This apple cobbler recipe is an old-fashioned dessert perfect for fall. With tender apples, cozy fall spices, and a biscuit-like topping, all that’s missing is a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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Pin RecipeApple cobbler is a classic American dessert that dates back to colonial times. While there are blueberry cobbler, strawberry cobbler and peach cobbler recipes, nothing says fall like a spiced apple cobbler baking in the oven!
Now, a lot of people get confused about apple cobblers, apple crisps, and apple crumbles, thinking they’re simply three different terms for the same dessert. While they’re all similar, they definitely aren’t the same!
An apple cobbler has a biscuit-like topping and is usually baked in a deeper dish than a crisp or a crumble. An apple crisp has a streusel topping made with oats, flour, butter, and sugar, and an apple crumble has a streusel topping, too, but without the oats.
Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe
The nice thing about this apple cobbler recipe is that it’s forgiving! If you have trouble getting pie crust perfectly crimped on the edges, you’ll love that a cobbler simply involves plopping the dough on top of the filling.
In fact, “cobbler” originally referred to a type of pie made with a top crust only (no bottom crust), so the name may come from the fact that the dough is “cobbled” together on top of the fruit. Another theory is that the name comes from the way the top crust resembles a cobblestone street.
Whatever you do, don’t forget to serve your cobbler with a scoop of ice cream. Warm apple cobbler with melting vanilla ice cream on top is the perfect fall treat!
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the filling:
- Granny Smith apples – You’ll need to peel, core, and dice them.
- Lemon – Lemon juice balances the flavors in the filling, and it also keeps the apples from turning brown.
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon – If you’d like, you can use apple pie spice instead of the individual spices listed here.
- Ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is always a good choice with apples, but if you’re in the mood for something different, try almond extract instead.
- All-purpose flour – This thickens the filling; if you have a strong preference for thickening with cornstarch or tapioca, those are fine too.
- Ground ginger
For the topping:
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup, rather than scooping it.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter – The butter should be as cold as possible to get the perfect texture for the topping.
- Whole milk
- Salt
How to Make Apple Cobbler
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 10-inch pie pan or 9×13 baking dish.
- Make the Filling: For the filling, add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the filling to the prepared dish. Set aside.
- Make the Biscuit Topping: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands until the consistency is of coarse crumbs. Slowly stir in the milk a little at a time to moisten the dough.
- Assemble and Bake: Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the apple filling. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and sprinkle some extra cinnamon on top, if desired. A drizzle of caramel sauce is delicious too!
Top Tip
The best apples for a cobbler are Granny Smith Apples. They are tart, firm, and hold up well during baking!
How to Store Apple Cobbler
Leftover cobbler can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds before serving.
FAQs
Apple cobbler is made with an apple filling or base, then a biscuit-like dough is baked on top of it.
The best apples for cobbler are Granny Smith apples. They are tart and firm, and they hold up well during baking.
This apple cobbler recipe shouldn’t get soggy because you’ll add flour to thicken the filling.
Apple cobbler is best served fresh out of the oven when it’s nice and warm! If you want to get a head start, you can assemble the cobbler the night before, but you will need to bake it for a few minutes longer since it will be cold going into the oven.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
Apple Cobbler
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and ½” diced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp powdered ginger optional
Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter cold, diced
- ½ cup whole milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10” pie dish or 9×13 baking dish.
- For the filling, add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the filling to the prepared dish. Set aside.
- For the topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until the consistency is coarse crumbs. Gradually add the milk a little at a time to moisten the dough. It should resemble wet cake batter.
- Drop spoonfuls of topping dough onto the apples to cover. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
