Name: Easy Butter Swim Biscuit Blueberry Cobbler
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted; 5 cup fresh blueberries; ½ cup granulated sugar (for berries); 1 tsp lemon zest (finely grated); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp cornstarch; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for batter); 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1¾ cup buttermilk (cold); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp coarse sugar (for topping)

There’s a buttery, jammy, crispy-edged magic that happens when biscuit batter meets a lake of hot butter and a pile of blueberries. This is a butter swim biscuit cobbler, which basically means: you melt butter in the pan, pour in a quick, no-fuss biscuit batter, scatter it with sugared blueberries, and the oven does the rest. The edges fry in butter, the middle stays custardy-biscuity, and the berries go glossy and saucy. It’s a show-off dessert that took you 15 minutes and exactly one bowl.

My husband calls this “blueberry pie for lazy people,” which is rude and also… accurate. The little family will hover like fruit bats around the oven when this bakes. We’ve eaten it hot with melty vanilla ice cream, warm with whipped cream in coffee mugs, and cold for breakfast with a spoon straight from the pan while the toddler whispers “more bluebs?” It’s become our emergency dessert for last-minute neighbors or when the blueberries are threatening to retire in the back of the fridge.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Butter Swim Biscuit Blueberry Cobbler

– One bowl, one pan, zero fussy steps. Your sink will thank you.
– Crispy, buttery edges + jammy blueberry puddles = best texture mash-up.
– Uses pantry stuff: flour, sugar, butter, milk, berries. That’s it.
– Forgiving as heck. Frozen berries? Fine. No buttermilk? We’ll hack it.
– Feels like pie without rolling any dough or getting mad at flour.
– It works for dessert… and breakfast. I do not make the rules.

How to Make It

Okay, preheat the oven to 400°F and toss a stick of butter into a 9×13 pan. Let it melt in there while the oven heats—you’ll hear it whispering, which is basically butter flirting. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in buttermilk and stir just until it looks like thick pancake batter—lumpy is fine, overmixing is not.

Blueberries get a quick tumble with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and a whisper of cinnamon if you’re feeling cozy. Pull the pan with the melted butter, tilt it so the butter coats the bottom, then scrape in the biscuit batter. Do not stir. Spoon the blueberries across the top (they’ll sink and swirl like tie-dye—very satisfying). Sprinkle a little coarse sugar if you like a sparkly lid.

Bake until it’s puffed, deeply golden, and the berry juice is bubbly-thick around the edges—about 35–40 minutes. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes so the juices settle and the biscuit sets. Then bring a spoon and pretend you’re going to share.

Ingredient Notes

– Blueberries: Fresh or frozen both work. If frozen, don’t thaw—just toss with the sugar/lemon/cornstarch and pop them on. Thawed berries can get watery and weird.
– Butter: Real, salted or unsalted. If using salted, cut the added salt a smidge. The butter is the whole “swim” part—don’t skimp.
– Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/2 cups milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Boom, DIY tang.
– Cornstarch: Thickens the blueberry juices so it’s jammy, not soupy. Arrowroot works too; use the same amount.
– Lemon: Zest + juice keeps it bright and not cloying. Orange zest is also ridiculously good if that’s what you’ve got.
– Sugar: I go 2–3 tablespoons in the batter and 1/2–3/4 cup with the berries. Sweetness swings with your berries—taste and adjust.

Recipe Steps

1. Heat oven to 400°F and place 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter in a 9×13 pan to melt.
2. Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 2–3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl.
3. Stir in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk until a thick, pourable batter forms; don’t overmix.
4. Toss 4 cups blueberries with 1/2–3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon.
5. Pour batter into the hot, buttery pan (do not stir), spoon blueberries evenly over the top, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.
6. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden and bubbling; rest 10–15 minutes before serving.

What to Serve It With

– Vanilla ice cream (classic and melty—perfect)
– Lightly sweetened whipped cream with a dash of lemon zest
– Greek yogurt if you’re making it pass as breakfast
– A drizzle of heavy cream straight over a warm square (trust me)
– Hot coffee or iced tea, depending on your season

Tips & Mistakes

– Hot pan = crispy edges. Let that butter fully melt and sizzle before adding batter.
– Don’t stir once the batter hits the butter. The no-stir swirls are the whole point.
– Taste your berries. Super sweet? Use less sugar. Tart? Go generous.
– If the top browns too fast, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
– Let it rest. Ten minutes firms the juices so you get slices instead of soup.
– Use the right pan size. Too small and it overflows; 9×13 is the sweet spot.

Storage Tips

Pop leftovers into an airtight container or just wrap the whole pan—room temp for 1 day, fridge up to 4 days. It reheats great at 350°F for 10–15 minutes or in the microwave for 20–30 seconds per serving. Cold, it tastes like blueberry breakfast cake and I will not be accepting slander. You can freeze slices up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge and warm in the oven to crisp the edges again.

Variations and Substitutions

– Self-rising flour: Swap for the flour + baking powder + salt. Use 2 cups self-rising and skip the leavening/salt.
– Different fruit: Peaches, strawberries, raspberries, or a mixed-berry bag—just keep the total around 4 cups and the cornstarch at 2 tablespoons.
– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. It’s a little softer but still fab.
– Dairy-free: Plant butter + unsweetened almond or oat milk with a splash of vinegar to fake buttermilk.
– Spice it up: Cardamom, nutmeg, or almond extract instead of vanilla for a bakery vibe.
– Sweetener swap: Honey or maple syrup can stand in for berry sugar; use 1/2 cup and toss well. Batter still does best with granulated sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer?

Yep. Don’t thaw them—just toss with the sugar, lemon, and cornstarch and add to the batter. If you thaw, they bleed and get watery. Still tasty, just messier.

No buttermilk in the house… what now?

Easy fix: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar + milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let it sit 5 minutes. Tangy enough to do the job like a champ.

Will self-rising flour work?

Totally. Use 2 cups self-rising and skip the baking powder and salt. Everything else stays the same. It puffs up beautifully in all that butter, which is the goal, obviously.

How do I know it’s done in the middle?

Look for deep golden edges and steady, syrupy bubbles around the fruit. A toothpick in a biscuit-y spot should come out mostly clean (berry juice is fine). If the center jiggles, give it 5 more minutes and tent with foil if it’s browning too fast.

Can I cut back on the butter?

You can drop to 6 tablespoons, but you’ll lose some of that crackly, fried edge. It’ll still be good—just a little less “whoa, what is that crust?” energy.

Easy Butter Swim Biscuit Blueberry Cobbler