Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe with Cake Mix
I've made this apple cobbler every Fall seasons for the past few years, and using a boxed yellow cake mix instead of a homemade topping was actually something I stumbled onto by accident one busy weekend, then never went back! I tested it with a few different cake mix brands before landing on this one, since some bake up dry and this one gives you that golden, slightly crisp topping over soft, spiced apples every time. It's become one of those recipes I throw together on a Sunday afternoon when I want something that tastes like I spent hours on it, but really only took me a few minutes of prep. No one in my family has ever guessed it starts with a box, and once you make it, I don't think you'll go back to a from scratch topping either!
When it comes to baking, dry cake mix saves you time and energy in the kitchen, and it makes the most delicious dessert! Keep lots of different boxes of cake mix in your pantry so you can whip up a quick dessert in no time!
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Cake Mix Apple Cobbler Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy apple cobbler recipe! It's the perfect Fall dessert!
- Gala Apples. You will want 2 pounds of apples. That makes about 4-5 cups of apple slices.
- Brown sugar. To sweeten the apples just a little more.
- Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. To give this dessert that warm, Fall dessert taste.
- Cake Mix. One box of yellow cake mix, your favorite brand.
- Milk. Whole milk or your favorite non dairy milk works well.
- Melted Butter. ½ cup or one stick of butter.
Best Type of Apple To Use
You'll want to use sweet, firm apples. Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp are my favorite. We just went apple picking, so we have a bunch of Gala apples in my kitchen to use.
You can even do a mixture of apples, three Gala and three Honeycrisp would be really great! If you have more tart apples like Granny Smith apples, I'd add more sugar to offset the tartness of the apples.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Cake
- Homemade Applesauce
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
- Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bars
- Apple Streusel Sourdough Muffins
Equipment You'll Need
How to Make Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
Peel the apples and remove the core.
Easy Apple Cobbler Tips
- The cake batter will be very thick when you add it to the top of the apples. As the batter bakes, it will spread out and rise. Do your best to evenly spread the cake batter around the apples, but don't stress if it's a little uneven.
- The cake is done when the top starts to get brown. It should only cake 30 minutes, but keep an eye on the oven as all ovens are a little different.
- If you are using a firmer apple, it might take a little longer to bake. Cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top of the cake from getting too brown.
How To Serve This Apple Cobbler
- With a scoop of ice cream! Let the ice cream melt a little to give the apple cobbler a little sauce. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and apple desserts are a classic combination!
- With some homemade whipped cream! Then sprinkled with ground cinnamon.
- With caramel sauce! This will make this apple cobbler similar to a caramel apple. You can also add the caramel sauce right into the apples to make a caramel apple cake!
How to Store Apple Cobbler
To make this cobbler ahead of time, assemble it completely and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. Remove the plastic wrap and bake. You can assemble the cobble up to 24 hours in advance.
Once the apple cobbler is baked, allow it to cool to room temperature and then place any leftovers in an airtight container. The next day, scoop some of the leftover apple cobbler into a microwave safe small bowl and heat it for 1 minute.
You can also place the entire cooled baking dish in the refrigerator and bake it again if you have a lot of leftovers left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you don't have fresh apples in the house, you can use two cans of apple pie filling. Those cans are full of spices, so there's no need to add any extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. You'll have a delicious apple dessert with just cake mix, butter, milk, and canned apple pie filling.
Yes! Feel free to use spice cake mix, white cake mix, chocolate cake mix, or whatever your favorite cake mix flavor it! You can even use a gluten-free cake mix if you have it on hand.
More Cake Mix Recipes
- Peach Cake Mix Cobbler with Peach Pie Filling
- Pumpkin Bread with Cake Mix
- Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cake Mix
- Peanut Butter Cookies with Cake Mix
- Blueberry Muffins with Cake Mix
- Brownies with Chocolate Cake Mix
Did you make this recipe and love it?
If you did, don't forget to leave a 5-star review and comment below! Show me your creation on Instagram or Facebook. Just mention @Lynn'sWayofLife or use this hashtag #lynnswayoflife.
📖 Recipe
Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 6 Gala Apples 2 pounds
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup Butter Melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Set that aside.
- Peel the apples and remove the core. Slice the apples and place apples in a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice to the bowl and mix well until fully coated. Pour the apple filling into the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, add the boxed cake mix. Add the milk and melted butter and mix well. Pour the cake batter onto the top of the apples.
- Bake for 30 minutes of until the top of the cake mix is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The cake batter will be very thick when you add it to the top of the apples. As the batter bakes, it will spread out and rise. Do your best to evenly spread the cake batter around the apples, but don't stress if it's a little uneven.
- The cake is done when the top starts to get brown. It should only cake 30 minutes, but keep an eye on the oven as all ovens are a little different.
- If you are using a firmer apple, it might take a little longer to bake. Cover the top of the baking dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top of the cake from getting too brown.
Easy and delicious.
I do keep boxes of cake mix in my pantry and it came in handy to make this yummy recipe! I used Fuji apples and caramel sauce, and it turned out great! Thanks!
This is a great recipe when you need an easy dessert that tastes and looks like it was 100% from scratch. This cake mix hack is one I'm going to be using on all types of cobblers from now on!
We all loved your recipe for the apple cobbler. I had it with vanilla ice cream and my husband's with caramel sauce. Both amazing.
I am planning to have it for the holidays as it is super easy to make.
Thank you!
I loved this recipe but your advice to serve it with caramel really took it to the next level! I never would've thought of it but it's like a caramel apple!
What a smart (and yummy) shortcut -- I loved it with the pumpkin pie spice too!
So delicious and so easy! This will become a fall favorite around here!
Can you use spiced cake mix?
Definitely!