This easy apple cobbler recipe has a caramelized apple filling cooked down in a sugar-cinnamon syrup topped with a buttery sweet cobbler topping that is just heavenly! So simple yet so delicious!
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Homemade Apple Cobbler
I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as having too many apple desserts. When I need a simple dessert for me and my family on a weeknight, a quick apple dump cake or apple crisp is one I can easily whip up. When I’m serving guests or celebrating a holiday and I need something that is easy yet impressive, I’ll bake an apple pie.
The base apple filling is made with crispy apples, cooked down in apple juice and cinnamon sugar that’s thickened up to make a gooey saucy filling. Then it’s topped with a sweet, buttery, crispy cake-like topping that will rival grandma’s cobbler any day! (It’s also amazing topped with a warm streusel topping.) It’s seriously, the best. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce (yes, AND), and enjoy this absolutely delicious dessert in under 1 hour.
Best Apples to Use for Baking
Unless you’re making apple sauce, you usually want apples that will hold their structure and not turn to mush. You want fresh and firm apples that will cook down nice and tender but still hold their own. Below are a few of the ones I use for various baking recipes.
- Golden Delicious: These are golden yellow and green in color which is larger than most other apples. Golden delicious apples are sweet to the taste.
- Honeycrisp: My personal favorite is a Honeycrisp apple. Honeycrisp apples are a variety of apples that are known for their crispness and honey-sweet flavor.
- Granny smith apples: For more tartness these green granny smith apples are a great pair.
- Braeburn: They are known for their rich, complex flavor and crisp flesh. Braeburn apples are also known as “all-purpose” apples because they are great for both eating and baking.
- Gala: Gala apples are a cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red apples. They are the most popular apples grown today. Gala apples are readily available in most markets year-round. They are known as good snacking apples and are also good for baking, juicing, and freezing.
- Pink Lady: Pink Lady apples are a variety of apples that are known for their pink blush and tangy flavor. They have a firm texture and are high in sugar and acids, which makes them sweet with a hint of tartness. They also oxidize slowly, so they won’t brown when sliced
How to Make Apple Cobbler
You see, there is always a reason to bake with apples no matter the occasion, and this apple cobbler recipe is just one more to add to your arsenal, especially during the fall and winter seasons!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Cook: Cook the apples, apple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour into a 9×13″ or 9×9″ (for a thicker crust) baking dish.
- Mix: Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Once it is mixed together, add in the flour and baking powder. Stir just until combined.
- Add: Flatten the dough to place on top of the apples. Sprinkle with a Tablespoon of sugar (or cinnamon sugar) if desired.
- Bake: Cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Follow these delicious expert tips to make this easy apple cobbler the best way! Choose your favorite combination of apples, leave the skin on, and make a thicker topping to boost this apple cobbler. These tips will help make this homemade apple cobbler even better!
- Substitute apples. Swap the apples for other fruits such as mixed berries, strawberries, blackberry cobbler, plums, or peaches like in this peach cobbler.
- Skin on. Leave the skin on if you prefer, but I do peel mine if I have a bit of extra time.
- Thicker topping. If you like a thicker topping, use a bit of a smaller baking dish, that way you’ll overlap the crust topping a bit more.
- Serving. This easy apple cobbler is best served immediately, however, you still want to let it rest for a few minutes just to allow the juices to settle and the topping to get that extra bit of crispness. It’s worth the wait!
- Make extra! Make more of the apple filling than you need and use it to enjoy a bowl on its own, or keep it frozen for apple pie or apple crepes later on.
- What to serve with. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce.
Recipe FAQs
A cobbler is way easier to make! The crust is also on top of the apples like you would find in a pie.
You can! I do this often with dump cakes, which makes life a lot easier. You could even go so far as to use Bisquick if you have that on hand. Otherwise, a vanilla or yellow cake mix works great.
They are quite similar in that they are all baked fruit desserts. The filling can be used interchangeably, and can really be any fruit (stone fruit and berries work well) you want to use.
Cobbler toppings are thicker, cake-like batter with a buttery sugary crispy crumble topping. It’s either made with biscuit dough, cake mix, or pie dough. It’s dropped onto the filling in dollops, or in the case of this recipe, pieces of dough are flattened and laid out, then it is baked so that it has a “cobbled.”
Apple crisp is made with a streusel topping, made mostly of brown sugar, butter, flour, oats, and cinnamon. All it takes to make a crumble topping a crisp topping is to add oats.
5 star review
“Love the tip to make more filling than necessary because it’s so good on so many things, especially breakfast oatmeal!”
-Gina
Make Ahead, Storing & Reheating
This is the best apple cobbler that can be made ahead, and stored, and it is easy to reheat for those late nights or early morning cravings! Plan ahead or reheat it for another delicious treat.
- To Make Ahead: When planning ahead, this dessert can be made in advance. Cook down the apples to make the filling mixture and make the crust but keep them stored separately in airtight containers. When you’re ready to bake, assemble in the baking dish and continue as directed.
- To Store: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- To Reheat: If you’re just reheating a single serving, popping it in the microwave for a quick 20 to 30-second heat works. The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer the topping gets as it continues to absorb the juices from the filling. To crisp it back up a little, put it in the oven at 300 and reheat for 5-10 minutes.
More Delicious Apple Desserts
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Apple Cobbler
Ingredients
Apple filling:
- 5 medium apples , about 7 cups
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice , optional
- ¾ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar , packed
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
Crumble topping:
- ½ cup salted butter , slightly melted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar , more for top
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For serving (optional): vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or caramel sauce
Instructions
- Peel the apples if desired and then cut into slices 1/4" thick. You can then cut the apples in half if you'd like smaller pieces.
- Then place the apples in a saucepan. Squeeze the juice of a lemon in if desired. Then add in the apple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Once it's mixed, add in the flour and baking powder. Add in a pinch of salt and cinnamon if desired. Mix just until combined.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13" or 9×9" (for a thicker crust) baking dish. Then pour the apples into the pan. Flatten the dough to place on top. Sprinkle with a Tablespoon of sugar (or cinnamon sugar) if desired.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve while warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Drizzle caramel on top if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Crisps + Cobblers, Desserts, Fruit Desserts, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
I LOVE a good cobbler, normally I make peach or berry cobbler but this apple cobbler is amazing! It is so easy to make and so delicious!
I served it with homemade cinnamon ice cream, and it was HEAVENLY!
I think we just found our new favorite for apple season!! This one is SO good! Thanks for the recipe!
If I use peaches
I follow as shown
Hi Ellen, we actually have a similar peach cobbler recipe too! Check this one out: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/peach-cobbler/
Delicious! A new fall favorite. Thanks for sharing!
Love the tip to make more filling than necessary because it’s so good on so many things, especially breakfast oatmeal!