold butter to a baking dish and allow for it to melt in the oven while you prep the batter.
  2. Mash the blueberries with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some of the sugar. 
  3. Combine the cake mix and the cornmeal in a bowl. Slowly pour in the remaining melted butter and the buttermilk.
  4. When the baking dish is hot, pour the prepared batter into the baking dish and top with the mashed blueberries. 
  5. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake until it sets; about 45 minutes.
  6. Serve warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream! You must. 

What size baking dish works best?

I suggest using a 9×13 baking dish. This is so that the baking time is accurate. Pictured is a dish that was slightly smaller than the size I mentioned, and it took several additional minutes. The things I do for a good picture! If I were to make this for us, I’d make it in a 9×13!

close up of staub dish showing cobbler texture

Will I be able to cut this like a cake?

No, Texas blueberry cobbler is better served with a spoon, the way you’d scoop out a traditional cobbler as this many berries does make the cake a little unstable!

Can I use any other kind of fruit?

You can make this with canned peaches or even raspberries if blueberries aren’t your thing! Anything that you’d use in a fruit snack cake, or make a cobbler with, would work well here.

Happy baking!

bowl with crumbled conbbler with melting vanilla ice cream and spoon

Yield: 10-12 servings

Easy Texas Blueberry Cobbler

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Less than 10 ingredients in my homemade Texas blueberry cobbler. Texas style cobbler has more of a cake-like texture and you drop the fruit on top and as it bakes, the cake rises on top. So good when it’s warm right out of the oven topped with vanilla ice cream!

Easy Texas Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons salted butter (8 tbsp melted + 4 cold, cut into cubes)
  • 1 (16-ounce) box yellow cake mix
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon EACH: vanilla AND ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 16 ounces fresh blueberries 
  • 1¼ cup buttermilk
  • ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven o 350ºF. Once the oven reaches 350ºF, add the 4 tablespoons of cold butter into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and allow it to melt about 8-10 minutes. Once melted, swirl the dish so the butter coats the bottom evenly. Spray the sides with cooking spray or carefully tip the tray and cover the sides in the melted butter.
  2. BLUBERRIES: While the butter is melting, in a large bowl, mash the blueberries using a drink muddler or a potato masher just a couple of times and add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
  3. BAKE: In another bowl, whisk together the cake mix and cornmeal. Add the melted butter, and buttermilk to the mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the baking dish, while it’s still hot from the oven. Dollop the mashed blueberries over the mixture evenly. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the cobbler and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream!

Notes

  • Originally, the recipe tasted to bake for 40-45 minutes, after making this ten times since publishing it, I’ve upped the time to 45-55 minutes to ensure better results.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

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