Nothing is better than a fresh apple cobbler straight out of the oven. It’s the perfect warm and cozy dessert for fall that is beyond easy to make. It’s perfect for when you’re craving apple pie but don’t have the time to make one from scratch. All you need are some simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and after 45 minutes in the oven, you’ll have the perfect rustic dessert for any occasion.
Whether you’re serving this apple cobbler with some vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or homemade whipped cream, everyone will be reaching for seconds. Want more easy cobblers? Try my blueberry cobbler recipe, strawberry cobbler recipe, or peach cobbler recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Apples — I recommend using firm apples so they hold up as you bake them. For the best flavor, use a combination of different apples. Some varieties that are great for cobblers are Honeycrisps, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady apples. Avoid apples such as Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious apples, as once baked, they become mealy and mushy.
Lemon juice — I always recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice does not have the same bright flavors, and some have a bitter aftertaste.
Brown sugar — light or dark brown sugar is an excellent option for the apple cobbler. Brown sugar adds a delicious caramel note to the filling.
Cornstarch — adding cornstarch to the apple mixture helps thicken and create the classic gooey texture.
Spices — make sure the cinnamon and nutmeg you have on hand are fresh for the best flavor. Cinnamon and nutmeg give the recipe its classic cozy, warm flavor.
Butter — different butter brands add various amounts of salt to their butter, so for the most consistent results, always use unsalted butter.
Flour — all you need is plain all-purpose flour for the cobbler topping. Nothing fancy!
Baking powder — make sure the baking powder is fresh. Baking powder helps the cobbler topping rise, so if you use expired baking powder, you’ll have a dense and flat topping.
Milk — milk adds flavor and moistens the dry ingredients to turn them into the topping batter. Whole milk has the best flavor.
How to Make Apple Cobbler
1. Peel and slice apples, then transfer to a large bowl.
2. Toss the apples with lemon juice until well coated. Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and toss to coat with flour. Work the butter into the flour mixture by pressing it between your fingers until the butter pieces are the size of peas.
4. Add the milk and stir together with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened.
5. Pour the apple mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with the cubed butter.
6. Scatter the topping over the apples. (For a sugar top, sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.) Bake the apple cobbler until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake that will yield a dry topping. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. If you scoop the flour straight from the bag, you overpack the measuring cup.
- I recommend peeling the apples before adding them to the cobbler. The apple peel can become chewy when baked, which can be an unpleasant texture in the cobbler.
- Make sure you keep the butter in the fridge until ready to use. Cold butter will melt in the topping while baking and make the apple cobbler light and tender.
- Allow the cobbler to cool for at least 10 minutes, as the juices will thicken up a bit as it cools. The cobbler will fall apart if you cut into it too soon.
- Serve the cobbler as soon as possible, as it tastes best when warm and fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both an apple crisp and a cobbler are quite similar as they use almost the same ingredients. Apple crisp has a crispy, streusel crumb topping that really crisps up in the oven, hence the name. A cobbler has a more biscuit-like crust on top of the prepared fruit.
To prepare the apples for the cobbler, peel the apples before cutting the apples in half, from top to bottom. Cut them length-wise in half again before cutting out the core. Then, slice the quartered apples length-wise into long line pieces.
Once the apple cobbler has reached room temperature, you can cover the baking dish and transfer it to the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you want to freeze any leftover cobbler, transfer the cobbler to a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Apple Cobbler recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Apple Cobbler
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling:
- 4 pounds apples peeled, cored, and sliced (1.8kg)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (73g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes (57g)
For the Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed (170g)
- ¾ cup milk (180ml)
Instructions
For the Apple Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice until well coated. Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract. Pour into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with the cubed butter.
For the Topping:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and toss to coat with flour. Work the butter into the flour mixture by pressing it between your fingers until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Add the milk and stir together with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened. Scatter the topping over the apples. (For a sugar top, sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.)
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream. Cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake that will yield a dry topping. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. If you scoop the flour straight from the bag, you overpack the measuring cup.
- I recommend peeling the apples before adding them to the cobbler. The apple peel can become chewy when baked, which can be an unpleasant texture in the cobbler.
- Make sure you keep the butter in the fridge until ready to use. Cold butter will melt in the topping while baking and make the apple cobbler light and tender.
- Allow the cobbler to cool for at least 10 minutes, as the juices will thicken up a bit as it cools. The cobbler will fall apart if you cut into it too soon.
- Serve the cobbler as soon as possible, as it tastes best when warm and fresh.
I tried this cobbler using yellow mangoes instead and WOW, THIS IS MY GO-TO COBBLER RECIPE FOR ANY FRUIT! THANKS AGAIN JOHN!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago. My husband told me this is favorite dessert yet!! I have made a lot of your recipes and they have all been hits! Thank you!
Made this cobbler for friends yesterday as a pre-Thanksgiving test drive. (Had it for breakfast with coffee. YUM!) Easy, delicious, a total home run! This is the PERFECT dessert after a big meal. Everyone can take as much or as little as they like, have more later, take some home…. Thanks, John! Wishing you and yours a lovely, relaxing holiday.
I just took the cobbler out of the oven so I can’t rate it yet. But, your directions is a little confusing.
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt (how much salt?), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and corn starch to the apples. mix until well-combined then set aside.
No food processor? No problem! Just whisk the dry ingredients together then use a cheese grater to grate in FROZEN butter. Mix together and drizzle the milk and cream (What cream?) You only mentions Half & Half in your recipe.
Hi Ellie, so you’re referring to the Overview of steps with photos. The actual steps are in the recipe card. Hope that clears thing sup!
I loved this scrumptious Apple Cobbler! It tasted absolutely perfect and it would be one of my favorite recipes to make this fall as well as any other time. The cobbler’s topping was tender and buttery…so amazing with the vanilla ice cream!!!
Can you use peaches in this recipe instead of apples or do peaches need a different recipe? Please try to reply as soon as you can!
Yes! ENJOY THOSE PEACHES!