Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe (Perfect Fall Dessert)

This Easy Apple Cobbler recipe has a super fluffy, deliciously sweet topping. The apples are perfectly sweet and spiced. This is a simple, quick and easy dessert using the fresh fruit of fall! An absolute must is a scoop of ice cream on top.

Easy Apple Cobbler

I’m going to scream this from the rooftops but this is an Easy Apple Cobbler …that’s also fluffy and perfectly spiced and WAY easier than any apple pie you might not have time to make.

This season is all about pie, I will admit that. And of course, I have my favorite apple pie recipe that I think is a sure-fire winner. But let’s be honest, there’s not alway time for pie crust-making, rolling out, crimping, etc.

I love a cobbler. But before we dive in. Let’s discuss semantics:

Easy Apple Cobbler

What’s the difference between Crisp vs. Cobbler?

Crisp, crumblers, cobblers. What’s the difference? They’re incredibly similar. Basically they’re sliced, diced or whole fruit at the base of a baking dish. Usually tossed with a thickener (either flour or corn starch or tapioca starch), sugar, lemon juice and other flavorings. And then they’re topped with something and then baked.

  • Crisps – typically have something that makes it—yep—crisp on top. Think rolled oats, diced nuts, butter, and flour. Crisps are usually topped with a streusel like topping.
  • Cobbler – some cobblers are topped with drop biscuits, other times they’re topped with more of a looser batter.
  • This is obviously the latter. And we’re not making drop biscuits, instead we’re making a looser-type batter that resembles more of a pancake batter. But with a strong butter flavor. Lol.

What Kind of Apples for Apple Cobbler

Whenever you bake an apple dessert–whether it be for an apple pie or apple cobbler–you want baking apples. My favorite, easy-to-find apples are honey crisp apples and gala apples.

Ingredients for Apple Cobbler

This recipe is like a cake-like batter poured on top of thinly sliced apples that are tossed in spices and sugar. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the filling:

  • Apples. I used a combo of gala apples and honey crips. Any baking apples would be great!
  • Brown Sugar + granulated sugar. These two sugars are great for this baked apple recipe. If you wanted to do ALL brown sugar, that works too.
  • All-purpose flour. This thickens the baked apple mixture. They’re not super juicy so flour vs. cornstarch is what we’re using.
  • Lemon juice. This adds a lovely tartness to this recipe. It balances out the warm spices and sweet apples.
  • Warm spices. I like to use a balanced combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. None of these spices are prominent; you don’t really notice any one flavor–instead it’s a balanced flavor of spices.
  • For the topping, you’ll be making a simple cake-like topping. You’ll need flour, vanilla, melted butter, some leavening, sugar and milk.

How to Make Apple Cobbler

What I love about this recipe is how simple it is to come together. Here’s how to make it:

  1. Mix the filling together. I used a mix of honey crisp and gala apples. Other apple combinations will totally work. And then add the brown sugar, sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla and spices.
  2. The topping couldn’t be simpler: In a medium bowl goes the flour, baking powder and salt, sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
  3. And then the topping goes on top of the filling in a baking dish.
  4. In the oven and boom! done!

As much as I wish this was a one-bowl recipe, it’s a two-bowl recipe. But it’s simple, simple!

Tips and Tricks for Apple Cobbler

Here are some questions, I’m sure you’re asking yourself! Can you make a biscuit topping? Sure, but this isn’t that recipe per se so I would look for a recipe like that and use the apple spiced portion of this recipe.

Would this topping work with a peach cobbler or other fresh fruit? Absolutely. Though just a heads up, you’ll need to use a more of a thickening agent than flour (what we have here) because peaches and berries are juicier than apples. Berry fruit cobblers definitely have different ratios because of this.

And of course, I put up a step-by-step of this recipe over up on my Instagram Stories–comfort food at its finest!