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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This was an easy recipe that tasted really good, I will definitely be making it more often 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly and it is a winner. Unlike other recipes, there is plenty of biscuit topping so you could add even more apples with the same amount of biscuit topping if you need to serve more people. The leftovers (cold out of the fridge) are amazing, too.
I made the apple cobbler twice. I made it once as written. The second time, I cut the apples into about 1-inch cubes. I then mixed them with sugar and lemon juice and cooked them for about 5-7 minutes. After the mixture cooled, I added the biscuit topping and baked as directed in your recipe. I liked the tweaked version better.
Thank you.
I actually substituted regular milk for buttermilk. I’m sorry, but I have never liked buttermilk. This is my first time making apple cobbler, but people tend to love how I can even improve or build upon recipes. I have faith that my little tweaks will only enhance the experience. And doubled the recipe for church and added vanilla to the biscuit batter, and added lemon juice to the apples. And used a 9×13 pan. I’m looking forward to how it will turn out for our church fellowship feast tomorrow. I’ll write a follow up on this after everyone has tried it.
Yes, I made it today, didn’t have buttermilk, used the lemon to make a substitute. it doesn’t look exactly like yours, my batter was a little thinner, but can’t wait till dinner.
Thanks
This is a DELICIOUS cobbler recipe. I sliced the apple pieces very thin and alternated between “honey crisp” and “granny smiths” and it turned out the best of any I’ve ever made.
I made this recipe for the first time. It was amazing to say the least. My family and friends enjoyed it thouroughly!!!! Thank you so much for sharing it!!
I’ve made apple cobblers for more years than I can count, but this one with the lighter biscuit topping is absolutely the best ever. I’ll never follow another cobbler recipe! It fits beautifully in a 7 1/2 x 11 Pyrex dish. To make it easier to incorporate the butter in the topping, I hold the COLD stick of butter by one end, with the butter wrapper crumpled between my fingers and the butter. I hold a flat cheese grater with the other hand, resting the grater on the bowl with the mixed flour/dry ingredients. After rubbing the butter across the grater and accumulating a small pile of “shreds” on top of the flour mixture, I take a table knife and swirl the butter into the flour, then grate some more butter on top, and swirl it in, until I’ve used the whole stick. Lastly, I just take two table knives and criss-cross them several times (like a scissors) through the flour/butter mixture and voila! It’s all incorporated and ready to add the buttermilk. It’s much easier than using a pastry blender with all those wires. You’ve certainly made me a better cook/baker, Jenn, and I appreciate your books and site so much!
Absolutely gorgeous recipe! This was my first time making a cobbler, and it turned out better than I could have hoped for. I improvised on the filling a bit – added some lemon juice, a dash of salt, extra cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and it was divine. The topping was delicious, even though I had to use buttermilk substitute. I’ll be saving this recipe to make again!
Hi Jenn,
Can this cobbler be made with GF flour (1 to 1 measurement) and a non-dairy milk in place of the buttermilk (like oat milk)? My daughter is allergic to dairy, nuts, eggs, gluten. Let me know what you think! Thank you!
Hi Tina, I haven’t tried this with gluten-free flour but I think it should work. You’ll need buttermilk for this but you can make your own if you have milk (and oat milk will work) and either lemon juice or white vinegar. See how here. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!