Cake Mix Apple Cobbler
This warmly spiced apple cobbler combines tender fresh apple slices with prepared pie filling, then finishes the fruit with a buttery yellow cake-mix crumble. The dessert bakes until the topping is golden and the apple mixture bubbles around the edges.
Pin it to remember it!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch for thickening
- 2 cans apple pie filling 21 ounces each
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 5 –6 large apples peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch slices
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon preferably freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice optional but recommended
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool slightly
- 1 box yellow cake mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cobbler from adhering to the pan.
- Place the sliced fresh apples in a medium mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Toss thoroughly until the apple slices are evenly covered with the sugar-and-spice mixture. Allow the apples to rest while the remaining layers are prepared.
- Distribute the canned apple pie filling evenly across the bottom of the greased baking dish. Arrange the seasoned fresh apples over the pie filling, spreading them into a uniform layer.
- Combine the yellow cake mix with the melted, slightly cooled butter. Stir with a fork only until coarse, crumb-like pieces form. Avoid excessive mixing, which may produce a heavier topping.
- Scatter the cake-mix crumble evenly over the apples. Leave a few small openings across the surface so steam can escape during baking.
- Transfer the dish to the preheated oven and bake for 35–40 minutes. The cobbler is ready when the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is visibly bubbling along the edges.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the cobbler to stand for 10 minutes. This resting period helps the filling thicken slightly before serving.
- Serve the cobbler warm directly from the baking dish, accompanied by vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Lemon juice is optional, although it adds brightness and balances the sweetness of the apple filling.
Duncan Hines yellow cake mix and Comstock apple pie filling may be used for results consistent with the original recipe.
Should the topping darken too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil during the final 10 minutes of baking.