Apple season in the mountains of Virginia means apple butter on cornbread, jars of homemade applesauce, easy apple pie, apple crisp, and of course — this old-fashioned apple cobbler recipe! With a warmly spiced fresh fruit filling, buttery biscuit crust, and vanilla ice cream on top, it’s one of autumn’s most delicious desserts!
Table of Contents
Apples are the pride and joy of autumn in Virginia, so we always end up with a surplus of the fresh fruit at this time of year. When the branches on our trees hang heavy with fruit, or when we’ve been a bit too eager at the local orchard, this easy apple cobbler recipe is one of our favorite ways to enjoy the produce. It’s cozy and warm, not overly sweet, and topped with a buttery biscuit crust that’s so simple to stir together — no cutting or rolling necessary!
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- Choose firm fresh apples that won’t break down into mush during the baking process. We like a sweet and tart apple. Good options include Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Winesap, Pink Lady, Jonagold, and Gala apples.
- Cut the apples into thin, uniform slices (about ¼-inch thick) so that they’re nice and tender by the time the topping is cooked through.
- If you don’t mind the texture, you can make the apple cobbler without peeling the fruit. We like to peel the fruit to avoid that chewy, tougher texture — but either way works!
- Allow the apple filling to sit and rest for 10-20 minutes while you stir together the topping. The sugar will release some of the fruit’s juices, resulting in a decadent filling.
- The dollops of biscuit dough on top of the fruit do not need to be perfect. We’re going for a “rustic” look! I use a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough evenly. The topping will spread in the oven to cover the fruit completely, giving the finished dessert that hallmark “cobbled” texture.
- Feel free to add other fruit to the filling as well. For instance, replace some of the apples with peeled, sliced pears or pitted, sliced plums. You might also like to stir in some fresh or dried tart cranberries.
Directions
This easy apple cobbler recipe doesn’t require pre-cooking the fruit filling, an electric mixer, or rolling and cutting the dough. Simple is best! You’ll find detailed step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Make the Filling. Toss together the apple slices, sugars, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, spices, and salt in a greased 2-quart baking dish.
- Make the Topping. Stir together the biscuit dough. It will be sticky and a bit wet — kind of like a cross between cake batter and traditional biscuit dough. Drop the dough evenly all over the top of the apples. It doesn’t need to completely cover the fruit at this point, because it will spread out as it bakes in the oven. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar for a great, crispy texture.
- Bake the Cobbler. Transfer the pan to a 350 degrees F oven and bake, uncovered, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through and the filling is bubbling, about 45-50 minutes. Make sure that the topping is totally cooked through by sticking a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, you’ll know it’s fully set. If the topping starts to get too dark before it’s completely cooked through, tent the dish loosely with foil towards the end.
- Serve the cobbler. Scoop the apples and topping into bowls and serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top. You might also like to garnish the cobbler and ice cream with an extra pinch of cinnamon or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: If you’d like, you can bake the cobbler ahead of time and serve it at room temperature or reheat it just before serving. The cobbler will stay fresh when covered at room temperature for up to 12 hours.
- How to Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to Reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover loosely with foil and bake until warm, about 20 minutes. You can also microwave individual servings of cobbler for 15-30 seconds, or just until warm.
More Apple Desserts to Try
Mom’s Easy Apple Pie
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Apple Galette
3 hours hrs
Apple Bundt Cake (Apple Dapple Cake)
3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
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Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
A traditional apple cobbler recipe is one of autumn's most delicious, easy treats!
Ingredients
APPLE FILLING
- 6 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples (about 5-6 apples or 2 lbs.); I like a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
TOPPING
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold (or frozen) salted butter, coarsely grated on the large holes of a box grater
- ½ cup whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon white sparkling sugar
- For serving: vanilla ice cream
Instructions
PREPARE THE FILLING
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish (or other 2-quart dish) with nonstick cooking spray. Place the apples in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and kosher salt. Stir to combine.
PREPARE THE TOPPING
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add the grated butter and toss gently to combine, so that all of the butter is coated in the flour mixture. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs (you should see little bits of flour-coated butter throughout). Add the milk or cream; stir gently with a fork until a sticky dough comes together.
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls evenly over the apple filling. Sprinkle with the sparkling sugar.
BAKE THE COBBLER
- Bake until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and cooked through, about 45-50 minutes. Tent the dish loosely with foil towards the end of the baking time if the top starts to get too dark before the cobbler is done.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Cut the apples into thin, uniform slices (about ¼-inch thick) so that they’re nice and tender by the time the topping is cooked through.
The dollops of biscuit dough on top of the fruit do not need to be perfect. We’re going for a “rustic” look! I use a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough evenly. The topping will spread in the oven to cover the fruit completely, giving the finished dessert that hallmark “cobbled” texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the cobblerCalories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 445mgPotassium: 331mgFiber: 4gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 452IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 2mg
This recipe was originally published in September, 2022. It was updated in August, 2024.
I love all of your recipes .
Thank you so much, Kathryn!
I’m wondering, since this looks great, how would I bake it in a 13 x 9 pan…. how would I adjust the recipe for that? I’m having company visiting for the weekend, and would like to make it in that size. I don’t have a 11 x 7 pan
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Cam! We haven’t tested it but think you should be able to multiply the ingredients by 1.5. Then, just keep a close eye on your oven! We would love to know how it goes if you do try it out.