The combination of warm, lightly spiced apples topped with squares of flaky pastry and a drizzle of caramel sauce makes Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler an undeniably delicious dessert.
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What makes Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler so good?
This Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler recipe reimagines your favorite apple pie as a lighter and more rustic treat that is still totally satisfying. The soft, sweet, and tart apples contrast wonderfully with the crispy pastry squares and gooey caramel sauce.
Made with basic ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can whip up Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler whenever you are in the mood for something fresh and comforting.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler is a dish that is good enough for any celebration but easy enough to make for a weekday family meal. This recipe is perfect for those who are trying to cut their calories since you can enjoy the spiced apples without the caramel sauce and add fewer pastry squares.
Check out the Recipe variations section below for ways to tweak the cobbler,
Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler ingredients
For the pastry squares, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- White sugar
- Unsalted butter, cold
- Salt
- Water
- Whole milk
For the spiced apples, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Golden Delicious apples
- Lemon juice
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
If you don’t have Golden Delicious apples, you can use your favorite baking apples.
For garnish, you’ll need:
- Caramel sauce
How to make Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler
To cook the apples:
- Scrub the apples well and core them. Don’t peel the apples.
- Slice the apples into 3/8 inch wedges and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat.
- Spread the apple slices evenly on the bottom of the skillet.
- Sprinkle the lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt over the top of the apples.
- Cover and cook the apples for about 15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Gently stir in the ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Taste the apples, adding more sugar, lemon juice, or spices to the apple mixture as necessary.
To make the pastry squares:
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, unsalted butter, one tablespoon of white sugar, and salt. Pulse until the dough resembles coarse bread crumbles.
- Add four tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough forms a ball.
- Place the dough on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
- While waiting for the dough to chill, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle the size of a baking tray.
- Transfer the dough rectangle onto a lightly greased baking tray.
- Brush the dough with milk and sprinkle with a tablespoon of white sugar over the top.
- Cut the dough into 2 x 2-inch squares.
- Bake until the pastry is lightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
To assemble the apple cobbler:
- Spoon the spiced apples into a serving bowl.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apples and top with a few pastry squares.
Recipe variations
The standard version of this apple cobbler is great, but if you want to get a bit creative, try experimenting with the following changes:
- Swap the apples. Replace the Golden Delicious apples with Granny Smith apples for additional tartness or Braeburns for their fresh apple taste and slight pear-like flavor that adds depth to the cobbler.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or while vanilla is a classic, salted caramel or butter pecan would also be perfect choices.
- Add a splash of bourbon. You only need a little to impart the spirit’s flavor.
- Make a double batch of the apples. The Cracker Barrel Fried apples are a wonderful side dish or can be used as apple pie filling or over pancakes and waffles.
What to serve with apple cobbler
This Cracker Barrel Apple Cobbler recipe goes well with just about any meal, but it really shines when paired with Southern-style entrees like:
Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy. This hearty dish of battered and fried steak covered in creamy white gravy is comforting and filling. Serve with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes for a classic Southern meal.
Mustard Pork Chop. Quick, easy, and inexpensive, Mustard Pork Chops make a great weekday meal. Since you prepare the dish in the oven, you can make enough for the whole family while spending time with your family instead of babysitting dinner.
Fried Chicken. A great piece of fried chicken is tough to come by, but this copycat Cracker Barrel Fried Chicken recipe is probably as close as you can come to perfection. The light and crispy seasoned breading will make you forget about your favorite chicken restaurant.
How to store leftovers
Cool the apples and place them in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the pastry squares separately in an airtight container on the counter. Gently heat the apples in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a bit of butter. Assemble the cobbler and serve warm.
How long does it last?
The cooked apples and pastry squares should keep up to three days.
Favorite copycat Cracker Barrel copycat recipes for desserts
- Banana Pudding
- Campfire S’more
- Carrot Cake
- Cherry Chocolate Cobbler
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Cinnamon Roll Pie
- Coca Cola Cake
- Pumpkin Custard
Popular apple recipes
Check out more of my easy recipes for desserts and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes on CopyKat!
Cracker Barrel Southern Apple Cobbler
Ingredients
Cobbler crust
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 8 ounces cold butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar divided use
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon milk
Cinnamon apples
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 golden delicious apples cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Garnish
- 2 to 4 tablespoons caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the cobbler crust, combine the flour, butter, salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resemble a crumble. Add the water and pulse a few more times until the dough becomes a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle. Brush with milk and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- To make the cinnamon apples, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the apples evenly over the bottom of the skillet and sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until tender and juicy. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and extra lemon juice if desired.
- To assemble, divide the apples into 4 small serving dishes and drizzle with caramel. Place 4 pieces of pie crust around the apples in each dish and serve.
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