Craving warm apple pie without all the work? This Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cobbler combines tender cinnamon-spiced apples with golden, fluffy biscuit pieces and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce, finished with a touch of sea salt. With just 5 main ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep, it’s an easy fall dessert for busy weeknights, holidays, or last-minute entertaining. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate sweet-and-salty treat.
Made for those moments when you want a homemade-tasting dessert without starting from scratch, this easy apple cobbler uses canned apple pie filling and refrigerated biscuits to keep prep to about 10 minutes. Cinnamon-spiced apples bake beneath tender, golden biscuit pieces, then everything gets finished with caramel sauce and coarse sea salt for an irresistible sweet-and-salty contrast. Serve warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.
Quick Look: Easy Apple Cobbler
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: About 24 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: About 34 minutes
- 🍎 Servings: 8
- 🥫 Shortcut: Canned apple pie filling + refrigerated biscuits
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Just 5
- 🍏 Flavor: Buttery, cinnamon-spiced, caramel-rich, and sweet with a salty finish
- ✨ Texture: Soft, saucy apples with fluffy, golden biscuit pieces
- ⭐ Difficulty: Very easy
- 🍳 Equipment: Large oven-safe skillet or 9×13-inch baking dish
- 💡 Why This Recipe Works
- This Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cobbler takes two smart shortcuts—prepared apple pie filling and refrigerated biscuit dough—to create the cozy flavors of apple pie without making pastry or peeling apples. Cutting the biscuits into smaller pieces helps them bake throughout, while arranging everything in a single layer with some space between the biscuit pieces gives the dough room to rise and become golden instead of dense or underbaked.
- The finishing combination of caramel sauce and coarse sea salt balances the sweetness and gives an otherwise simple cobbler a more indulgent flavor.
- 🍨 Serving Idea: Serve the cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream so it melts slightly into the apples and caramel. For another easy fruit dessert, try my Lazy Man's Peach Cobbler.
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Ingredients
- Apple pie filling – Use 2 (21-ounce) cans of apple pie filling or topping. This is the main shortcut that keeps the recipe quick and easy.
- Ground cinnamon or apple pie spice – Use 1 teaspoon to boost the warm fall flavor of the apples.
- Refrigerated biscuits – Use 1 (16.3-ounce) can and cut each biscuit into quarters so the pieces can puff and cook through evenly.
- Caramel sauce – Drizzle your favorite caramel sauce over the cobbler after baking, preferably just before serving.
- Coarse sea salt – Sprinkle lightly over the caramel for the signature sweet-and-salty finish.
Optional: You can stir 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice into the apple filling, but only if you are not baking the cobbler in a cast-iron skillet.
How to Make Easy Apple Cobbler
1. Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large cast-iron skillet or a 9×13-inch baking dish with unsalted butter and set aside.
2. Mix the apple filling: In a large bowl, combine the apple pie filling with the cinnamon or apple pie spice. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice, but only if you're not using a cast-iron skillet.
3. Add the biscuits and bake: Gently fold in the refrigerated biscuits, each cut into quarters. Transfer the mixture to the prepared skillet or baking dish and arrange it in a single layer, leaving enough space for the biscuit pieces to rise. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed, golden brown, and fully cooked through.
4. Add the salted caramel finish: Remove from the oven and, while the cobbler is still warm, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
FAQ About Easy Apple Cobbler
Both are baked fruit desserts, but the topping is different. Apple cobbler uses biscuit dough or a batter-like topping, while apple crisp is typically topped with a crumbly mixture of flour, butter, sugar, and sometimes oats. This easy version uses refrigerated biscuits as a shortcut.
Look at the biscuits rather than relying only on the baking time. They should be puffed, golden brown on top, and fully cooked in the centers, while the apple filling should be hot and bubbling around them.
The biscuit pieces may have been crowded together or not baked long enough. Cut each biscuit into quarters and arrange everything in a single layer with some space between the pieces so hot air can circulate and the dough can rise and cook through.
Apple cobbler will naturally be quite saucy while it's piping hot. Allow it to rest for several minutes after baking so the filling can settle and thicken slightly before serving.
You can, although its texture is best freshly baked. If making it ahead, bake the cobbler and refrigerate it once cooled. Wait to add the caramel sauce and coarse sea salt until serving so the biscuit topping doesn't absorb the caramel while sitting.
Yes. Once cooled, cover leftovers and refrigerate them for up to 3 days, as directed in this recipe.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave for convenience, or warm a larger amount in the oven until heated through. Add fresh caramel sauce and coarse sea salt after reheating.
For this particular recipe, I don't recommend freezing it. The refrigerated biscuit topping can lose its best texture after freezing and thawing. Refrigeration is the better option for leftovers.
Vanilla ice cream is the classic pairing—the cold, creamy ice cream contrasts beautifully with the warm cinnamon apples and biscuits. Whipped cream is another simple option. Since this cobbler already has caramel sauce, it doesn't need much else.
Absolutely. Use a 9×13-inch baking dish instead. In fact, if you're adding the optional lemon or lime juice from the recipe, use the baking dish rather than cast iron because the acidic citrus can react with the iron.
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Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe (5 Ingredients)
Equipment
- skillet
- oven
Ingredients
- 2 21 oz cans apple pie filling or topping
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
- 1 (16.3 oz can refrigerated biscuits, cut each into fourths or quarters
- your favorite caramel sauce to drizzle
- coarse sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large cast iron skillet or large rectangular baking dish (13 x 9-inch) with unsalted butter; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the apple pie filling with the cinnamon or apple pie spice. If you would like, you can mix in one teaspoon of fresh lemon/lime juice -- but only if you are not using a cast iron skillet.
- Then, gently mix in the pieces of biscuits. Pour mixture into the prepared skillet or baking dish, making sure to arrange everything into a single layer in such a way that biscuits will have space to rise. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are puffed, golden brown, and fully cooked.
- Remove skillet/baking dish from oven, drizzle with caramel sauce, and sprinkle a bit of coarse sea salt on top. Serve Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cobbler warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Let it rest before serving: Give the cobbler about 5–10 minutes after baking. The filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven and will settle slightly as it rests.
- For neat servings: Use a large serving spoon rather than trying to cut the cobbler into squares. Make sure each portion gets both apples and biscuit pieces.
- Adjust the salted finish to taste: If your caramel sauce is already salted, taste it first and use little or no additional coarse sea salt.
- Serving temperature matters: This cobbler is best warm rather than piping hot—the apple filling thickens slightly and the flavors are easier to appreciate after a short rest.
- Using a glass baking dish: Avoid placing a cold glass dish directly into a hot oven. Let the dish come closer to room temperature first to reduce the risk of thermal shock.
Nutrition
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Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
I remade this Easy Apple Cobbler while updating the recipe, and I had forgotten just how much you can get from only a handful of ingredients. The apples are warm and cinnamon-spiced, the biscuit pieces bake up soft and fluffy, and that little sprinkle of coarse sea salt really makes the caramel flavor pop. My favorite way to eat it is warm after a short rest, with vanilla ice cream melting over the top. It’s exactly the kind of shortcut dessert I want when I’m craving something cozy but don’t want to spend hours baking. — Valentina
Can’t wait to try it I like anything baked with apples. So this is def my kinda thing!
Can't wait to try this!!! Looks so yummy
I hope you do and enjoy. My family loves this cobbler!
Simply yum! so delicious. Sweet and salty is such a great combination
Yummy.. i like a salted caramel apple pie cobbler. This is very delicious. Nice step and recipes.
Thank you!! Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear Denise! May life give you and your family all the happiness you most certainly deserve!
As for the recipe, it was awesome! 🙂 And totally versatile as well!
Sending you lots and lots (and lots) of hugs!
xoxoxo
Thanks a ton, dear friends!!!!! I had a great day... and ate super delish things. 🙂 Sending our love!
Happy happy Birthday my sweet friend. Wish you lots of happiness and everything you desire. Once again another super recipe. Makes me want to go back to Fall though I'm more of a Spring person. Can't wait to try!
Thank my dear friend!!!! I had a wonderful day. This dessert was quite simple to make and so delicious.
Amazingly simple and all the flavors of fall too! When we we kids, a favorite camping treat was to fry the refrigerator biscuits and then roll them in cinnamon sugar. It was fabulous! Just like having fresh donuts at the camp site.
Pumpkin is good at this time of the year, of course, but apples really get my attention. This looks wonderful! Loads of flavor, and it looks great. Thanks!
Today is 6 September in Australia so let me be the first to say Happy Birthday. I'd be more than happy to share this delicious Cobbler with you - it looks fantastic
Anna, my dear, thank you so much for the b-day wishes and love. I am so thrilled to have you as a friend and fellow blogger. Sending hugs from TX. xx