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A bowl of Air Fryer Apple Cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream sits next to a baking dish of cobbler, with serving spoons and a light cloth nearby.

Air Fryer Apple Cobbler

Air Fryer Apple Cobbler is one of my favorite fall desserts because it tastes like the old-fashioned, homestyle treat but bakes way faster in the air fryer. The warm, cinnamon-spiced apples are topped with a golden, biscuit-like topping that gets soft and cake-like with crispy edges, creating those cozy fall flavors without heating up your oven. I make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, fall potlucks, weekend baking, and dinner parties because it feeds a crowd and always disappears fast. It stays fresh for 3 days in the fridge or freezes well for up to 2 months.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air Fryer Apple Cobbler
Servings: 8
Calories: 312kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Topping:

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
    2 tablespoons butter
  • Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, or until the apples soften.
    4 apples, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • Transfer the apples to the greased baking pan.
  • In a bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar.
    ¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Add buttermilk, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking until smooth (small lumps are fine). Add the milk gradually, it should be a bit runny.
    ½ cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup milk
  • Pour the topping over the apples in big chunks. Sprinkle cinnamon or vanilla sugar on top and swirl gently with a butter knife - try to expose some of the apples, this will yield different textures.
    2 tablespoons cinnamon or vanilla sugar
  • Place in the air fryer and bake at 160ºC (320°F) for 50 minutes, until the top is golden and apples bubble at the edges. Cover with foil halfway if browning too quickly.
  • Serve warm with ice cream.
    Ice cream

Notes

Here are my top tips to guarantee your air-fried cobbler comes out golden, flavorful, and perfectly textured.
  • Don't skip the lemon juice: It brightens the filling and cuts through the sweetness of the brown sugar and spices.
  • Use room temperature buttermilk: Cold buttermilk can cause the melted butter to solidify into lumps. Let it sit out for 15 minutes before mixing.
  • Expose the apples: Don't smooth the batter completely flat. Swirl it and leave some apple pieces exposed so they caramelize and create texture contrast.
  • Check at 25 minutes: Every air fryer runs differently. If your cobbler's browning too fast, tent it with foil and continue baking.
  • Reheat in the air fryer: The microwave works for quick reheating, but the air fryer brings back that crispy top texture, making it taste freshly baked after just 8 minutes at 160°C.
  • Flash cool for cleaner slices: If you want neat squares instead of scoops, let the cobbler cool completely before cutting, since warm cobbler tastes amazing but tends to fall apart.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg
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