Your Fruit Cobbler Is Soggy Because It's Lacking This Vital Addition

Whether you prefer using sun-ripened peaches, sweet-and-sour blueberries, or fresh strawberries, a juicy, warm fruit cobbler is a deliciously simple and easy dessert. A cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day is a super-refreshing, and can warm the soul on a chilly evening.

No matter what type of cobbler you're making or how you're enjoying it, it's essential that you add a bit of cornstarch to your fruit mixture. This multi-hyphenate rock star ingredient isn't just for creating perfect, oven-baked fries or achieving crispy air-fried tofu. In fact, there are plenty of things cornstarch can do, especially when it comes to baking. Adding a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to your fruit filling can help ensure that a moderately thick sauce forms as your fruit filling cooks. 

Cornstarch works to thicken sauces because of its ability to gelatinize substances. When cornstarch is heated, its starch molecules swell and eventually burst. A substance inside cornstarch called amylopectin mixes with water, causing the mixture to thicken as it cools.

A few tips to keep in mind when adding cornstarch to your fruit filling: first, be sure to mix thoroughly, as you don't want to find any lumps of cornstarch in your finished product. Ensure your filling is piping hot and bubbling to properly activate the cornstarch and thicken your fruit sauce.

Whether you have a tried-and-true cobbler recipe or you're working to perfect a new version, there are tons of variations that you can make to suit your tastes. Cobblers — a close relative of crumbles and crisps — are a fun dish to prepare because they're so customizable, and you can make use of the fruit that you have and adjust the crumbly topping to your liking.

For a delicious shortcut, try using store-bought cake mix to top off your cobbler. Instead of mixing up your own crumb topping, combine cake mix and melted butter, then sprinkle it over your fruit mixture (after you've stirred in cornstarch). You'll end up with a salty, sweet, flaky topping that's great with any fruit filling.

Cinnamon rolls are another fantastic cobbler shortcut that can help you move from cobbler-craving to cobbler-enjoying fast. Simply adding chopped-up cinnamon rolls to the top of your peach cobbler adds a touch of warm spice that perfectly complements the sweet and tangy peaches. To make your cinnamon-peach cobbler taste (and smell) extra delicious, try sprinkling on a bit of nutmeg as well.