Apple Cobbler
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Apple cobbler is a rustic dish of apples bubbling in their juices beneath a biscuit crust that resembles a cobbled stone pathway.
While peach cobbler is the perfect summer dessert, as fall sets in and apples come into season, celebrate the cooler weather with a super easy apple cobbler recipe. It’s especially comforting topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Making it is as simple as can be: start with fresh sliced apples, toss them in sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of flour, then top them with generous spoonfuls of biscuit batter. After 45 minutes in the oven, you’re rewarded with apples bubbling beneath a golden crust. Some liken this top layer to a cobbled stone path, though others believe the name “cobbler” refers to “cobble up,” suggesting the dessert is quick and easy to whip up.
If you’ve gone apple picking and are looking for more cozy fall desserts to use some of your bounty, you’ll love my classic double-crust apple pie—or for an easier option, try my apple crisp with sweet juicy apples under a buttery oat-pecan streusel.
“All I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!! I have made so many apple cobblers…but this is without a doubt the best recipe ever.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Cobbler
- Baking Apples: The primary ingredient of the filling, providing the main texture and flavor with a balance of sweet and tartness. You’ll need to peel and slice the apples before mixing with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Granulated Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar: Sweeten the filling and add a deeper, molasses-like flavor, helping to create a syrup as it bakes. Granulated sugar also serves to sweeten the biscuit filling and add a slight crunch.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the filling by absorbing the juices from the apples and forms the base of the biscuit dough.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice, enhancing the flavor of the apples.
- Butter: Adds richness to the filling and creates a flaky texture in the biscuit topping.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the biscuit topping and the bit sprinkled on top adds a slight crunch.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Work together to help the biscuit topping rise and become fluffy, creating a tender texture.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a slight tang; also activates the baking soda for leavening.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Apple Filling
In a large bowl, combine the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Toss until the apples are evenly coated.
Step 2: Make the Biscuit Topping
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Add the pieces of cold butter.
Smoosh the butter with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within.
Add the buttermilk (if you don’t want to buy a whole carton, you can make your own buttermilk).
Stir until just combined and evenly moistened. It will look lumpy; that’s good. Do not overmix.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Apple Cobbler
Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and pat into an even layer. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter.
Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the apples, allowing the filling to show through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the batter.
Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes; if it looks like it’s getting too brown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil).
Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Anytime you’re baking with apples, it’s a good idea to use a blend of tart and sweet baking apples for the best flavor. Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious are all good options—try different varietals and see what combinations you like best.
A: Regular milk won’t work here as the acid in the butter milk helps with the leavening process. If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, it’s easy. See how here.
You May Also Like
Video Tutorial
Apple Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 2½ lbs large baking apples about 5 large, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (see note)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
For the Biscuit Topping
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 7 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
For Serving (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch (20-cm) square or 2-quart (2-L) baking dish with butter.
- Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss until the apples are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and pat into an even layer. Dot with the 2 tablespoons butter.
- Make the Biscuit Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold butter and smoosh with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined and evenly moistened. It will look lumpy; that's good. Do not overmix.
- Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the apples, allowing the filling to show through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the batter.
- Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden, about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes; if it looks like it's getting too brown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil). Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
- Note: For the best flavor, use a combination of tart and sweet baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious. (Don't use all tart or all sweet, or the flavor won't be balanced. Click here for a guide to different types of apples for baking and cooking.) I typically use 2 Granny Smith, 2 Golden Delicious, and 1 Honeycrisp.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in 300°F (150°C) oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I will be making this today but I am using half the sugar. I use very little when I make apple pie. Not sure if it is safe to make ahead with half the sugar.
Hi Valerie, I’m not sure how it will be with half the sugar, but that won’t impact your ability to make it ahead. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, I would like to make your Apple Cobbler for dessert on Thanksgiving. Can this recipe be doubled? Thanks and have a blessed Thansgiving.
Sure, Carolyn, I think it would be fine to double it. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
Delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
First recipe I’ve made postpartum! It came out just like photo and was amazing!! Thank you for this. And loving your new cookbook!
Xx Steph Down Under
Hi Jenn,
I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving and bring it to my daughter’s house. Can I make it in the morning and bake it a few hours later at her house or is it best to follow your make ahead instructions and reheat? Thanks so much!
Hi Barbara, I’m not sure the biscuit dough would hold up so I would make it entirely ahead and reheat. It reheats beautifully and will be just as good as fresh baked. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
Just dropping by to say how much I appreciate your wonderful recipes. All the time you invest creating mouth watering dishes, and so easy to follow.
Thanking you immensely
Fanny
💕
Hi Jen. This looks delicious and easy to may. Can this be prepped, frozen and baked later on?
Hi Roshani, I think that will work well; just allow a few extra minutes in the oven.
Made this exactly as recipe says. It was delicious!!
Jen, I don’t use buttermilk very often so don’t usually buy it. I can for this, but wonder what your opinion is of using a dry buttermilk product which is reconstituted. Would that work?
Hi Carin, I think that’d be fine. You could also use milk and lemon juice (add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, add milk to the 1-cup line, then let it sit for 10 minutes until it curdles).
I had no idea. Thanks for this great tip. Love your recipes! I’ve learned to be a good cook because of you.
Hi there,
I was going to make extra biscuit batter for a thanksgiving breakfast. Do you have any recommendation on baking temp/time?
Hi Brian, Honestly I’m not sure the batter will hold up as drop biscuits – it’s quite wet, so the biscuits may end up flat. That said, if you want to give it a go, I’d cook them at 425°F for 17 to 20 min.
Absolutely delicious. I didnt know what to do with the apples we picked this year so I tossed this together real quick. I have never made a cobbler before (or really liked cobbler when I order it) but this was incredible.
Hi Jenn
I made your peach cobbler several times, so I had to try apple cobbler and wow! Another amazing recipe, so easy to make and so delicious 😋
Thank you
Kinga
Jenn, this looks great – and I’m sure there are very few people who wouldn’t want this. Looks yummy.
We have taken off all the apples from our trees, and they are in crates – I need a reason to use some, and this is perfect! (Maybe more than once …)
Your metric button doesn’t seem to work – the cup measures remained.
Val (UK)
Hi Val, sorry about that – I just fixed it. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Hi, can this be made with a bottom crust? I love apple cobbler and prefer a nice buttery bottom crust. Didn’t know if the biscuit recipe could be doubled. If so, should it be pre-baked?
Hi K.B. – The crust on this cobbler is quite thick already, so I worry it would take over if you doubled it. If anything, you could try multiplying the crust by 1.5 and adding half to the bottom — and I would pre-bake it so it’s not soggy. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it.
Thank you for the response and suggestion. My grandmother always made a double crust and we loved it, so I really have to try it. I don’t know if she pre-baked, but I agree with that step. I will comment on the outcome.
This looks delicious. Can this be made ahead of time and reheated? I saw that for your peach cobbler recipe, you recommend covering with a towel and reheating. I wanted to make this for Thanksgiving. Thinking I would need to make it in the morning and reheat later while we are eating our dinner. Thanks so much. Love your recipes and your cookbook!
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, this can be made ahead and reheated. See the bottom of the recipe for Make-Ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy!