Apple Cobbler
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This apple cobbler is everything you want in a fall dessert—warm, cinnamony apples, a golden biscuit topping, and plenty of cozy vibes.
There’s a fruit cobbler for every season, and this apple cobbler is perfect for fall. Juicy apples, warm cinnamon, and a golden biscuit topping make it cozy, comforting, and downright irresistible—especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.
This apple cobbler recipe is also incredibly easy: toss sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of flour, spoon biscuit batter over the top, and bake until bubbly and golden. Fun fact: some say the name “cobbler” comes from the topping’s resemblance to a cobbled stone path, while others think it refers to how quickly you can “cobble up” this dessert. Either way, it’s a must-make!
When summer rolls around, don’t miss my peach cobbler and blueberry cobbler recipes!
“I have made so many apple cobblers…this is without a doubt the best recipe ever.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Cobbler
- Baking Apples: For the best flavor, use a mix of tart and sweet baking apples. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious are all excellent choices (mix different varietals for a more nuanced flavor).
- Sugars (Granulated & Dark Brown): Sweeten the apples and create a syrupy filling as they bake. The brown sugar adds a hint of molasses, while a bit of granulated sugar in the biscuit topping gives it a light crunch.
- All-Purpose Flour: Pulls double duty—thickening the apple filling by soaking up the juices and forming the base of the biscuit dough.
- Cinnamon: Adds cozy warmth that pairs perfectly with the apples.
- Butter: Brings richness to the filling and makes the biscuit topping tender and flaky.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Give the biscuit topping its lift and fluffy texture.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a slight tang, while activating the baking soda for extra rise. If you don’t have any on hand, see my post on how to make buttermilk using milk and vinegar/lemon juice.
- 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: Mix the dry ingredients for the topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Cut in the butter. 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.
Step 4: Mix in the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined and evenly moistened. It should look a bit lumpy—be sure not overmix.
Step 5: Assemble the cobbler. Spoon the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Dot the top with bits of butter, then use a large spoon to drop 8 to 10 mounds of biscuit batter over the apples, leaving a few little gaps so the filling peeks through. (Most of it will be covered.) Finish by sprinkling the remaining sugar over the top.
Step 6: Bake and serve. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes—if it’s browning too quickly, just cover it loosely with foil. Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, if you like.
More Apple Desserts You May 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
- ½ cup (1 stick) 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.
Notes
- 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. I typically use 2 Granny Smith, 2 Golden Delicious, and 1 Honeycrisp.
- If you don't have any buttermilk on hand (or don't want to purchase a whole carton), it's easy to make your own. 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
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I don’t make desserts often but this was delicious!! Thx:)
This Apple Cobbler is Fantastic. I followed the recipe exactly. My grandsons came home from school and loved it. May replace my apple cake recipe for Rosh Hashanah. I made it in an 8 x 8 pan, but I think it could’ve been baked in a bigger Pyrex as there was that much. I used granny Smith, golden delicious, and Honeycrisp apples. This is a keeper.
This cobbler topping was exactly what I was looking for! I prefer a ‘drop-biscuit’ type cobbler over a heavily sweetened ‘cake batter’ cobbler any day. The name cobbler means something as it’s supposed to resemble a cobble stone pathway as Jenn so brilliantly mentioned in the recipe. A drop-biscuit cobbler topping is less sweet which perfectly balances out the sweetness from the fruit filling and vanilla ice cream. I’m in heaven! This recipe was divine. This will be my go-to recipe for all cobblers. Thank you Jenn! 5 STARS!!
I made this last night with Honeycrisp apples and it was delicious. My family really enjoyed it. The biscuit topping is especially good.
I would like to make this cobbler in a 13×9.. would I just double the ingredients?
Thank you
Yep – enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I am going to make your apple cobbler for Thanksgiving. I have made your peach cobbler before and it so absolutely delicious. I wanted to know for the apple filling, it says, “2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan,” can I use unsalted butter or does it need to have the salt in the butter?
Thank you,
Shannon
Hi Shannon, Glad you’ve enjoyed the peach cobbler; I hope you like this one just as much! I always use unsalted butter in my recipes, so that’s what I’d recommend.
I made this yesterday and it was
easy with good instructions.
Very tasty & nice change from apple crisp.
I did have the filling and topping mixtures ready ahead of preparing the apples(Except for adding buttermilk)
Just made it tonight according to the directions. Perfectly delicious!
This recipe was better than store bought apple pie. It’s a great recipe to make with your family. We really enjoyed it. Thank you for a new add to my recipe collection box!