My father grafts several varieties of apples on to his trees, but the Granny Smiths are the ones that are the most prolific, and they’re also great for pies, applesauce, apple butter, and apple cobbler. One of our favorite things to make with our apples is this apple cobbler. The filling is seasoned with cinnamon, lemon, and vanilla and isn’t overly sweet. The buttermilk biscuit cobbler crust is speckled with bits of candied ginger.
Try This Easy Apple Cobbler
As much as we love a good apple pie, apple cobbler is much less fussy. You don’t have to chill the dough, or roll out a pie crust. You just spoon the crust dough on top of the apple filling. So you get the great taste of pie with half the work! For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.
How to Store Leftover Apple Cobbler
Apple cobbler is best when served warm from the oven. That said, the warmed leftovers make a quick and easy dessert during the week, and like pie, can be just what you need for breakfast too. Cover the cobbler and store it in the fridge for up to five days. The topping will soften with time, but will still taste fine. Reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed, or reheat in a toaster oven.
Can You Make Apple Cobbler Ahead?
Since cobbler is best the day it’s made, can it really be made ahead? Not from start to finish, but you can make the different components and then assemble and bake the cobbler when you’re ready.
Make the filling, let it cool, and store its own container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Mix the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter. Store this in an airtight container for up to three days. (As long as its kept cold, the butter won’t melt into the flour.)Wait to measure out the buttermilk until you’re ready to make the cobbler.
When you’re ready to bake, transfer the filling to the pan, mix the buttermilk into the topping, and bake. You might need to add an extra few minutes to the total baking time for the apples to warm up and start bubbling. If the top starts to brown before the filling is bubbling, tent the pan with foil. This is a particularly good approach if you plan on making the cobbler at someone else’s house; it’s easier to transport the different components than it is to transport a hot, just-baked cobbler.
Can Apple Cobbler be Frozen?
You can make and freeze the filling for up to a month ahead. Thaw completely before assembling and baking.
Got apples? Check out our other delicious apple desserts:
Traditional Homemade Apple Pie Apple Crisp Apple Coffee Cake Applesauce Fresh Apple Bundt Cake
3 pounds of a variety of good cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Pippin, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crust ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest
Partially cover the pot and cook until the apples are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, and toss to coat with a tablespoon of flour. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the largest piece of butter is no bigger than a pea. Stir in the candied ginger and zest. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Use a fork to stir the flour and buttermilk together until the flour is all moistened. Do not overwork the dough! Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F until the top is beginning to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 30 more minutes until the topping is cooked through and the filling is bubbly. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
