Southern Banana Cobbler (Printable)
Caramelized bananas beneath a golden buttery cobbler crust. Classic Southern comfort dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Banana Filling
01 - 5 ripe bananas, sliced
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Cobbler Topping
10 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
13 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
14 - 1/2 cup whole milk
15 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the sliced bananas with granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract until evenly coated. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the milk and melted butter, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix — a few lumps are fine.
04 - Spoon the batter evenly over the banana filling, gently spreading it to cover most of the surface. The batter will spread further as it bakes.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean.
06 - Let the cobbler cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm on its own or topped with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The bananas melt into a gooey, caramel like layer that tastes like banana bread met bread pudding and they became best friends.
- It uses one baking dish and two bowls, which means you get a show stopping Southern dessert without wrecking your kitchen.
02 -
- Do not skip the lemon juice or your bananas will oxidize into a murky brown color that looks unappetizing despite tasting fine.
- Resist the urge to overmix the cobbler batter, stirring too much develops the gluten in the flour and leaves you with a chewy, bread like topping instead of a tender cakey one.
03 -
- Use bananas that are so ripe you would normally throw them away, the blackened skins mean the starches have fully converted to sugar and that is exactly the sweetness you want here.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing it into the batter because hot butter can cook the flour proteins and give you stringy, odd textured bits instead of a smooth pourable topping.