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Apple Cobbler

Apple cobbler features cinnamon-spiced baked apples bubbling under a golden, buttery biscuit-style topping. The topping bakes up craggy and slightly crisp on top, with soft, cakey layers underneath.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple Filling
  • 6 cup apples peeled and sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Cobbler Topping
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup cold butter cubed
  • 0.75 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp coarse sugar for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and apples
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and all-purpose flour, then spread into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Keep the apple mixture evenly distributed in the dish. Make sure there are no large dry pockets of flour so the filling thickens as it bakes.
Make the biscuit-style batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly.
  2. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract just until combined into a thick, biscuit-like batter. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains to keep the topping tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Dollop the batter evenly over the apples, leaving some gaps for the fruit to peek through. Tap the dish lightly if needed to settle the batter without flattening it.
  2. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top. Bake for 40–45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Finish and serve
  1. Let the cobbler cool for 10 minutes. This helps the juices thicken slightly so each scoop holds together.
  2. Serve warm. Pair with vanilla ice cream so it melts into the bubbling apple filling.

Notes

For the best topping texture, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you still see small butter bits, then mix the wet ingredients in only until the batter comes together. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat individual portions in the microwave or a 325°F (165°C) oven until warmed through. Freezing: yes, freeze baked portions up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Dietary swap: for a lighter option, use half whole-wheat all-purpose flour in the topping.