Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler is fresh baking apples tossed with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, covered with a simple homemade batter of flour, sugar, milk and melted butter, and cooked on high until the topping is soft and cake-like with chewy, slightly crisp edges. It takes 10 minutes to put together, cooks in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and serves 8.
How to make it: Spray the slow cooker and add the cubed apples. Toss them with sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and melted butter into a batter and spread it over the apples. Lay a clean kitchen towel beneath the lid and cook on high for about 2 hours, until the topping is fully cooked.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fresh apples, homemade topping: no cake mix or canned filling.
- Frees up the oven: handy when the stove and oven are busy, especially around the holidays.
- Ten minutes of prep: the slow cooker does the rest.
- Warm fall spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Ingredient Notes
Apples: Four baking apples, cubed. Choose apples that hold their shape when cooked, like Gala, Fuji, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. Pink Lady and Honey Gold work too. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and McIntosh break down, so save them for applesauce.
For the apples: A quarter cup of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch, a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
For the topping: A cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Oat milk works in place of milk.
Ingredients
For the apples
- Non-stick cooking spray, for the slow cooker
- 4 baking apples (such as Gala, Fuji, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith), cubed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
For the topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler
1. Prepare the slow cooker. Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cubed apples.
2. Season the apples. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the mixture to the apples in the slow cooker and toss to coat evenly.
3. Mix the topping. In the now-empty mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and melted butter. Stir to combine.
4. Top the apples. Spoon or pour the batter over the apples in the slow cooker and spread it evenly.
5. Cook on high. Place a dish towel under the lid and cook on high for about 2 hours. If the topping doesn’t look fully cooked, cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the topping is fully cooked.
6. Serve warm. The edges will be chewy and slightly crispy, with a soft, cake-like topping. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
How to Get a Cooked, Not Soggy, Topping
A slow cooker traps steam, and steam is the enemy of a cobbler topping. Here’s what helps:
| Tip | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Dish towel under the lid | Catches the moisture that would drip onto the topping |
| Keep the towel off the batter | It should sit under the lid, not touch the cobbler |
| Cook on high | This recipe is timed for the high setting only |
| Check at 2 hours | Add 20 to 30 minutes if the topping still looks raw |
| Rotate the crock halfway | Prevents burning if your slow cooker has a hot spot |
Know your slow cooker. Cooking times change with the make, model and size. This recipe fits an oval 5-quart slow cooker; a different size will cook faster or slower.
How to tell it’s done: the topping is fully cooked, the edges are chewy and slightly crisp, and the top is soft and cake-like.
Apple Cobbler vs. Apple Crisp
A crisp has a crumbly topping made with butter, sugar, flour and oats. A cobbler has a softer, slightly cakey, biscuit-like topping, like the batter in this recipe.
Can You Make Apple Cobbler in a Crockpot With Cake Mix?
Yes, and it only takes three ingredients: apple pie filling, a box of cake mix and butter. The dry cake mix is sprinkled over the filling with butter on top and isn’t stirred; the butter and the juice from the apples turn it into the topping. Yellow, white, vanilla or spice cake mix all work. For that shortcut, try our 4-ingredient slow cooker caramel apple dump cake.
Variations
- Tart and sweet apples: use a mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp or Gala.
- Caramel and pecans: dollop caramel over the apples and sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
- Caramel drizzle: drizzle caramel sauce over the ice cream when serving.
- Oat milk: use it in place of regular milk in the topping.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Once it’s cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Don’t leave it out on the counter overnight.
Freezer: You can freeze it for up to 3 to 4 months, but the apples may come out with a softer, less ideal texture after freezing and reheating.
Reheat: Eat it cold from the fridge or warm a serving in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
What to Serve With It
Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or our cream cheese whipped cream. More apple desserts: 3-ingredient apple pie cake, apple slab pie and crescent roll apple dumplings. Another slow cooker cobbler: 4-ingredient slow cooker vintage strawberry cobbler.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best apples for cobbler?
Apples that hold their shape: Gala, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honey Gold.
How do I make an easy crockpot cobbler?
Toss cubed apples with sugar and spices in the slow cooker, spread a simple flour-and-milk batter on top, put a towel under the lid and cook on high about 2 hours.
Can I make apple cobbler in a crockpot with only 3 ingredients?
Yes, with apple pie filling, cake mix and butter. That’s a dump cake-style shortcut; this recipe uses fresh apples and a homemade topping.
Can I cook it on low?
This recipe is timed for high only, about 2 hours plus up to 30 minutes if needed.
Why is my slow cooker cobbler topping soggy?
Steam drips from the lid. Lay a towel across the crock, beneath the lid, and give it the extra 20 to 30 minutes if needed.
Final Notes
Start it after lunch and it’s ready for dessert. Keep the towel under the lid and check the topping at the 2-hour mark. If you make it, tell me in the comments which apples you used.
Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler
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Ingredients
- non-stick cooking spray for the slow cooker
- 4 baking apples such as Gala, Fuji, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith; cubed; for the apples
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for the apples
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch for the apples
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the apples
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for the apples
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg for the apples
- 1 cup all-purpose flour for the topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the topping
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder for the topping
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for the topping
- 1/2 cup milk for the topping
- 1/4 cup butter melted; for the topping
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cubed apples.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the mixture to the apples in the slow cooker and toss to coat evenly.
- In the now-empty mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Spoon or pour the batter over the apples in the slow cooker and spread it evenly.
- Place a dish towel under the lid and cook on high for about 2 hours. If the topping does not look fully cooked, cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the topping is fully cooked.
- The edges will be chewy and slightly crispy, with a soft, cake-like topping. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
