Make the best gluten-free apple cobbler with this timeless, old fashioned recipe! Gluten-free cobbler has an ideally sweetened cinnamon apple filling that bakes up juicy, tender, and perfectly thickened, thanks to an easy trick of adding a grated apple. It is topped with buttery, soft biscuit topping, easy enough for a GF baking novice to pull it off. I’ll show you how, step by step!

a serving of gluten-free apple cobbler in a white bowl with apples in the back ground

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Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cobbler Recipe

Apple season is here and we need to gather all the gluten-free apple recipes to justify the small fortune you just laid down at a U-pick orchard. (Guilty! The question is, why am I shocked every time…) If you want to put those apples to work, an old fashioned, homemade apple cobbler made gluten-free is your next win.

Similar to one of my other go-to fall recipes, better-than-Gramma’s (shh! 🤫) homemade gluten-free apple crisp with oat topping, this recipe has two parts to make one epic dessert. First, fresh apples are mixed with a little sugar and thickener for a juicy filling. I use an easy hack for a filling that isn’t over thick or runny – grate one of the apples to break down and naturally thicken while it bakes.

Next, it’s time to prepare the easy gluten-free cobbler topping. If those words intimidate you, don’t fret. The mix-and-drop biscuit topping has the buttery, slightly sweet taste of homemade gluten-free shortcake, but it’s easy to shape and pat over the apple filling.

This was such a great treat!! Haven’t had a cobbler since going gluten-free and this was so simple and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!

—Grey

Ingredient Tid Bits

Apple Filling: 

  • Apples – I prefer Golden Delicious, which bakes into a texture that softens, but still holds it shapes. It’s also great to use in cakes, like fluffy apple almond flour cake, or for roasted savory dishes, like maple mustard roasted apples and carrots.
  • Cornstarch – Used to thicken the apples, but there are a variety of gluten-free fruit thickeners. Replace the cornstarch with an equal amount of arrowroot or quick-cooking tapioca.
  • Butter – I’ve made this recipe with and without the melted butter in the filling. I like the creamy, rich punch of flavor it adds. For a dairy-free or vegan adaptation, substitute plant-based butter sticks or omit.

Cobbler Topping: 

  • Gluten-free all purpose flour – I use and recommend Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour, but if you have another preference check out the comments below where readers do a great job of adding their adaptations
  • Butter – For a dairy-free or vegan adaptation, substitute plant-based butter sticks.
  • Milk – Use almond milk for a dairy-free or vegan recipe

Let’s Make This Together!

(Note: This is a step-by-step tutorial with pictures. For more specific instructions, along with ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

Combine the apple filling

First make the apple filling by whisking together together sugar, brown sugar, water, vanilla extract, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Then add the chopped apples, and grated apple.

chopped apples in a large glass mixing bowl.

Partially bake filling

Most gluten-free cobbler recipes will bake everything all together, but I find this makes inconsistent results. The filling needs a lot longer than the cobbler topping to bake. Therefore, cover the apples with foil to create steam and quicken the process. Bake for 20 minutes while you prep the biscuit dough.

the apples partially covered with foil before baking.

Make the GF cobbler topping

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the chilled butter pieces to the flour mixture and use a pastry blender until only small, crumbly pieces remain. If don’t have a pastry blender, just use a fork or your fingers. It all works! Then use a spoon to stir in the milk until no flour pockets remain. You will have a stiff, yet soft, dough.

To eliminate any potential grittiness for GF flour blends, you can borrow a hack from old fashioned gluten-free chicken and biscuits – chill the dough for 20 minutes before scooping onto of the filling.

a pastry blender cutting into butter.
the cobbler topping in a glass bowl.

Pat and bake

Pat the biscuit dough into flat rounds and place them each on top of your fruit filling. It’s okay if the fruit is showing through. If you would like to add a little extra flavor and texture, use a pastry brush to brush milk over the tops of the biscuit batter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cobbler topping start to brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

biscuit dough on top of apple filling.

Recommended Dessert Baking Apples

With so many apple varieties out there, it’s hard to know which are best for baking! GF apple cobbler can be made with a variety of apples for diverse flavor and texture.

These apples are known to be good for baking or roasting. They hold their shape, and don’t turn mushy. My personal favorite to use for gluten-free apple desserts are Golden Delicious. They also have a perfectly balanced flavor, not too sweet or too tart, and hold their shape with baking. 

  • Honeycrisp
  • Granny Smith (these apples are tarter so may want to pair with something else)
  • Jonagold
  • Braeburn
  • Pink Lady
  • Golden Delicious (my personal favorite!)
overhead shot of cobbler with apples and red towel around

Why Grate an Apple For Filling

The trick of grating one apple in the filling with the chopped apples is a technique Cook’s Illustrated uses. The grated apple breaks down during baking, leaving the filling juices optimally flavored and thicken.

I’ve tried it both ways (because grating an apple is an extra step), but taking the time to grate an apple definitely makes the filling SO much better!

Using Canned Apple Filling

You may substitute canned apple pie filling, but fresh is best! If you want to save a step, and make cobbler with canned apple pie filling, use two 20 ounce cans. The crisp will be a lot sweeter, so you may also want to decrease the amount of sugar in topping. 

landscape view of apple cobbler in a white bowl with a spoon resting next to it

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a serving of gluten-free apple cobbler in a white bowl with apples in the back ground
4.74 stars (19 ratings)

No-Fail Gluten-Free Apple Cobbler with Biscuit Topping

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 9
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Make the best gluten-free apple cobbler with this timeless, old fashioned recipe! Gluten-free cobbler has an ideally sweetened cinnamon apple filling that bakes up juicy, tender, and perfectly thickened, thanks to an easy trick of adding a grated apple. It is topped with buttery, soft biscuit topping, easy enough for a GF baking novice to pull it off. I'll show you how, step by step!
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Ingredients
 

Apple Filling

Cobbler Topping

Equipment

Instructions
 

Apple Filling:

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease a 11X7 or 2 quart baking dish.
  • In a large bowl whisk together sugar, brown sugar, water, vanilla extract, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add chopped apples and grated apple. Stir to combine.
    ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 ¾ pounds (about 1.25 kg – 5 large) Golden Delicious apples,, 1 Golden Delicious apple
  • Transfer to prepared baking dish. Pour melted butter over top of apple filling. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cobbler Topping:

  • Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the chilled butter pieces to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut butter into the flour until small, crumbly pieces remain.
    1 ⅓ cup all purpose gluten-free flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup unsalted butter
  • Gently stir in the milk until no flour pockets remain. Pat the dough into flat rounds and place on top of fruit filling. It is fine if fruit is showing through.
    ⅓ cup (80 mL) milk
  • If desired, use a pastry brush to brush milk on top of biscuits and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until biscuits start to brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
    1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
  • Let cool for 30-60 minutes before serving. Filling will thicken as it cools. Serve slightly warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

 
Dairy-Free / Vegan Adaptations
Sub out the regular milk with your favorite dairy-free milk of choice and substitute the butter with either shortening or plant-based butter sticks, such as Earth Balance.
To serve, use a store-bought coconut whipped cream, such as CocoWhip, or make homemade coconut whipped cream. Supermarkets also carry many vegan / dairy-free ice cream options as well.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT COBBLER
  • Cover fruit cobbler with foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. It may also be refrigerated up to one week.
  • Reheat individual servings in the microwave.
  • To maintain texture, heat it in the oven. Allow it to come to room temperature. Bake at 250ºF for about 20 minutes or until warmed through. You may want to loosely cover with foil to prevent the biscuits from becoming overcooked.
  • To freeze, bake the entire cobbler and allow to cool completely. Wrap the cobbler tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and mark the date on the outside of the foil, and freeze for up to two months.
Calories: 305kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 187mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 394IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 1mg
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