4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Vintage Strawberry Cobbler is jammy, bubbling strawberries under a soft, buttery, crumbly topping, made with frozen berries straight from the bag. It is an easy dessert for a summer cookout or any evening you want something warm and sweet without turning on the oven.
How to make crockpot strawberry cobbler: Spread frozen strawberries in a greased slow cooker, sprinkle with sugar, crumble a flour-and-melted-butter dough over the top and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- Four ingredients: frozen strawberries, sugar, flour and butter.
- No thawing: the berries go in frozen, straight from the bag.
- No oven: the slow cooker does the baking, so the kitchen stays cool.
- Serves 6: a family-sized dessert with plenty of berry syrup.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen strawberries: Use 32 ounces of plain, unsweetened frozen strawberries. Keep them frozen until they go in; thawed berries release their juice too early and turn the bottom watery.
Sugar: Three-quarters of a cup sweetens the berries and helps their juice turn syrupy. Taste your berries: very tart ones may need a little more.
Flour and melted butter: Mixed with a fork, they make a crumbly dough that steams into a soft, biscuit-like topping. I use salted butter, because the pinch of salt makes the fruit taste sweeter.
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Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen strawberries, unsweetened (do not thaw)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, adjust to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
How to Make Slow Cooker Strawberry Cobbler
1. Grease. Grease the slow cooker with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Add the berries. Add the frozen strawberries and spread them in an even layer.
3. Add the sugar. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the strawberries without stirring.
4. Make the topping. In a bowl, mix the flour and melted butter with a fork until a crumbly dough forms.
5. Top. Crumble the dough over the strawberries, leaving some gaps for the juices to bubble through.
6. Cook. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the berries are bubbling and the topping is set.
7. Rest. Turn off the heat and let the cobbler rest, covered, for 15–20 minutes so the juices thicken.
How to Keep the Topping From Getting Soggy
A slow cooker traps steam, and steam is what makes a cobbler topping soft. That is part of the charm here, but you can keep it from turning gummy. Leave gaps when you crumble the dough, so the bubbling juice has somewhere to go instead of soaking the topping.
A clean kitchen towel under the lid catches the drips of condensation. I do this every time for fruit desserts: stretch the towel across the top of the crock, then close the lid over it, keeping the ends away from the heating element.
Finally, do not skip the rest. The berry juices are thin when the cooker turns off and thicken into syrup as they cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips for Success
Why is my cobbler runny?
It was served straight away, or the berries were thawed first. Let it rest the full time, and put the berries in frozen.
Why are there raw flour spots on top?
The butter and flour were not mixed enough. Stir with a fork until every bit of flour is damp and crumbly.
Why did the edges burn?
It cooked too long on HIGH, and slow cookers run hot at the sides. Check it at 2 1/2 hours and turn it off once the topping is set.
Why is it too tart?
Frozen strawberries vary a lot in sweetness. Taste a thawed berry before you start, and add a few extra spoonfuls of sugar over the fruit if they are sour. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top also softens the tang.
Can You Make It Ahead?
This cobbler is best warm, within a few hours of cooking. For a party, time it so it finishes about half an hour before dessert, then keep the slow cooker on WARM with the lid slightly open so the topping does not steam soft. You can also mix the butter and flour crumble a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
Variations
- Strawberry almond cobbler: stir a little almond extract into the melted butter and scatter sliced almonds over the topping before cooking.
- Warm spice: stir a little cinnamon into the flour.
- Brighter berries: toss a little lemon zest with the strawberries and sugar.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Warm a portion in the microwave until hot. The topping softens further in the fridge, so it is best the day you make it.
What to Serve With It
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream. For more fruit and cobbler desserts, try pecan pie cobbler, chocolate cobbler or apple slab pie. Strawberry lovers will also like strawberry cream cheese icebox cake, no-bake strawberry crunch cheesecake and double strawberry cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make an easy crockpot cobbler?
Put frozen fruit and sugar in a greased slow cooker, crumble a simple flour-and-butter dough over the top, and cook on HIGH until the fruit bubbles and the topping is set.
Do strawberry and almond go together?
Yes. Almond’s toasty, slightly sweet flavor is a classic match for strawberries. Add almond extract and sliced almonds as in the Variations for a strawberry almond cobbler.
Can I use fresh strawberries?
Yes. Hull and halve them. Fresh berries release less water than frozen, so start checking the cobbler toward the early end of the cooking time.
Want a Strawberry Almond Cobbler?
This cobbler uses just four ingredients: frozen strawberries, sugar, flour and butter. To turn it into a strawberry almond cobbler, make two small changes:
- Stir about 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract into the strawberries before adding the topping.
- Scatter a handful of sliced almonds over the topping before you put the lid on.
Almond and strawberry are a classic pair. Everything else in the recipe stays the same.
Final Notes
Keep the berries frozen and leave gaps in the topping, and the slow cooker does the rest. If you have a question or make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Vintage Strawberry Cobbler
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Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen strawberries unsweetened, do not thaw
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Grease the slow cooker with butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Add frozen strawberries directly to the slow cooker and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the strawberries without stirring.
- In a bowl, mix flour and melted butter with a fork until a crumbly dough forms.
- Crumble the dough over the strawberries, leaving some gaps for juices to bubble through.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until berries are bubbling and topping is set.
- Turn off heat and let cobbler rest covered for 15–20 minutes before serving to allow juices to thicken.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
