This isn’t your average holiday cake. It is a rustic, buttery hybrid between a fluffy cake and a fruit-heavy cobbler. Bursting with tart cranberries and spiked with a generous hit of Bourbon, this Boozy Cranberry Cobbler Cake is the low effort, high reward dessert you need this season.
- What Makes This Recipe So Good
- What Goes Into Cranberry Cobbler
- How To Make Cranberry Cobbler
- Tips For Making Boozy Cranberry Cobbler
- Recipe FAQ’s
- Boozy Cranberry Cobbler Cake Recipe
What Makes This Recipe So Good
If you love the warm, gooey comfort of a Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake , this cobbler cake is going to be your new obsession. It nails that perfect texture clash we all crave, a crispy, sugared crust on top giving way to a tender vanilla crumb and pockets of jammy fruit. It’s rustic and messy in the best possible way, meaning you don’t need to be a professional cake decorator to make it look stunning.
The flavor balance here is exactly what you need after a heavy meal. Cranberries can be aggressively tart, but we tame them with sweet butter and a kick of Bourbon. It’s a lighter, fruit-forward alternative to heavier holiday staples like a dense Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake or a rich Carrot Cake Cheesecake . It cuts through the richness of a turkey dinner perfectly, offering a sweet finish that isn’t overwhelming.
Best of all, this recipe respects your time. Holiday cooking is chaotic enough without dragging out the stand mixer for every single dish. This is a simple whisk-and-bake situation that delivers maximum impact with minimal effort, leaving you more time to focus on the main event.
What Goes Into Cranberry Cobbler
This Cranberry Cobbler uses simple ingredients that bring out the fruit’s natural brightness while adding a little depth and warmth. Here are the key players and why they matter.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries bring the tart, juicy base that makes a cobbler bright instead of overly sweet. I recommend using Frozen Cranberries . Skip the washing, drying, and sorting that comes with fresh berries. Use frozen straight from the bag no thawing required. It actually keeps the batter colder and the cake lighter.
- Bourbon: A small splash lifts the berries with warmth and caramel notes that deepen as the cobbler bakes. I have tested this recipe with many variations of bourbons, but the best tasting one is Marker’s Mark. This is a wheated bourbon, meaning it uses wheat instead of rye in the mash bill. Heavy on vanilla and caramel notes. It acts almost like an extract, boosting the buttery flavor of the cobbler crust. This makes it sweeter, softer, and less spicy than other whiskies.
- Butter: Melted butter in the topping helps create that soft, tender crumb that sinks lightly into the bubbling fruit. Use unsalted butter so you can control the taste.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Cranberry Cobbler
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 350℉ or 176℃ and grease a 9 inch pie dish or baking pan with butter or cooking spray so the cobbler releases easily after baking.
- Mix the Filling: Stir together the cranberries, brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until the berries are well coated.
- Prepare the Topping: Whisk the melted butter, milk, and brown sugar in a separate bowl, then add the egg and whisk again until smooth.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture and whisk just until a smooth batter forms with no lumps.
- Assemble the Cobbler: Spread the cranberry filling into your prepared dish and pour the batter evenly over the top, letting it settle naturally.
- Bake and Cool: Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden and the cranberry juices are bubbling, then let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.
This Cranberry Cobbler is wonderful after something savory and comforting, like Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup , which keeps the meal cozy without feeling too heavy. For a fresher contrast, you can also serve it after a bright Pomegranate Cobb Salad . And if you want to stay fully in dessert mode, pair each warm scoop with No Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes .
Tips For Making Boozy Cranberry Cobbler
- If you’re using frozen cranberries like I usually do, let them thaw just a little so they release their juices without watering down the filling.
- Adjust the bourbon to your comfort level. I love the warmth it brings, but start with the base amount and add more only if you like a bolder kick.
- Try not to overmix the topping. A few gentle whisk strokes are enough and keep the crumb soft and tender, which is exactly what you want sinking into those bubbling berries.
- I always set my pie dish on a sheet tray just in case the juices bubble over. It saves cleanup and keeps the oven happy.
Absolutely. You can replace it with extra maple syrup or a splash of orange juice for brightness. The cobbler will still have great flavor without the alcohol.
Maple syrup gives the best depth, but honey or regular brown sugar also work. Just keep the total sweetness similar so the cranberry tartness stays balanced.
You can freeze it after baking. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to two months. Reheat in the oven until warm and bubbly.
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IngredientsUSMetric1x2x3x
For the Filling:
- ▢ 2½ cups cranberries – I used frozen slightly thawed, but fresh would be fine
- ▢ 1/3 cup brown sugar
- ▢ 1/3 cup maple syrup option to use sugar free
- ▢ 1/3 cup bourbon or more if you like it stronger!
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 3 teaspoons cornstarch
Cobbler Topping:
- ▢ ½ cup light/low fat butter melted, or Apple sauce
- ▢ ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- ▢ 1 cup light spelt flour or plain/all purpose
- ▢ ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ▢ 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 176℃ | 350℉. Grease a 9-inch pie dish or a nonstick round baking pan with butter or cooking oil spray, and set aside.
Filling:
- Combine all filling ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, mix well and set aside.
Topping:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk batter until smooth and lump free.
- Fill dish/pan with cranberry mix and evenly pour the cobbler cake batter over the top.
- Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until the cranberry juices are bubbling and the cobbler cake is golden and firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream, frozen yoghurt, etc!
- Happy Thanksgiving!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Boozy Cranberry Cobbler Cake
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 2½ cups cranberries - I used frozen slightly thawed, but fresh would be fine
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup option to use sugar free
- 1/3 cup bourbon or more if you like it stronger!
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
Cobbler Topping:
- ½ cup light/low fat butter melted, or Apple sauce
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 cup light spelt flour or plain/all purpose
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 176℃ | 350℉. Grease a 9-inch pie dish or a nonstick round baking pan with butter or cooking oil spray, and set aside.
Filling:
- Combine all filling ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, mix well and set aside.
Topping:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk batter until smooth and lump free.
- Fill dish/pan with cranberry mix and evenly pour the cobbler cake batter over the top.
- Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until the cranberry juices are bubbling and the cobbler cake is golden and firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream, frozen yoghurt, etc!
- Happy Thanksgiving!
Notes
Nutrition
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