Best Caramel Apple Cobbler is a sweet taste of fall baked into a dessert. This recipe is comfort food at it’s best. Tart apples, sweet caramel, and warm cinnamon combined with a buttery crust is the quintessential recipe to make during the fall months.

This dessert tastes like an apple pie but is much simpler to make, especially if you’re not an expert pie crust maker.

I enjoy the “bready” cobbler part of this dessert, it’s buttery and the brown sugar and water create a caramel sauce that really makes the dessert. The apples I chose retain their shape but are soft in texture. It’s a great combination of flavors and textures.

Just a note, I highly recommend serving it warm with a big scoop of good guality vanilla bean ice cream!

When baking with apples the variety is important. I prefer a sweet, tart flavor and an apple that doesn’t cook to mush. After all, I want Apple Cobbler not Apple Sauce Cobbler.

Table of Contents

The Best Apples for Baking

I used Honeycrisp apples for this recipe. They are one of the top recommended apples for baking. Other apples that are good to use in baked recipes are Granny Smith, Gala, and Mutsu (Crispin).

First of all, for Best Caramel Apple Cobbler results, try using two different varieties of apples for optimum flavor and a more complex-tasting cobbler, cake, or pie! (These same tips apply to my Apple Fritter Cake, Fresh Apple Cake, and other apple recipes.)

Also, cut your apples into varying sizes so that some pieces cook down into the cake while the larger pieces provide a nice, bright apple flavor.

Best Caramel Apple Cobbler Tips

You can substitute all-purpose flour for the self-rising flour in this recipe. That substitution is 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Obviously, adjust according to the recipe amounts.
I’m not a fan of nutmeg. If you aren’t either, you may omit it in this recipe.
If you haven’t baked one of my other highly popular cobblers, you may not be familiar with the hot water trick. You may even think it doesn’t work, and you’ve completely ruined the dessert. Have faith. It will work. Now, I know these cobblers have a lot of sugar, but the brown sugar and hot water are what create the caramel sauce. I don’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar. It’s a dessert, after all. Enjoy it and do extra cardio to make up for it.
I recommend fresh apples. I have not tested the recipe with apple pie filling.

Apple Baking Measurements chart for Easy Apple Cobbler

Best Caramel Apple Cobbler

Author: Paula

4.86 from 41 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 55

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients

APPLES

2 cups apples peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg optional, omit if it’s a spice you don’t like

COBBLER MIXTURE

1 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour read post for substitution
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

SAUCE

1 cup brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups hot water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saute pan.
Bring to a boil, then simmer until sugar is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour apples and sauce into a 9×13 inch oven-safe pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, whole milk, and vanilla. (It should be the consistency of pancake batter. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons milk if necessary.)
Carefully pour batter over the apples in the casserole dish.
Evenly sprinkle 1 cup brown sugar over the top.
And then carefully pour 1 and 1/2 cup hot water over the mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 55 minutes or until cobbler is set in the center and golden brown on top.
Serve warm or room temperature. It’s great with vanilla ice cream.
Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (It won't last that long)