This Southern Apple Cobbler Recipe is a buttery and spiced recipe, which features tender Golden Delicious apples and rich brown sugar. It’s the perfect cozy dessert, ready in about 45 minutes.
Jump to RecipeSouthern Apple Cobbler Recipe Ingredients
Cobbler Crust:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 8 oz cold butter (cubed)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar (divided: 1 tbsp for dough, 1 tbsp for sprinkling)
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp milk
Cinnamon Apples:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 golden delicious apples, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
Garnish:
- 2–4 tbsp caramel sauce
How To Make Southern Apple Cobbler
- Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough: In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, cold cubed butter, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water and pulse again just until the dough clumps together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 10–15 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Roll and bake the crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Brush the surface with the milk and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Cook the apples: While the crust bakes, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt. Cover the skillet and cook on low for 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft and tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Assemble and serve: To serve, spoon the warm cinnamon apples into individual bowls. Drizzle generously with caramel sauce. Arrange the baked crust squares around the edges of the bowl or right on top. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Tips
- Deconstructed Style: This recipe is unique because the crust is baked separately from the fruit. This ensures the pastry remains perfectly crisp and buttery (“short”) rather than getting soggy from the apple juices.
- Golden Delicious Apples: These apples are chosen for their ability to hold their shape when cooked. They provide a natural sweetness that balances the spices. If you prefer a tart contrast, you can mix in a Granny Smith apple.
- Cold Butter: Ensure the butter for the crust is ice cold. This creates steam pockets during baking, resulting in flaky, tender pastry squares.
- Caramel Drizzle: While optional, the caramel sauce ties the buttery crust and spiced apples together. Salted caramel works particularly well here to cut the sweetness.
What To Serve With Southern Apple Cobbler
This warm dessert screams for cool, creamy toppings.
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: The temperature contrast is essential.
- Fresh Whipped Cream: Lightly sweetened.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: For a traditional Southern savory-sweet twist.
- Hot Coffee: To balance the sugar.
How To Store Southern Apple Cobbler Recipe
- Store Separately: To maintain the texture, store the stewed apples and the baked crust squares in separate airtight containers.
- Refrigerate: Keep the apples in the fridge for up to 4 days. The crust squares can be kept at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Reheat: Warm the apples in the microwave or a small saucepan before serving. The crust does not need to be heated, but you can crisp it up in a toaster oven if desired.
Southern Apple Cobbler Recipe Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 450
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
- Sodium: 300mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 48g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 25g
- Protein: 4g
Nutrition information is estimated per serving.
FAQs
Yes. If you are short on time, you can cut a refrigerated pie crust into squares, brush with milk and sugar, and bake as directed. It won’t be quite as rich as this shortbread-style crust, but it works well.
For this skillet method, it is recommended to peel the apples. The skins can become tough and separate from the flesh during the stewing process.
As written, no. However, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend for the crust. The apple mixture is naturally gluten-free.
Southern Apple Cobbler Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes15
minutes450
kcalA deconstructed Southern cobbler featuring stewed cinnamon apples served in bowls with separately baked, sugar-crusted buttery pastry squares and caramel drizzle.
Ingredients
Crust: 1.5 cups flour, 8 oz cold butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar (divided), 4 tbsp cold water, 1 tbsp milk.
Apples: 4 tbsp butter, 4 Golden Delicious apples (sliced), 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch nutmeg.
Garnish: 2-4 tbsp caramel sauce.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pulse flour, butter, salt, and 1 tbsp sugar into crumbs. Add water until dough clumps. Chill 10 mins.
- Roll dough, brush with milk, sprinkle with remaining sugar. Cut into 2-inch squares.
- Bake squares on a sheet for 15 mins until golden.
- Melt butter in a skillet. Add apples, lemon, brown sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on low for 15 mins.
- Stir cinnamon and nutmeg into apples.
- Spoon apples into bowls, drizzle with caramel, and top with crust squares.
Notes
- Butter: This crust uses a high ratio of butter (1 cup/8oz) to flour, creating a texture closer to a rich shortbread or biscuit than a standard pie crust.
- Apples: Slice the apples thinly (about 1/4 inch) so they cook through in the 15 minutes allotted.
