This easy Skillet Apple Cobbler recipe bakes bubbling sweet-spiced apples in a cast iron skillet under a buttery, golden topping. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cozy fall dessert.
There’s no mistaking the season when this Skillet Apple Cobbler is in the oven. It fills your house with the most amazing cinnamon and nutmeg scented aroma that let’s everyone know fall has arrived. While I love a classic Double Crust Apple Pie for the holidays, this cobbler is fuss-free enough to pull together anytime.
When I was developing recipes for my cookbook, I landed on what I think is the perfect simple cobbler dough. It bakes into a beautifully cobbled crust that’s crisp on top and at the edges, with a soft, buttery crumb underneath. And it stirs together in minutes and it’s perfection in this simple apple cobbler recipe.
The even heat of a cast iron skillet cooks the spiced apples to perfect tenderness, with irresistible caramelization around the edges as the filling bubbles up. It’s just heavenly.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Apples: Use crisp-sweet varieties like Envy, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Use a couple of different varities for more flavor. Weight matters more than count You’ll need about 2¾ to 3 pounds, sliced ¼-inch thick for even baking.
- Fresh lemon juice: Brightens the filling and helps keep the apples from browning.
- Light brown sugar: Adds caramel notes to the filling and helps with caramelization.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the juices so the filling is saucy, not runny.
- Cinnamon + nutmeg: A classic warm spice blend. Note the cinnamon is divided and used in both the filling and sprinkled on the top.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level to avoid a dense topping.
- Baking powder: Gives the cobbler its lift and tender, slightly cakey crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Used in both the dough and the cinnamon-sugar sprinkle on top.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and a soft interior to the topping. Half-and-half works in a pinch, with a slightly lighter crumb.
How to Make Skillet Apple Cobbler
- Peel and slice the apples, place them in a large mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and toss the mixture with the apples.
- Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron is best!), add the apples (with juices), and bake briefly to start softening.
- Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and add the melted butter and cream to make a soft cobbler dough.
- Pull the skillet from the oven and scatter dough in chunky clumps over the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake until the topping is golden and the apples are tender, then let it cool a bit before serving.
Valerie’s Tips
Use enough apples: Mound the sliced apples so they sit heaping above the skillet rim. They’ll cook down and settle as they bake. Under-filling leads to a skimpy layer once the fruit softens.
How to tell it’s done: The apples should be fork-tender (not mushy) when poked with the tines of a fork. The filling should be actively bubbling around the edges and the topping should be evenly golden with lightly crisp edges.
If the top is browning too fast: Tent the skillet loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the apples are tender.
Substitutions and variations: Swap a pinch of allspice or cardamom for part of the cinnamon and consider add-ins like chopped pecans or a handful of raisins.
Equipment notes: Cast iron holds heat well, encourages caramelized edges, and helps the topping color beautifully. If you do not have cast iron, use any 10-inch oven-safe skillet will work.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover cobbler in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Individual servings can be gently reheat in the microwave just until warmed through.
If making it ahead, let the cobbler cool, then cover and refrigerate it within 2 hours. To warm the whole skillet, place it in the oven at 325 to 350 degrees F until hot and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
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Skillet Apple Cobbler
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 crisp-sweet apples, (2 ¾ pounds to 3 pounds) like Envy, Gala, or Honeycrisp, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Cobbler Dough
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. with a rack set in the center position.
- In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the mixture to the apples and toss to combine well. Set aside.
- In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet (cast iron works great), melt 2 tablespoons butter over MEDIUM heat. When the butter has melted, remove the skillet from the heat and swirl the butter around the skillet to coat it evenly. Add the apple mixture to the skillet, along with all the juices that have accumulated in the bowl. The skillet will be very full, and that's ok! The apples will cook down quite a bit. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, to slightly soften the apples.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- To make the cobbler dough, in a medium bowl combine the flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the melted butter and heavy cream and stir to form a soft dough and set it aside.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully scatter small clumps of the cobbler dough over the top. There will be gaps and there's no need to fuss too much to make it neat. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar with the remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle it evenly over the top.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, until the apples are tender and the cobbler topping is golden brown. If you notice the top getting too dark, set a sheet of foil lightly on top of the skillet for the remainder of the baking time.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving, to allow the juice to thicken and set up a bit.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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