Whether you’re serving this homemade apple cobbler with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or homemade whipped cream, everyone will be reaching for seconds. If you want more easy cobbler recipes, then try my homemade blueberry cobbler recipe, easy strawberry cobbler recipe, or my recipe for peach cobbler.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Apples — I recommend using firm apples so they hold up as you bake them. For the best flavor, use a combination of different fresh apples, mixing tart apples and sweet apples. Some varieties that are great for cobblers are Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisps, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady apples. Avoid apples such as Gala apples, Fuji, and Red Delicious apples, as once baked, they become mealy and mushy. Lemon juice — I always recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice does not have the same bright flavors, and some have a bitter aftertaste. Brown sugar — light or dark brown sugar is an excellent option for the apple cobbler. Brown sugar adds a delicious caramel note to the filling. Cornstarch — adding cornstarch to the apple mixture helps thicken and create the classic gooey texture. Spices — make sure the cinnamon and nutmeg you have on hand are fresh for the best flavor. Cinnamon and nutmeg give the recipe its classic cozy, warm flavor. Butter — different butter brands add various amounts of salt to their butter, so for the most consistent results, always use unsalted butter. Flour — all you need is plain all-purpose flour for the cobbler topping. Nothing fancy! Baking powder — make sure the baking powder is fresh. Baking powder helps the cobbler topping rise, so if you use expired baking powder, you’ll have a dense and flat topping. Milk — milk adds flavor and moistens the dry ingredients to turn them into the topping batter. Whole milk has the best flavor.
How to Make Apple Cobbler
- Peel and slice apples, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss the apples with lemon juice until well coated. Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the apple mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with the cubed butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the milk and butter and stir together with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened.
- Scatter the topping over the apples. Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake that will yield a dry topping. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. If you scoop the flour straight from the bag, you overpack the measuring cup. I recommend peeling the apples before adding them to the cobbler. The apple peel can become chewy when baked, which can be an unpleasant texture in the cobbler. Make sure you keep the butter in the fridge until ready to use. Cold butter will melt in the topping while baking and make the apple cobbler light and tender. Allow the cobbler to cool for at least 10 minutes, as the juices will thicken up a bit as it cools. The cobbler will fall apart if you cut into it too soon. Serve the cobbler as soon as possible, as it tastes best when warm and fresh.
If you’ve tried this Apple Cobbler recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
