Go Back
Print

Apple Cranberry Cobbler Recipe

Piping hot, fresh, and festive, this Apple Cranberry Cobbler is an easy to make, delicious addition to your holiday festivities! Serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla bean ice cream, the biscuity topping will soak up all the creamy goodness.
*I've included two ways to prepare this recipe: in an 8x8 (20x20cm) baker or four, 10 oz (283g) ramekins.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Apple Cranberry Cobbler
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 Generous Servings
Calories 460kcal
Author Traci York

Ingredients

Cranberry Mix:

  • 1 cup ( 90 grams) Cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 1/3 cup (70 grams) Apple Cider or Bourbon or a mix of both* unsweetened apple juice may be used (see note)
  • Two Star Anise
  • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar light or dark
  • 1/2 Vanilla Bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Mix:

  • 3 (550 grams) Large Baking Apples like Jonagold, Gala, Honeycrisp (after dicing, about 4 cups / 400 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar light or dark
  • 1/2 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  • 4 tablespoons (56 grams) Unsalted Butter

Tender Dough Topping:

  • 1/4 cup (55 grams) Granulated Sugar I use organic cane sugar
  • 3/4 cup (115 grams) All Purpose Flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (200 grams) Heavy Whip Cream
  • 1 tablespoon Turbinado or Sanding Sugar for finishing, optional

Instructions

Macerate the Cranberries:

  • Place the cranberries in a large mixing bowl with the bourbon and/or apple cider, star anise and brown sugar. Scrape out the vanilla bean and put the beans and pod in the cranberry mixture. Stir, cover and set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours.

Prep the Baking Vessel(s):

  • Take 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and spread it on the bottom and sides of four, 10 oz (283g) ramekins OR an 8x8 inch (20x20cm) baking dish. If baking in ramekins, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat, set aside.
  • Preheat Oven: Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven. If baking in ramekins, preheat to 400 fahrenheit (204 celsius). For an 8x8 inch baking dish, preheat to 350 fahrenheit (180 celsius).

Prep The Apples and Filling:

  • Remove the vanilla pod and anise from the cranberry mixture (TIP: rinse and dry the vanilla pod overnight, then add it to your sugar container for vanilla sugar).
    Peel, core and dice the apples into about 1/2 inch (12mm) pieces. Transfer the diced apples to the bowl with the cranberries.
    To the apples/cranberry bowl add the lemon zest, juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Gently stir the mixture well coating all the apple pieces with the liquid. Set aside.

Make The Dough:

  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Add the heavy whip cream and stir gently just to incorporate the ingredients until no dry patches remain. Do not over work the tender dough. It will be a shaggy mess, very moist and sticky.

To Assemble:

  • Place the apple mixture into the baking vessel(s), dividing fruit equally among the ramekins OR spreading into an even layer in the baker (be sure to pour all the juice in too!). Cut the remaining butter into small cubes and dot evenly on top of the fruit.
  • 8x8 Baker: Dollop and spread the dough over the fruit mixture - the dough doesn't need to completely cover the fruit.
    Ramekins: Dollop the dough equally over the fruit in the ramekins. Pack it down if needed. The ramekins will be full, but the fruit mixture will break down as it bakes.
  • Sprinkle the top of dough with raw or turbinado sugar if using.

To Bake:

  • 8x8 Baker: Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350F. Start watching the crust at about 30 minutes.
    Ramekins: Set the ramekins on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400F. Start watching the crust at about 18 minutes.
    You want a golden brown crust. If it starts getting too dark, place a piece of foil loosely over the top. The cobbler is done when a tooth pick inserted into the center of the dough comes out clean and the edges are bubbly.
  • Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes before serving. This allows the fruit juices to thicken further. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

To Store:

  • Cool completely, then store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Rewarm, covered, at 350F in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Notes

*Bourbon, Just a Little or Not: You can make this with all bourbon, a mix of bourbon and apple cider or all apple cider (or unsweetened apple juice). It depends on taste and who you're sharing with. Using all bourbon yields an assertive bourbon forward flavor, where as a mix of cider and bourbon produces a more mellow bourbon flavor. Using all apple cider or apple juice is a delight too! 
I recommend an oven thermometer and weighing your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for best outcome. Use the scoop and sweep method for volume measurements if a scale is unavailable. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 2mg