When you're in need of a super fast, somewhat healthy dessert, look no further than this recipe for an easy (and adaptable) Apple Cherry Cobbler using protein pancake mix. With just 10 minutes of active time, you can have this semi-homemade, 100% delicious fruit cobbler ready to serve. Bonus points if you serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
This quick and simple dessert recipe has become a favorite at my house. Warm fruit is shrouded with a golden, lightly crisp cobbler topping and finished with a scoop of ice cream for a dessert that hits ALL the notes: sweet and tart, hot and cold, soft and crispy. Oh, and it can be made with basically any fresh or frozen fruit that you happen to have on hand.
Table of Contents
The Grocery Hack - Protein Pancake Mix
We've established that I am a complete addict when it comes to groceries, right? Well, then, it should come as zero surprise to any of you that I just couldn't resist buying the obscenely large 4.5 pound box of Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix when it was on sale for just $8 at Costco a few weeks ago.
Yes, that comes out to something like 120 servings of pancakes. It was only about 50% more expensive than what I would pay for a box less than a third of the size. NEVER YOU MIND that Joe and I eat pancakes or waffles only once in a blue moon and we don't have any children. This was a deal that I just couldn't pass up!
As a result, I've been testing out lots of new, fun ways to use pancake mix in my day-to-day kitchen operations. I've figured out how to make microwave muffins, a tasty coffee cake and plenty of variations on pancakes and waffles. Honestly, it feels like anything that Bisquick style baking mix can do, Kodiak can do healthier.
But so far, the recipe that has tickled me the most when using the protein pancake mix has been this super easy (and endlessly adaptable) apple/cherry/berry/fruit cobbler recipe.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Equipment
This recipe is super flexible and relies on mostly pantry staples. Here's everything you'll need:
It might *look* like a lot of ingredients, but keep in mind that this fruit cobbler recipe is SUPER flexible. There are a ton of additions or swaps you can make, including the following:
- Pancake Mix: As stated above, I'm currently working my way through an absolutely ungodly amount of Kodiak Cake mix. That said, I also tried this cobbler topping recipe using the Aldi Aunt Maple's brand pancake mix and it turned out great as well. I have a feeling that any pancake mix, protein or otherwise, will yield gorgeous results.
- Fruit: The dessert that I photographed for this post happened to be an Apple Cherry Cobbler, but don't feel pigeonholed with your fruit choices. So far I've also made an apple cranberry, an apple pecan and a mixed berry cobbler using the same method, all with delightful results. At the end of the day, as long as you use about 2 ¼ - 2 ½ pounds of fruit, you should be good!
- Sugars: I use both white and brown sugar in this recipe, but you can get away with using just one or the other. Just note that if you use brown sugar in the topping, the biscuits will end up just a little softer because of the extra molasses. You can also swap in a cup-for-cup sugar alternative like Lakanto Monkfruit or Swerve if you're limiting added sugar. I do not recommend using a liquid sweetener.
- Flour: In this instance, the flour is acting as a thickener for the fruit base. If you are gluten free, you can substitute equal amounts of a gluten free AP flour mix, cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
- Lemon: I use both the juice and zest of a lemon to add some brightness and acidity to the fruit base. If you don't have lemon on hand, feel free to experiment with lime, orange, or even grapefruit instead!
- Butter: If you don't know already, I only buy salted, and preferably cultured, butter. That might sound bougie AF, but I really love butter and I really love salt. If you use unsalted butter, consider adding ½ - 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the topping mix.
- Cinnamon, Vanilla: These flavors are merely suggestions. Feel free to omit the cinnamon, or play with a mix of other warming spices. Ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice are all tasty options. Vanilla adds a depth of flavor, but isn't necessary. I could also see subbing in some almond extract (especially with a raspberry filling!), lemon extract or maple extract. I urge you to play around with this one.
If you're dealing with fruit that needs slicing - e.g. apples, pears, peaches, plums - you'll need to grab your Chef's Knife and Cutting Board. Other than that, you'll need a baking dish, measuring cups, a mixing bowl or two and a fork or spoon. Told you this was a simple recipe!!
How to Make Fruit Cobbler
This recipe is so freaking simple, it's impossible to mess up even if you're having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Make the Fruit Base
Preheat the oven to 375F.
If necessary, peel and cut your fruit into appropriately sized slices or bites. Add to a medium sized mixing bowl.
Toss the fruit with lemon juice, zest, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon and vanilla (if using). Mix well.
Make the Topping
Stir together the pancake mix and sugar until well mixed.
Cut in the pieces of butter using a pastry cutter or fork (or even getting in there with your hands!). When the butter and dry mixture looks coarse and sandy with a few larger pieces, it is ready.
TIP: Make sure your butter is cold for this process!
Add the milk, stirring until just incorporated.
Assemble
Spray a pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the fruit mixture to the base. Be sure to get any of the flavorful liquid that has leeched off.
Drop cobbler topping evenly over the fruit base. Spread it if you prefer more even coverage, or leave it in pockets if you prefer larger pieces of biscuity topping running through it.
TIP: If you leave the topping in thicker, concentrated areas, be sure to check with a toothpick before removing from the oven. The batter will take longer to cook through this way!
Bake and Serve
Bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden brown and cooked through.
TIP: If your topping is browning too quickly, lightly tent a piece of foil over it while still allowing any steam to escape.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Spoon out into bowls and top with ice cream, whipped cream or even a drizzle of cream. Dig in and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Best: So far in life, I've made cobblers with apples, pears, berries and stone fruits like cherries, peaches and apricots. I haven't met a single combination of those fruits that I don't like in a cobbler.
The Unknown: I haven't worked with more tropical fruits like fresh mango, pineapple or kiwi in a cobbler yet, but that's a massive oversight on my part, because I'd bet they'd be delicious. Oooh, and I could add some shredded coconut to the topping!
I also recommend moving forward with caution if you opt for starchier fruits like bananas and plantains. While I'd bet a banana cobbler would be yummy, I have a feeling you'll need a different filling recipe, perhaps one that incorporates more liquid into the mix.
The Probably Nots: All in all, I have a feeling that *most* fruits will work for this cobbler recipe. The only possible exceptions I can think of right now would be watermelon, as it has far too high of a liquid content.
Absolutely! Just note that you should increase the flour by a heaping tablespoon for each 10-12oz bag of frozen fruit that you use.
In my opinion, fruit cobbler is best on the day it is made. The high moisture content of the filling causes the topping to lose the delightful but fleeting bit of crisp it has when it's still fresh. That said, you can absolutely make it ahead of time. It should last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, it is best to use the oven as it gives the crisp topping a little refresh. Microwaving will still yield yummy results, but the consistency will be all very one-note.
I don't see why not! Just substitute a vegan pancake mix like BirchBenders Plant Protein or Kodiak Plant Based Mix. Swap in vegan butter and your preferred alternative milk that you've thickened with 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Need more simple dessert recipes using store bought cheats? I've gotcha covered:
If you tried this recipe for my Easy Apple Cherry Fruit Cobbler, let me know how it turned out for you! I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Easy & Adaptable (Apple Cherry) Fruit Cobbler
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 3 large Apples see notes
- 10 oz Cherries see notes
- 1 Lemon juice and zest, see notes
- ¾ C Brown Sugar
- ¾ C Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Flour or sub gluten free AP flour, cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon optional
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract optional
Cobbler Topping
- 1 C Protein Pancake Mix
- ½ C Granulated Sugar
- ½ C Butter cold
- ½ C Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. If necessary, peel and cut your fruit into appropriately sized slices or bites. Add to a medium sized mixing bowl Toss the fruit with lemon juice, zest, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon and vanilla (if using).
- Stir together the pancake mix and sugar until well mixed. Cut in the pieces of butter using a pastry cutter or fork (or even getting in there with your hands!). When the butter and dry mixture looks coarse and sandy with a few larger pieces, it is ready. TIP: Make sure your butter is cold for this process! Add the milk, stirring until just incorporated.
- Spray a pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the fruit mixture to the base. Be sure to get any of the flavorful liquid that has leeched off. Drop cobbler topping evenly over the fruit base. Spread it if you prefer more even coverage, or leave it in pockets if you prefer larger pieces of biscuity topping running through it. TIP: If you leave the topping in thicker, concentrated areas, be sure to check with a toothpick before removing from the oven. The batter will take longer to cook through this way!
- Bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes, until the topping is deeply golden brown and cooked through. TIP: If your topping is browning too quickly, lightly tent a piece of foil over it while still allowing any steam to escape. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Spoon out into bowls and top with ice cream, whipped cream or even a drizzle of cream. Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
- In total, you should have about 2.5 lbs of fruit. Read blog post for more information on what fruits would make good subs!
- I used 12 oz of frozen cherries in this recipe, which means I needed to add an extra heaping tablespoon of flour to thicken the filling.
- Can I make this cobbler using frozen fruit? Absolutely! Just note that you should increase the flour by a heaping tablespoon for each 10-12oz bag of frozen fruit that you use.
- Can you make fruit cobbler ahead of time? In my opinion, fruit cobbler is best on the day it is made. The high moisture content of the filling causes the topping to lose the delightful but fleeting bit of crisp it has when it's still fresh. That said, you can absolutely make it ahead of time. It should last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, it is best to use the oven as it gives the crisp topping a little refresh. Microwaving will still yield yummy results, but the consistency will be all very one-note.
- Can I make vegan apple cherry cobbler? I don't see why not! Just substitute a vegan pancake mix like BirchBenders Plant Protein or Kodiak Plant Based Mix. Swap in vegan butter and your preferred alternative milk that you've thickened with 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
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