This easy apple cobbler recipe is made from scratch with fresh apples, warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and a soft buttery topping baked until golden and bubbly. It’s a classic, old-fashioned dessert with tender spiced apples and a cake-like topping that feels cozy and comforting from the very first bite.
Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate comfort food. It’s simpler than apple pie, requires no bottom crust, and can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated whenever you crave something sweet.
What Is Apple Cobbler?
Apple cobbler is a classic baked fruit dessert made with sweetened apples and topped with a soft, cake-like or biscuit-style topping. Unlike traditional pies, cobbler does not have a bottom crust; instead, the topping is spooned or spread over the fruit and baked until golden.
If you love a good old-fashioned cobbler, don’t miss my Super Easy Peach Cobbler; it’s another reader favorite that’s just as easy to make.
What makes a cobbler different from a pie?
Except that a cobbler doesn’t have a bottom crust while a pie does, the topping is usually dropped or spooned over the fruit and then baked, unlike a rolled-out pie crust.
What’s the difference between Apple Cobbler and Apple Crisp?
Both crisp and cobbler are fruit desserts without a bottom crust. However, apple crisp has a crispy crumble topping made with oats and sometimes nuts, while apple cobbler has a smooth topping that is spread over the apple filling and bakes into a soft, cake-like or biscuit-style layer.
Which Apples Are Best To Use For Baking?
Any baking apples would be great for apple cobbler, such as Gala apples, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith apples, Honey Crisp, Cortland…or any tart and firm apples. I just don’t recommend using Red Delicious apples for baking, since they can become too soft and mushy when baked.
I like to peel the apples for apple cobbler! The skin doesn’t break down during baking, which can create a slightly chewy texture.
Ingredients for Apple Cobbler
This apple cobbler recipe is made from simple pantry ingredients and fresh baking apples.
- Apples: I used Golden Delicious this time, but any firm baking apple works well.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work fine. Use what you have on hand.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Warm spices and apples go hand-in-hand. They add classic cozy flavor.
- Lemon juice: Adds brightness and balances the sweetness of the apples and brown sugar.
- Corn starch: Helps thicken the sauce created from the apple juices, butter, and sugar as it bakes.
Topping:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Whole milk
How to Make Apple Cobbler (Step-by-Step)
Here’s how to make apple cobbler from scratch in just a few simple steps.
Make the Apple Filling:
Peel and slice the apples, then transfer them to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla. Toss to combine and set aside.
Make the Topping:
Place flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Pour in milk while pulsing. Alternatively, mix by hand using two forks or a pastry blender.
Assemble the cobbler:
Layer half of the apples in a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish. Scatter small cubes of cold butter over the apples, then layer the remaining apples on top.
Spread the topping over the apples. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth or reach all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make apple cobbler a day ahead. Store it covered and reheat before serving. Keep in mind the topping may lose some of its crisp texture after refrigeration.
You can reheat apple cobbler in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, or use the microwave for individual portions.
Store apple cobbler covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. While it can sit at room temperature for a short time, refrigeration helps maintain freshness.
Yes, baked apple cobbler can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Apple cobbler has a soft, cake-like or biscuit-style topping, while apple crisp features a crunchy oat-based crumble topping.
Craving for More? Check This Out!
For a comforting treat, you can’t go wrong with this amazing Apple Cake.
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Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe (From Scratch)
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours and 10 minutes
Yield: 12 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American
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Description
This easy apple cobbler recipe is made from scratch with fresh apples, warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and a buttery golden topping. A classic homemade dessert that’s simpler than apple pie and perfect served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- about 3 1/2 – 4 lb. apples
- freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
For the Topping:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar (mixture of 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 Tablespoons sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 9 x 13 inch baking dish with melted butter ( or cooking spray), then set aside.
To Make the Apple Filling:
- Peel and core apples, then cut into about 1/4 inch slices and transfer to a large bowl. Pour lemon juice over the apples and toss well.
- Add the mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and corn starch to the apples, then stir until evenly coated, then set aside.
For the Topping:
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse just to combine.
- Next, add cold cubed butter to the processor and pulse a few times until the butter cut in really small pieces.
- While pulsing, add milk. It won’t come together perfectly, but remove the blade from a processor and using a spatula mix it finally.
Assembling:
- Layer about half of the apples in the 9×13 baking dish, scatter 1/4 cup of butter cut into small pieces and top with the remaining apples.
- Spread topping over the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake at 350F for about 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Serve warm with ice-cream and caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
Perfect Apples for Baking: Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Cortland…Do not use Red Delicious.
2 comments
Just put this dessert in the oven. I just guessed on the number of apples and put it into 2 9x 9 pans . They look & smell amazing. Thank you Vera for sharing.
This is Sooooo good.!!! I split this into 2 square pans thinking we would not be able to finish a large pan. It would not have been a problem. (It 2 days) This apple dessert is my new favorite. The 2nd time I made this, I put the apple mixture completely together before I mixed the topping. The topping easily poured onto the filling. The cinnamon sugar topping is a step not to skip. The sugar caramelized and it creates a light crust. Yum! Yum!