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 one of my fall favorites. Sweet-tart apples are tossed with cinnamon, sugar, and just a touch of flour before being topped with an easy biscuit batter that bakes up golden while soaking up the bubbling apple juices below.
Unlike apple pie, there’s no pastry to roll out or chill, making this recipe perfect for everything from weeknight baking to holiday gatherings. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and don’t be surprised if everyone comes back for seconds.
Love cobblers? 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.”
Cobbler vs. Crisp vs. Crumble vs. Buckle: What’s the Difference?
Cobblers, crisps, crumbles, and buckles all share the same basic idea—fruit baked with some kind of topping—but each has its own signature. Cobbler gets its name from a biscuit-like topping dropped over the fruit in big, uneven mounds. It bakes up golden and craggy, like a cobbled stone path. That’s different from an apple crisp or crumble (streusel on top) or a buckle (fruit scattered over a cake batter).
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. (Curious why the recipe uses both? See my post on baking soda vs. baking powder.)
- 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. Toss the sliced apples with both sugars, flour, and cinnamon until evenly coated.
Step 2: Make the biscuit topping. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work in the cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs with small pea-sized pieces still visible. Then stir in the buttermilk just until combined.
Pro Tip: Don’t overmix once the buttermilk goes in—the dough should look lumpy and a little rough, not smooth. That texture is what makes the topping bake up flaky instead of dense.
Step 3: Assemble the cobbler. Spread the apple filling in the baking dish and dot with butter, then drop the topping over it in big, uneven mounds, leaving some gaps so the filling peeks through. Bake until bubbling and golden.
Step 4: Bake and serve. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. It needs that time for the filling to set up properly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Pro Tip: Keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes of baking. If the topping is browning too fast, loosely tent it with foil.
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.
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I LOVE this recipe so much! It’s everything I was looking for and more. Highly recommend! Everyone loved it. I thought it was easy to make too.
Thanks for another amazing recipe! Made it with a combination of 2 Granny Smith apples, 2 Bosc pears and 2 honey crisps and was delicious! And made my own buttermilk for the first time with lemon juice and half and half. My new favorite dessert recipe!
I just made this for Thanksgiving this year and what a hit!! I had looked for an apple cobbler recipe and kept finding problems with all of the recipes and then I finally hit on Jen’s. Oh, for crying out loud, why didn’t I go here first?!! It’s my favorite cooking site.
Well, needless to say the reviews are in and it was unanimous that this is a keeper for next year. I’m happy because it’s less work than my usual apple pie and soooo much better.
💕
This looks delicious but where are the amounts of the ingredientĺĺ?
I see a picture of “what you’ll need for this recipe” but that doesn’t tell me how much white & brown sugar, etc. I’d love to make this & it gets great reviews, but I can’t without knowing how much flour, baking soda, etc is needed.
Hi Virginia, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions above. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Do you recommend any recipe adjustments for high altitude? I’m located in Denver, Colorado.
Hi Laura, Thanks for your note. I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though. Hope you enjoy the cobbler if you make it!
Delicious. Making my second cobbler in 6 days. The topping is the best ever!
This recipe is outstanding. The apples retain a bit of crunch, and the topping is light and fluffy = a wonderful texture contrast. Plus, the cobbler isn’t overly sweet. Made the cobbler in a 2-quart oval Staub casserole dish, and the presentation was guest-worthy.
I’m feeding a large crowd and would like to use a full steam pan. Do you suggest the recipe x 4 for this purpose? And can you make ahead and not cook until the day of?
Bobbie
Hi Bobbie, I worry it won’t cook evenly in such a large pan. I’d do 4x the recipe and use two 9×13 pans. Unfortunately it can’t be prepared ahead – sorry!
This recipe was so delicious! I didn’t change a thing and it was perfect. Do you recommend storing leftovers in the fridge or is it OK to sit out? Also, can this be made ahead and frozen, then thawed and reheated? I would love to make this ahead of time to bring with us to an out of town Thanksgiving dinner.
Hi Joanna, So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it’s okay to cover any leftover cobbler loosely with a kitchen towel and leave it on the counter. (Don’t cover with plastic wrap or the topping will get soggy.) And I haven’t frozen this, but I think it should work.
So easy and so tasty. Thank you Jenn!
This apple cobbler is a winner! I used a mix of Winesap and Granny Smith apples and it was delicious. I am not a baker (more of a cook) and always have some trepidation when a recipe calls for dough. I found the instructions and video very helpful – the dough was easy to make and came out great.
Thanks, once again, for making me look good to friends and family, Jenn 🙂 Your recipes, directions, and tips are always spot on!