Pioneer Woman Apple Cobbler

Pioneer woman apple cobbler is an easy fall dessert made with honeycrisp apples, maple syrup and buttery golden drop biscuits, ready in just one hour. That makes it a go-to for Thanksgiving dinner, autumn potlucks or cozy Sunday suppers, since it feeds a crowd with almost no fuss.

The make-or-break step is cutting cold butter into the flour until pea-sized clumps form, because over-mixing turns the biscuits dense and flat. Skip this and you lose the flaky golden tops that soak up all that bubbly filling.

Maple syrup in the fruit filling gives this cobbler a warm caramel depth most versions skip, since they lean on white sugar alone. That pairs with the apple pie spice in the biscuit dough, tying the topping and filling together in every bite.

Pioneer Woman Apple Cobbler

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

529

kcal

Tender apple wedges bake under golden drop biscuits until the filling turns thick and bubbly, with a crisp sugary top in every spoonful.

Ingredients

• For the Fruit:
  

• 3 lb. apples, such as honeycrisp, Braeburn, fuji, or Cortlandt
  

• 3/4 c. light brown sugar
  

• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
  

• 1/4 c. maple syrup
  

• 2 tsp. lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• For the Biscuits:
  

• 2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
  

• 1/4 c. light brown sugar
  

• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  

• 2 tsp. apple pie spice
  

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  

• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  

• 1 c. whole milk
  

• 1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

• For Serving:
  

• Salted caramel ice cream

Directions

• Prep the fruit: Preheat the oven to 375°F, then slice the apples into 1/2-inch thick wedges and discard the cores. Once sliced, toss them with the brown sugar, flour, maple syrup, lemon zest, juice and salt, then set the mixture aside.
• Make the biscuit dough: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt together in a medium bowl. Next, add the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender until pea-sized clumps form, then pour in the milk and stir until just combined.
• Assemble the cobbler: Pour the apple mixture into the baking dish, then use a 2-inch ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop portions of dough over the apples. Before sliding it into the oven, sprinkle the biscuits with turbinado sugar, since the coarse crystals add crunch as they brown.
• Bake and serve: Bake until the biscuits turn golden brown and the filling bubbles and thickens, about 45 to 55 minutes. Once it comes out, serve warm with salted caramel ice cream so the cold cream melts into the hot filling.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Zeroll original ice cream scoop, Microplane zester grater, Butternut Mountain Farm pure Vermont maple syrup, 32 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make apple cobbler ahead of time?

You can prep the apple filling a day ahead and refrigerate it, since the flour keeps the fruit from browning. Just make the biscuit dough right before baking because it needs cold butter, and pull the filling out 20 minutes early so it cooks evenly.

What can I use instead of a pastry blender?

A fork works fine for cutting the butter into the flour, though it takes a few extra minutes of pressing and mashing. You can also grate frozen butter on a box grater directly into the dry ingredients, which gives you those pea-sized clumps without any special tools.

How long does apple cobbler last in the fridge?

Leftover cobbler keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, and the filling gets thicker as it sits. When you reheat, warm slices in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes instead of microwaving, since the microwave makes the biscuits rubbery.

Can I swap the maple syrup for something else?

Honey works as a 1:1 substitute, though the flavor leans more floral than caramel. If you skip the liquid sweetener entirely, add 2 extra tablespoons of brown sugar to compensate, but the filling will lose some of that saucy texture.

Why did my cobbler topping turn out soggy?

Dropping the biscuit dough in one big mass traps steam underneath, so spread it in smaller scoops across the surface instead. Beyond that, patting the apple slices dry before tossing them helps too, because excess moisture rises during baking and soaks into the biscuits.