A Skillet Cobbler with Homemade Caramel
Soft baked apples, homemade caramel, and a buttery vanilla topping make this a rich, comforting dessert. The chopped pecans toast on top, adding a little crunch to each spoonful.
The caramel is what brings the filling together. It mingles with the juices released by the apples as they bake, making a sauce that’s especially good spooned into a bowl while still warm. I serve mine with brown sugar vanilla ice cream and a little extra caramel.
Let the Caramel Do Some of the Sweetening
Quite a few caramel apple cobbler recipes start with a heavily sweetened apple filling, then add caramel and a sweet topping. I wanted the apples to have a little tartness left.
Here, the filling gets two tablespoons of brown sugar along with the homemade caramel. There’s enough sweetness to make it dessert, while still letting the apple flavor come through. The topping is lightly sweetened, too, leaving room for an extra drizzle of caramel at the table.
The sauce is a simple combination of butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt. It comes together right in the skillet, so there’s no separate saucepan to wash. Reserve some for serving, then toss the apples into what remains.
Apples with a Little Bite
I like tender baked apples that still feel like apples. A firm, crisp variety gives this cobbler some texture beneath the soft topping.
Granny Smith brings a tart contrast to the caramel. Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady are good choices, too. You can use what you have or combine varieties for a balance of sweet and tart.
The apples go into this cobbler raw. Cut into small, even pieces, they cook in the caramel as the topping bakes above them.
Bring Out the Ice Cream
Give the cobbler about fifteen minutes to settle after it comes out of the oven. It will still be warm, but the caramel and apple juices will have a chance to thicken before you spoon it into bowls.
I made brown sugar vanilla ice cream to go with mine, and that combination is worth making room for. Plain vanilla is lovely, too. Finish with a little reserved caramel and enjoy it while the ice cream starts melting around the edges.
Caramel Apple Cobbler with Pecans
Ingredients
For the caramel sauce
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the apples
- 3 cups peeled cored apples, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Fall Spice Blend or pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the batter
- 1 cup 120 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping
- 3 tablespoons chopped raw pecans
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.
- Combine the caramel sauce ingredients in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sauce reaches a gentle boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- While the caramel heats, mix the brown sugar, Fall Spice Blend, flour, and salt for the apples in a bowl. Add the diced apples and lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated.
- Leave ½ cup caramel sauce in the skillet, transferring any extra to a heatproof container for serving. Add the seasoned apples and their juices. Gently stir to coat them in the caramel, then spread into an even layer.
- In another bowl, whisk together the batter flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the melted butter, milk, and vanilla together. Gently stir into the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains. A few small lumps are fine.
- Spoon the batter evenly over the apples and gently spread it across the filling. Sprinkle the pecans over the batter.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, beginning to check at 30 minutes. The topping should be golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake topping should come out without wet batter.
- Let the cobbler rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with the reserved caramel sauce and ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- Choose a firm, crisp apple that holds its shape when baked, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. Use one variety or mix tart and sweet apples.
- Use my Fall Spice Blend or your favorite pumpkin pie spice.
- Use raw pecans; they toast as the cobbler bakes.