Grandma’s Apple Cobbler Recipe Fresh from the Farm

This easy apple cobbler recipe makes a perfect not-too-sweet dessert to savor the apple harvest. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Originally published in November 2016; this post has been updated. 

browned apple cobbler in a baking dish.

I grew up on an apple farm. From late August until mid-October we had fresh apples in bowls on the counter, in boxes in the barn, and hanging from the tree. Apples everywhere! An apple a day? Ha! More like half a dozen. And there’s nothing like a freshly harvested apple.

But besides eating them fresh, apples desserts were plentiful during harvest season. This apple cobbler recipe is one we’ve made for years. [And be sure to try my mom’s apple pie recipe, too!]

baking dish and bowl with cobblerEasy Apple Cobbler Recipe

This recipe originally came from one of those community cookbooks created by a coalition of apple farming families. I remember my mom working with a group of women to collect vintage family recipes from all over the apple growing community. The original apple cobbler recipe was much too sweet for our tastes, so I’ve modified this recipe to use less sugar.

What’s the Difference Between a Cobbler and a Crisp?

The difference between an apple cobbler and an apple crisp is in the topping.

  • An apple crisp is topped with a crumbly mixture that usually includes oatmeal or flour, nuts, sugar, and butter. Once baked, the crumbly topping is a bit crispy.
  • An apple cobbler is topped with a batter or biscuit dough. The finished product has more of a bread-like consistency.

This is a cobbler, but it does maintain a bit of crispness, which is why we like it.

Ingredients

Apples I love making apple desserts from Gravenstein apples, but they’re not commonly available. Granny Smith apples are a good choice, as is any other slightly tart apple. Read more about different apple varieties and how they stack up for baking here

Brown sugar — The rich molasses flavor of brown sugar is delicious in this dessert. Use light or brown sugar, as you like.

Flour When I bake with all-purpose flour I opt for the unbleached version. Bleached flour is very white, but it’s also treated with bleaching agents that I don’t really need in my food. This recipe can be modified to work for a gluten free diet by substituting cassava flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.

Eggs — Fresh eggs, store bought, use what you have readily available.

Butter — Allow the butter to come to room temperature for easy mixing. I used salted butter; if you prefer unsalted, that will work fine.

Seasoning and Leavening Baking powder gives the cobbler topping a little bit of fluffiness. Salt and cinnamon add just the right amount of spice!

sliced apples in a glass bowl, spoon full of cinnamon being dropped in.

How to Make this Cinnamon Apple Cobbler

Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss with a portion of the cinnamon. Combine the remaining cinnamon with the brown sugar. 

apples in a baking dish with cinnamon.

Transfer apple slices to a baking dish. 

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, remaining brown sugar in a bowl.

Add egg and mix. Spread batter over the apple slices.

uncooked apple cobbler in a baking dish.

Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. Melt butter and drizzle evenly over the top. Bake until golden.

baked apple cobbler recipe.

Serving

Allow cobbler to cool slightly before serving warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

apple cobbler in a glass bowl with a scoop of ice cream.

Storing

Leftover cobbler should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Looking for more ways to use your abundant crop? I’ve gathered some of the best apple recipes from my collection for you.

spoonful of apple crisp up close, with a pan of crisp behind.

★ Did you make this easy apple cobbler recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

browned apple cobbler in a baking dish.

Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Quicker and easier than an apple pie made with double crusts, you'll love this easy apple cobbler! See my notes to make it a gluten free apple cobbler.

Ingredients

  • 6-8 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, or cassava flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Instructions

  1. Combine prepared apples with one teaspoon of the cinnamon. Transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish.
  2. Mix the second teaspoon of cinnamon together with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Set aside.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, remaining brown sugar, and egg in a small mixing bowl. Spread batter over the apple mixture.
  4. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top.
  5. Melt butter and drizzle evenly over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes in a 350 oven until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.
  6. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

The number of apples you use in this apple cobbler will depend upon their size. Just be sure that your pan is filled to the brim with apples. As the apples cook, they will soften and settle.

To make this a gluten free apple cobbler, use cassava flour instead of all-purpose flour. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 239mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 4gSugar: 40gProtein: 2g

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

22 comments… add one
  • Jess Fenton Jul 17, 2023 @ 13:07

    Not my favorite recipe. The crust comes out better when you mix the butter with the dry ingredients and then crumble it over the top rather than just pouring butter all over it..

    • AttainableSustainable Jul 24, 2023 @ 13:29

      Feel free to make it your own!

  • Kaela Oct 18, 2022 @ 17:20

    I just made this today. The batter was pretty dry so I added about 1/4 cup of apple juice and it came out great! How should I store the leftovers?

    • AttainableSustainable Oct 20, 2022 @ 5:35

      I’m glad it turned out well for you and you made it your own. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator, I’d aim to eat it within a few days.

  • Danita Nov 25, 2020 @ 10:12

    Hmmm this didn’t turn out as a cobbler as I expected. The topping was way too dry & crumbly and not batter or biscuit-like at all. I Made for thanksgiving but I’m so glad I made another apple crisp as back up before this one, because I don’t think I’d be confident to serve this. I was not a huge fan of this recipe I’m sorry.

  • Julie Oct 1, 2020 @ 3:58

    Delicious and easy- the best things about crisps! Cobblers in our area are when you cover the fruit mixture in batter or sweet biscuit topping.
    Thanks for sharing!

  • Jackie Sep 11, 2020 @ 4:48

    Wow, my family loves this recipe! My kids went crazy over it.

    • Kris Bordessa Sep 11, 2020 @ 8:09

      Glad to hear it! It’s a favorite here, too!

  • Becky Jul 9, 2020 @ 13:48

    My topping was way to dry no way to spread on top. I finally got agitated and just mixed it in with the apples.

    • Lori Smith Jul 11, 2020 @ 12:06

      The topping is supposed to be very dry and then you add the butter and this ‘crisps’ it up. Make sure you cover ALL the crumbs with butter.

  • David Setterberg Sep 22, 2019 @ 9:31

    I made this recipe and it seems like the topping is missing something. Mine turned out like a crumble.

    • Kris Bordessa Sep 26, 2019 @ 10:33

      Hm. I wonder what happened?

    • Lori Smith Jul 11, 2020 @ 12:20

      My grandma used to make this recipe when I was a child in the 60’s and 70’s. I’ve been making it since 1975. Our recipe is a little different as it is made in a 9″ square pan and there is white and brown sugar in ours. I’ve been eating this for almost 60 years. YUM!
      This is our recipe:
      Carolyn Matheson’s Apple Crisp
      6-8 baking apples (I prefer Granny Smith’s or Northern Spy)
      1/4 cup brown sugar
      1 tsp cinnamon
      3/4 cup sugar
      1 cup flour
      1 tsp baking powder
      1 egg
      1 stick (4 oz) butter, melted
      Peel, core and slice apples as for pie. Toss apples with brown sugar and cinnamon, blend well. Place evenly in a 9″ x 9′ x 2″ pan.
      In separate bowl, Combine sugar, flour and baking powder (you can add some salt, but I prefer not to). Whisk to blend. Add egg and mix well until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over apples. making sure to cover all apples well. Drizzle butter over crumb mixture, making sure to cover entire top (no dry places). Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, until browned and apples are soft.

      • joanna buchanan Oct 10, 2023 @ 4:31

        THIS is apple crisp! your Grandma was right on!

  • Brenda Dec 31, 2018 @ 5:57

    I make apple crisp as my staple dessert but I decided I m going to try the cobbler as it sounds great, the only other ingredient I will add is a fourth tsp of nutmeg….going to make it for new years eve….HAPPY 2019 EVERYONE!

    • Kris Bordessa Jan 5, 2019 @ 16:39

      Hope it was great!

  • Michelle Mar 24, 2018 @ 18:52

    So good and easy to make!

  • geet Jan 8, 2018 @ 20:31

    Apple crisp is amazing! i will surely try this out.

  • Jennifer Sep 19, 2017 @ 12:27

    In our neck of the woods that is a cobbler not crisp. That being said, it is considered dessert, breakfast when grandma wasn’t looking

    • Kris Bordessa Nov 14, 2017 @ 8:24

      😉

      And yes. The original recipe calls it a crisp, so I stuck with that, but it’s more cobbler like, for sure.

  • Linda Kaaz Dec 10, 2016 @ 9:52

    Love this recipe

    • Kris Bordessa Dec 10, 2016 @ 9:57

      Why, thank you!

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