These mini zombie cobblers make a great Halloween dessert that won’t put you into a sugar coma. Loaded with fresh berries and topped with a homemade crumble, these are naturally sweet and refreshing while still being spooky enough to serve for a Halloween treat!
They start with our mixed berry cobbler recipe that people love and get a spooky makeover just in time for Halloween!
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Made in just a few steps, these mini desserts make a great treat for a ghouls’ night or as dessert for Halloween dinner after yummy mummy pizza loaf. They’re also a really fun alternative to classic Halloween dirt cups or graveyard cake if you want something that feels a bit fresher!
We tried out various types of toppings to come up with ones that really looked like zombies coming out of dirt graveyards, and I love how they turned out! So did my family who ate them up immediately!
You can either make them in your own aluminum baking dishes and just ad your own zombie pieces for the same effect or grab the set we used to make them match ours. It comes with the tins, little zombie hands, and even plastic shovels for serving!
Why You’ll Love This
- Quick – with minimal prep work and simple instructions these pies can be in the oven quickly.
- Themed – the pack of tins and accessories make it spooky with minimal effort.
- Not too sweet – relying mainly on the natural sweetness of the berries, this treat is a welcome change from all the candy.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Berries – fresh berries are always best. However, you can use frozen berries if you double the cornstarch. You can also mix up the berries you put in as long as you keep the final amount the same. So if you don’t like blackberries add more strawberries instead.
- Lemon juice – fresh is best but for this recipe juice will also work.
- Lemon zest – you can use dried lemon zest if you have it on hand.
- Buttermilk – if in a pinch, you can use a substitute recipe like this one.
- Candy eyeballs – these are totally optional but add to the zombie look. I used these larger ones to get the look but gummy eyeballs or the little mini ones would work too.
- Zombie tins – you can also use any ramekins you have and add your own zobie decor, I just like the convenience of this baking tin set that comes with the tins, zombie hands, and the shovels.
How to Make Zombie cobblers
These are made in three steps: making the berry filling, making the crumble topping, and baking. Each step is quick and easy, meaning you’ll have a tasty treat in no time.
Make the Berry Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will make cleanup easier if the berry filling runs over.
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add in the berries and gently stir so you don’t squish them.
- Evenly distribute the berry topping among the eight tins. Each one gets 1/2-3/4 cup of the filling.
Make the Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until there are no lumps.
- Next, using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the cold butter until there are no clumps larger than a pea.
- Now pour in the buttermilk and stir until everything comes together. You don’t want to over mix here. It might be a bit sticky, and that’s okay; you can break it up when you assemble the cobblers.
- Using your hand, top each berry mixture with crumble topping.
Bake and decorate the cobblers
- With the pies assembled, toss into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the berries are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool until able to handle.
- Decorate with eyeballs, zombie hands, and shovel spoons, then serve.
How to Store
If you have leftovers, that’s okay; these are great reheated! Remove any decorations and if you’re using the zombie tins, just put the plastic covers on. If not, wrap tightly with plastic wrap to create an airtight seal and place them in the oven.
Reheat them by placing them in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until everything is heated through.
If you are using the same tins I do, don’t reheat them in the microwave without taking the cobbler out of the tin first. Or better yet, don’t reheat them in the microwave at all!
Tips & Tricks
- If your topping is too sticky, you can add 1 tbsp of flour at a time.
- If the topping is too dry, add 1 tbsp of buttermilk at a time.
- Don’t overwork the topping. The less you mix, the fluffier it will be.
- If you are using frozen berries, double the cornstarch so it won’t be a runny mess.
- These are best served warm and go great with ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen berries instead?
Yes, but they have a higher liquid content, so make sure you let them thaw, drain them, and double the cornstarch.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Of course. Make them as directed, minus the plastic decor, then toss them in the oven to reheat when ready to serve. Add the decor, and you’re ready to go.
Do I have to use all four types of berries?
You don’t. As long as you have the same overall measurements of berries, it should work. If you don’t love blackberries, add more strawberries instead. I personally love the flavor combination of all four berries together but understand if you’d prefer to omit one.
Berried Zombie Cobbler
Ingredients
Berry Filling
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp lemon juice fresh
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cup raspberries fresh
- ¾ cup strawberries sliced
- ¾ cup blackberries fresh
- 1 ½ cup blueberries fresh
Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 TBSP butter cold and cubed
- ⅓ cup buttermilk cold
Decorations
- 12 large candy eyeballs optional decorations
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (optional but helps clean up any mess).
Berry Filling
- In a large bowl combine all the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.¼ cup sugar, 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp vanilla
- Add blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries to the mixture. Stir gently so you don’t break the berries.1 ½ cup raspberries, ¾ cup strawberries, ¾ cup blackberries, 1 ½ cup blueberries
- Once everything is completely combined, evenly distribute the berries into the individual pans.
Crumble Topping
- Make the topping by combining the flour, brown sugar, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth, breaking up any brown sugar lumps as needed.1 ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, 2 TBSP brown sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 ¼ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut in the butter using a pastry blender, or two knives, until there are no butter chunks larger than a pea.6 TBSP butter
- Add in the buttermilk and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and crumbly. Don’t overmix.⅓ cup buttermilk
- Using your fingers evenly distribute the crumble onto the portioned berries.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the crumble is browning on the top.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes until able to handle then add the zombie hand and candy eyeballs to decorate as desired.12 large candy eyeballs
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