Apple Cobbler With Cake Mix

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE My miraculous Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix is a recipe that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. You get soft, juicy apples and a sweet, crumbly topping. It’s a recipe that’s so easy for beginner bakers, and a delightful time-saving dessert everyone will adore!

• Just a few simple ingredients: This is a three-ingredient apple dessert that’s as yummy as grandma’s cobbler.
• Budget-friendly: No fancy ingredients here, and since apples are in peak season, the price is right.
• Lightening fast: Peel and slice apples and place in a baking dish, and then mix the melted butter and cake mix and crumble it on top. That’s it!
• Warm, delectable, homey: Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix doesn’t taste like a shortcut—it tastes homemade!
• Make it on a whim! Most likely, you have apples and butter on hand, so tuck a few boxes of cake mix in your cupboard, and you can make this cobbler anytime you have a craving.

I’m all about semi-homemade recipes that deliver big, bold results—and this Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix is exactly that. I highly recommend using the best quality cake mix you can find—look for one made with real, high-quality ingredients. And don’t skip the salted butter! I always use it, no matter the recipe, but in this three-ingredient wonder, it’s especially important for enhancing every flavor. This recipe is also wonderfully flexible, so don’t be afraid to get creative and swap in or mix different fruits for a fresh twist.

Give me any baked fruit dessert, and I’m happy, but cobbler—soft, buttery-browned topping with the fruit bubbling up beneath it—is heavenly. Be sure to check out these other enticing options, like Apple Honey Cobbler, Best-Ever Peach Cobbler, Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler, and the Ultimate Chocolate Cobbler.

Table of Contents

• What is Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Apple Dessert Recipes

What is Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix?

• Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix is a baked dessert featuring chopped apples topped with a mixture of boxed cake mix and melted butter.
  • Flavor: Mildly sweet, slightly caramelized apples with a buttery vanilla topping.
  • Texture: Tender apples, soft, crumbly, and crisp topping.
  • Great for: Weekday treat, dinner party dessert, easy cobbler to bake for a friend.
• Boxed cake mixes were born out of surplus ingredients—companies like General Mills and Pillsbury used their extra powdered eggs and flour to create “just add water” mixes. Homemakers loved the convenience, and now they’re often used in creative ways, like in this Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix, Blueberry Cobbler with Cake Mix, and Mixed Berry Cobbler with Cake Mix.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9-inch (23-cm) round baking dish
• Peeler
• Apple corer (optional)
• Knife

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Granny Smith apples

• I prefer to use Granny Smith apples here. Granny Smith apples have a bright flavor that balances the sweet, buttery topping.
• Importantly, Granny Smith apples soften but retain their shape while baking, ensuring your cobbler will be neither too soupy nor too firm.
• Other great apple varieties to use are: Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonathan.
• If you prefer a sweeter apple, use Honeycrisp.
• Substitute: Use an equal amount of firm varieties of pears, like Anjou or Bosc (make sure they’re not too ripe or the cobbler will be mushy).
  • Using half apples and half pears makes a lovely autumn cobbler.

Boxed yellow cake mix

• Yellow cake mix is the base for the topping.
• The cake mix contains flour, salt, baking powder, powdered milk, and sugar—just mix in melted butter.
• When you don’t use milk and eggs with boxed mix (as you would when making a cake), you get a wonderfully crumbly, crispy, streusel-like consistency. It’s gooey near the fruit, and crunchy on top.
• As a professional chef and someone who loves to bake from scratch, I also appreciate the convenience of cake mixes! We don’t always have the time to bake completely from scratch.
• Use a good-quality mix for this cake mix apple cobbler recipe, or make your own with my simple homemade cake mix recipe.
• Substitute: Use another cake mix flavor, like spice, butter pecan, orange, or white cake mix.

Butter

• Butter’s luxe, rich, slightly salty flavor creates a deeply flavored topping.
• Importantly, butterfat creates a wonderfully crumbly, crunchy texture in the apple cake cobbler topping.
• Additionally, the butter coats the flour, which prevents excess gluten formation. This yields a tender crumb.
• Substitute: Use an equal amount of melted coconut oil instead.

How to Make Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix

1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and set aside a 9-inch (23-cm) round baking dish.
2. Prep apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples into ½ inch (12 mm) pieces, then add to the baking dish.

3. Make topping: In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix with the melted butter until it clumps together. Crumble this evenly over the apples.

4. Bake until bubbling: Bake for 45-55 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are bubbling thickly. (If the crust begins to brown before the apples are soft and bubbling, cover with a piece of foil until baking is done.)

5. Serve and enjoy: Allow the cobbler to sit for about 10 minutes before serving while still warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Apple advice: I always like how Granny Smith apples cook down, but feel free to use your preferred baking apples or a combination of a few.
• Spice it up: If you like spiced apples, toss a teaspoon or two of cinnamon or apple pie spice over the apples.
• Perfect pair: This cake mix apple cobbler is lovely with homemade vanilla ice cream.
• Autumn spice: Try making this with boxed spice cake mix if you can find it.
• Layering tip: Spread the cobbler topping lightly and in an even layer, sprinkling it and taking care to cover all of the apples. Do not stir into the fruit.
• Tell-tale signs: The cobbler is done when the fruit is bubbling thickly, and the topping is golden brown.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead tips: 
  • You can assemble the cobbler in the pan, cover well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 12 hours until ready to bake.
• How to store leftovers:
  • Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, microwave briefly.

FAQs

Can I make this apple cobbler gluten-free?

• Yes, you can make this apple cobbler gluten-free.
• Simply use a certified gluten-free cake mix in the recipe.

Can I make this cobbler with other fruit?

• Yes, you can make this cobber with other fruit. 
  • Substitute all or half of the apples with firm pears (Anjou or Bosc varieties work well).
  • Use frozen peaches or peeled fresh peaches.
  • You can use fresh or frozen pitted cherries.
  • If you’d like berry cobbler, see my Blueberry Cobbler with Cake Mix or Mixed Berry Cobbler with Cake Mix recipes.

What are some mix-ins or different flavors I could use in this cobbler recipe?

• Sprinkle a handful of toasted, chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts on the top of the cake mix for a delicious apple dessert with more crunch.
• Add a handful of rolled oats to the cake mix for added heartiness.
• Mix a teaspoon of lemon juice or some lemon zest or orange zest into this easy apple cobbler recipe for a citrus note.
• Bump up the flavor with a teaspoon of cinnamon, mixed spice, or pumpkin pie spice.

What are some ways to serve Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix?

• A scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream is a natural, and Butter Pecan Ice Cream or Apple Pie Ice Cream would be fabulous as well.
• Serve with Creme Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce).
• This dessert would be lovely with whipped cream or crème fraîche whipped cream.
• Drizzle with Salted Caramel Sauce or Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.

More Apple Dessert Recipes

• Apple Snack Cake
• Perfect Apple Pie
• Microwave Mug Apple Crisp 
• Apple Cider Donut Cake
• Easy Apple Strudel

Try These Recipes!

Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers

Lemon Blueberry Pie

Blueberry Pie Cookies

Blueberry Cobbler With Cake Mix (3 Ingredients)