Easy Caramel Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
Made in one pan using just 10 basic ingredients, this easy and adaptable dump cake cobbler is a boon for busy weeknights!
Equipment
- 9x13 or Large Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- Nonstick Baker's Spray With Flour or butter and flour of choice
- 2.5 - 3 Pounds Apples of Choice (preferably sweet tart & firm) sliced ¼ inch thick, or 3 cans cinnamon apples with juices. Peeling optional.
- ½ Cup Maple Syrup
- ½ Cup Cinnamon Maple Caramel Sauce, divided or honey caramel, or the caramel sauce of your choice. For a cheaper option that has a dulce de leche vibe, use sweetened condensed milk.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom optional
- 1 Box Spice Cake Mix Or yellow cake mix with your preferred spice blend added! (2.5 teaspoons ought to do it)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or vanilla paste or powder, or half as much dried vanilla bean powder. optional, but deliciousl.
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract optional, but awesome.
- ¾ Cup Butter cubed small for scattering
- ½ Cup Sliced Almonds or chopped nuts of choice; optional if nut free.
- 2 - 4 tablespoon Water, if needed milk, cream, or apple juice work too!
- Ice Cream for serving. I recommend oatmeal cream pie ice cream, vanilla, caramel, pralines & cream, or anything else in the spice-caramel-vanilla-almond/nut neighborhood. Whipped cream is great too!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease 9x13 pan or large baking dish.Slice and spread the apples across the bottom of your baking dish.
- Top with ½ cup of maple syrup and ¼ cup of the caramel sauce, drizzling evenly across the surface.
- Evenly sprinkle the salt, spices, and extracts (if using) over top. Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes, until apples are starting to become soft.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Sprinkle the boxed cake mix evenly across the apple mixture, using the back of a spoon to make sure the apples are mostly even and there are no large pockets of cake mix without fruit nearby.
- Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the cake mix.
- Sprinkle on the almonds (if using). Dot evenly with butter.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and check for any dry spots. If you find any, drizzle on a little bit of water until the dry powder disappears. I used a scant 2 tablespoons. Applesauce, apple juice, or milk will also work!
- Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Allow the cobbler to cool completely to room temperature before wrapping well with plastic wrap. (Don't want bugs or prying fingers to disturb your masterpiece? Cover it lightly with a clean kitchen towel so the steam can escape, keeping the crisp, buttery edges of the cobbler topping from getting soggy.)
- Leftover cake mix cobbler can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- To extend the shelf life, refrigerate for up to a week.
- You can also transfer leftovers to an airtight container (or multiple single-serve containers) and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, transfer to an oven-safe dish and warm in a 300ºF oven or toaster oven for 6-8 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave it if you prefer, but the topping will lose any crispness if you do.
- Mix & Match Fruit. This easy cobbler recipe is quite adaptable. Want to make an apple cherry cobbler, apple cranberry cobbler, or apple pear cobbler? Be my guest! All told, you'll need 2.5-3 pounds of fresh fruit, or 3 regular-sized cans (~14.5 ounces) of fruit in their juices. Note that fresh cranberries will be extra tart—I recommend sticking to just a cup or so, or adding a bit of extra sugar for sweetness.
- Gluten-Free - Use regular non-stick spray or use your favorite gluten-free flour to butter and flour it. Then, just swap in your favorite gluten-free boxed cake mix!
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - Use plant-based butter and cake mix, and ensure your caramel sauce is vegan-friendly by using plant-based butter and cream.
- Nut-Free - Omit the sliced almonds and almond extract, and make sure your cake mix is nut-free. (Some are processed on the same equipment as nuts.)
- Shortcut - Don't want to deal with a knife? Turn this recipe into the easiest apple cobbler EVER using 3 cans of apple pie filling, cinnamon apple slices, or fried apples with their juices. (If you go this route, omit the maple syrup. You are welcome to keep or omit the spices.)
Nutrition
Calories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 4gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 606mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 4gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 499IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!