This 5-ingredient berry cobbler with cake mix is one of those easy desserts that feels almost too simple to work, but somehow turns out perfectly every time.
Juicy mixed berries bake into a sweet filling while a buttery lemon cake mix topping turns crisp and golden brown in the oven. If you need a low-effort dessert for summer gatherings, holidays, or just a weeknight treat, this easy berry cobbler recipe delivers.
I love the berry and lemon combination in this recipe, especially with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top. It’s made dump cake style, which means minimal prep, fewer dishes, and almost no effort required. If you like this kind of dessert, you have to try my chocolate cherry dump cake and strawberry dump cake.
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Shortcut Notes
- Only 5 ingredients: This berry cobbler with cake mix keeps things simple with pantry staples and frozen mixed berries.
- No mixing bowls needed: Everything goes directly into the baking dish, which means less cleanup.
- Frozen berries: No need to thaw frozen berries first, making this an easy dessert recipe you can make anytime.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Mixed berries: I like using frozen mixed berries for convenience. A combination of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries gives the best balance of sweet and tart flavors.
- Granulated sugar: Helps sweeten the berry filling and brings out the natural flavor of the fruit.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the juicy filling so the cobbler is not runny.
- Lemon cake mix: A box of cake mix creates the topping. Lemon cake mix works especially well with mixed berries.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter helps the dry mix bake into a crisp, buttery topping.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Add the berries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch directly to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss to coat evenly. No need to thaw the frozen berries.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the berry mixture. Gently smooth the surface with clean, dry hands or the back of a spatula without pressing down too hard.
Slowly pour the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mix. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the butter over any dry spots, but do not mix.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling actively around the edges and the top is deep golden-brown and crisp.
Cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Substitutions
- Berries: Use fresh berries if preferred (but note the bake time might be shorter). Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries all work well. You can also do a DIY-blend of your favorite frozen fruit.
- Boxed cake mix: Yellow cake mix and white cake mix both work. You can even try chocolate.
Behind the Recipe
This might be my favorite cake mix dessert yet. I make a lot of dump-style shortcut desserts as you might imagine, but the berry lemon combo is excellent.
My top tip is to gently press down the dry cake mix with your hands or a spatula before adding the melted butter over top. This helps avoid dry powdery spots on top and gives you a more even, buttery topping.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes, fresh berries work great in this berry cobbler recipe. Use the same amount. The bake time might be shorter since fresh berries put off less moisture than frozen, so start checking for doneness 5–10 minutes early.
This usually happens when the butter does not fully cover the dry cake mix. Gently spreading the melted butter over dry spots helps.
Yes. Bake the cobbler ahead, let it cool, then refrigerate. Reheat in the oven before serving.
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📖 Recipe
5-Ingredient Berry Cobbler with Cake Mix
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen mixed berries about 6–7 cups
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Add the berries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch directly to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss to coat evenly. No need to thaw the frozen berries.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the berry mixture. Gently smooth the surface with clean, dry hands or the back of a spatula without pressing down too hard.
- Slowly pour the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mix. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the butter over any dry spots, but do not mix.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling actively around the edges and the top is deep golden-brown and crisp. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
More Cake Mix Desserts
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Janice Coleman says
Can I use blueberry pie filling for my cobbler
Kelsey Smith says
Absolutely, two cans. The bake time might be 5-10 minutes faster since there's less moisture from the filling.
Carol says
We're going to have to make this when our raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries ripen! What a great way to enjoy them. This looks delicious, Kelsey. I'm going to top mine with vanilla ice cream. I can't wait!
Kelsey Smith says
Hope ya'll love this one, it's my favorite to date. Give it a rating if you give it a try.