This Apple Cobbler combines crisp, sweet apples in a caramel-like syrup with a rich, buttery cookie crumble on top. It’s a tried and true favorite!
Try some of our other popular apple desserts like this Apple Crumble, Apple Pie, or easy Apple Dump Cake.
Apple Cobbler Recipe
Our apple tree is bursting with fruit this year, so I’ve embarked on a mission to create and perfect the best Apple Cobbler recipe!
Now, it’s finally here: A cobbler that’s not just bursting with flavor and boasting the best textures, but also simple and straightforward to whip up. You’re going to love its rich, sweet, buttery goodness!
Apple Cobbler Ingredients
- Apples (Granny Smith and Honeycrisp): Choose firm apples for the best texture. Mixing varieties balances tartness and sweetness.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the syrup.
- Lemon juice: Add brightness, freshness, and prevent apples from browning with lemon juice.
- Light brown sugar: This lends a molasses note and caramelizes nicely.
- Ground cinnamon: Enhance apple flavor with the warmth of cinnamon.
- Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla gives depth of flavor and warmth.
- Salt: It balances sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: There’s nothing like butter to provide richness to the crumble. Let it cool after melting to avoid a greasy topping.
- White all-purpose flour: Flour binds the crumble topping.
- Baking powder: Give lift to the crumble, but make sure it’s fresh for the best rise.
What’s the difference between Apple Crisp and Apple Cobbler?
Apple crisp and apple cobbler are both popular baked apple desserts, but there are key differences:
- Apple Crisp: Sliced apples with a crumbly topping (often including oats).
- Apple Cobbler: Apples with a biscuit or cake-y topping that rises around the fruit when baked.
What are the best apples for pies and cobblers?
- Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Northern Spy, and Jonagold are top choices due to their balanced sweetness, tartness, and baking resilience. Mixing several varieties offers a well-rounded flavor. More info here!
What is Apple Brown Betty?
Apple Brown Betty is a traditional American dessert with layers of sweetened and spiced apple slices with buttered breadcrumbs or cubes of bread. As it bakes, the apples become tender, and the bread absorbs the juices, yielding a moist, pudding-like consistency. It’s often served with whipped cream or ice cream.
How do you keep apple desserts from getting soggy?
To prevent this Apple Cobbler from getting soggy:
- Use firmer apple varieties.
- Add a thickener like cornstarch to the filling.
- Spread the topping evenly without pressing it down.
- Maintain proper oven temperature.
- Cool completely before storage and reheat in an oven.
How To Make Apple Cobbler
How To Make Apple Cobbler- Apple prep: Peel and cube apples.
- Filling: In a pot, mix apples with cornstarch, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Cook until slightly softened.
- Bake filling: Transfer to pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.
- Crumble topping: Melt butter and cool. Mix with flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It should be crumbly.
- Top and bake: Sprinkle crumble over the apples. Add a mix of turbinado sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve: Cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream or Whipped Cream!
Easy Apple Cobbler Tips
- Apple choice: Mix tart and sweet apples for a balanced flavor.
- Crumble texture: To prevent a greasy topping, allow melted butter to cool before mixing.
- Baking: Ensure the oven is properly preheated for an even bake and crispy crumble.
- Serving: Let the cobbler sit for a bit after baking for flavors to meld and apples to finish gelling; it’s best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
- Pan choice: Use a ceramic or glass dish for even heat distribution and to avoid metallic flavor.
- Topping distribution: Don’t press the crumble into the apples; let it sit on top for a crispier texture.
Storage
Cooling: Let the cobbler cool to room temperature to prevent a soggy topping. While Apple Cobbler is best enjoyed the same day it is made, here’s how to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap or foil. Store for up to five days.
- Freezing: Place in freezer-safe containers or bags. Use within three months.
- Reheating: From the fridge: Warm in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. From the freezer: Thaw overnight, then reheat as above. For direct-from-freezer baking, allow extra time.
Tip: For a crisp topping, always reheat in the oven; consider brief broiling if the topping softens. Watch closely to avoid burning.
More Apple Desserts:
- Caramel Apple Bites only three ingredients!
- Caramel Apple Fudge with a caramel swirl
- Apple Nachos with lots of fun topping ideas
- Caramel Apple Bar with dipping sauces and toppings
- Apple Smoothie with cinnamon
Apple Cobbler
This Apple Cobbler features crisp, caramelized apples topped with a buttery, cookie-like crumble. It's a delicious and comforting classic!
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch ceramic dish or 9 x 13-inch glass dish
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 7 to 8 Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples 3 pounds, see note 1
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Crumble Topping
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla optional
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
Optional Crunchy Topping
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar granulated sugar also works ok; less crunchy
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Avoid using a metal pan—it can give the fruit a metallic taste.
- Peel and cut apples into 1/2-inch cubes. In a large pot, toss cubed apples with cornstarch. Add remaining filling ingredients and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring consistently, until apples soften slightly but hold shape. Transfer apples to the greased dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Combine room-temperature melted butter with crumble ingredients, stirring until the mixture forms crumbles. If too wet, add 2–3 tablespoons flour, then sprinkle mixture evenly over the apple filling without pressing down.
- Optionally, in a separate bowl, mix crunchy topping ingredients. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the crumble layer.
- Bake for an additional 45–50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sides bubble.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 20–30 minutes to thicken. Serve warm, paired with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I recommend an equal mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Weigh before peeling to get 3 pounds total. Once peeled and cubed, there should be 8 cups. This is about 7–8 apples.
Storage: For best results, enjoy Apple Cobbler fresh. To store leftovers, cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, use freezer-safe containers and store for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best apple dish I have ever had! I love that everything is from scratch, and is so very simple. Vanilla bean ice cream on top is fantastic.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thank you so much Teresa! Vanilla ice cream really is the BEST with this!