A perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors Jack Daniel's Sour Cherry Cobbler makes an irresistible summer dessert! Made with a simple fresh fruit filling of tangy cherries baked with a buttery, biscuit-like crust.
Sour cherries are tart little cherries that are delicious in pies, jams, and sauces. This sweet and tangy cherry dessert is so easy to make. The only time-consuming task is pitting the cherries.
What are sour cherries?
Sour cherries are also known as tart cherries and have a tangy, tart taste. They are smaller and softer than sweet cherries and have a vibrant red color.
I have a spectacular Evans cherry tree growing in my yard. In addition to the most beautiful spring blossoms, it produces an abundance of sour cherries. Sour cherry trees are very hardy and grow well in the cool Canadian prairies. These cherries are quite tart and most people find them a little too sour to eat, but they are perfect for cherry pie, baking, jellies, and sauces. My recipe for Easy Sour Cherry Sauce is fantastic on cheesecake and savory dishes like Pork Rib Roast.
Can you make this recipe without using Jack Daniel's?
Jack Daniel's whiskey adds super flavor to this sour cherry cobbler, but if you prefer simply skip the step of marinating the cherries.
Sour cherries aren't just for making desserts. I love to make Sour Cherry Infused Water for a refreshing, healthy drink. Sour cherries are incredibly healthy and loaded with antioxidants!
Pro tips for making the perfect cobbler.
I prefer fresh ripe cherries, but frozen sour cherries will work as well. Frozen tend to be a bit more watery, so add an extra tablespoon of Minute Tapioca. Minute Tapioca works great as a thickener for fruit desserts.
Marinate the cherries in sugar and Jack Daniel's for 1-2 hours. Drain off the extra liquid.
If you prefer sour cherry cobbler a bit sweeter add an extra ¼ cup of sugar.
When combining the dough, do not over-mix. The dough should be slightly sticky and have large clumps.
Drop the dough on top of the cherry mixture using a tablespoon. Leave in clumps and do not spread out.
The cherry filling will bubble up through the crisp crust as it bakes so be sure to line the oven with foil to catch any spills.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Cobbler is such an easy recipe to make, be sure to try my Apple Cobbler recipe as well!
This post was originally published August 8, 2013. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update June 18, 2023.
Jack Daniel's Sour Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients
sour cherry filling
- 6- 8 cups sour cherries pitted
- ½ cup Jack Daniel's whiskey
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
Cobbler Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Butter for pan
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Combine pitted cherries, Jack Daniels and ½ cup sugar in large baking dish (I use 9 x 13 pan so all the cherries are covered with the marinade. Marinate cherries for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Drain off excess liquid.
- Stir tapioca into drained cherries.
for the cobbler topping
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut ¾ cup of chilled butter into small cubes.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like large course crumbs.
- Gradually pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork, the dough should be slightly sticky and large clumps.
- Melt ¼ cup of butter and pour into a 10 inch round pan or 9x9 square pan.
- Add the cherry mixture on top of the melted butter. Do not stir.
- Sprinkle with a bit more sugar if you like the cherries sweeter.
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons over the cherries. Leave in clumps, do not smooth out.
- Brush the top with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Place baking pan on cookie sheet, this will catch any sauce that bubbles over.
- Bake 50-60 mins in 350º F oven. The top should be golden brown and the fruit bubbling.
- Serve warm with scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.