Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler

My very own Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler, picture this: a layer of juicy apples snuggled beneath a blanket of cinnamon swirl pastry.

It’s a classic dessert with a twist. Think of apple crisp, but instead of the crumbly topping, we use cinnamon swirls! Oh my gosh, it is just so yummy!

Full of apples and cinnamon and butter – it’s just too good, and the smell of it baking is to die for.

It’s an easy recipe, too – we use premade pie crust, so you’ll have this easy apple cobbler in no time. 

Ingredients

You’ll find all the ingredients to make this cinnamon apple cobbler in your local grocery store:

• Apples: For the apple filling, I like to use McIntosh for its sweetness, but feel free to use Granny Smith apples if you like.
• Pie crust: Buy premade from the frozen section. Tastes just the same as making it yourself. 
• Butter: For that beautiful texture and richness. Use unsalted butter. 
• Sugar: We use dark brown sugar here for its richness. 
• Cinnamon: A bit of spicy warmth in the cinnamon rolls. 

Apple Filling Timesaver

It’s apple season, and you’ve bought lots of fresh apples for cheap. 

What to do with all these juicy apples?

Turn them into Freezer Apple Pie Filling. 

That way, you’ll always have filling on hand for your apple desserts, while also saving time and money. 

No need for an oversweet can of apple pie filling filled with preservatives – my recipe is the healthier option. 

How to make Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler

Follow these simple instructions to make this easy apple cinnamon roll bake. See the printable recipe card below if you need more help.

Step 1: Prep your pan and apples

To get started, thoroughly grease your baking pan with cooking spray.  

I use glass baking pans as I like the way they cook my desserts – I just love how evenly they cook everything. 

Now prepare your apples by peeling and coring them.

That’s the biggest job of making any baked apple dessert, right? 

I use an apple peeler – they’re so much fun to use and so easy to peel apples with!

We’re preparing the apples in the same way you would for a traditional apple crisp. In this case, I had McIntosh apples on hand – they were a little on the small side, so I used ten.

Step 2: Make the apple filling

Next, in a large mixing bowl, add a cup of white sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a quarter cup of cornstarch or flour (whichever you have on hand is fine). 

The purpose of this mix is to add a bit of thickening so that your apples don’t run all over the place! We want a nice thick serving of cinnamon swirl apple cobbler.

I call it a cobbler because, without the crispy, crunchy topping, it doesn’t feel right calling it an apple crisp.

If you have a large batch of apples – take a look at my Freezer Apple Pie Filling recipe. 

Step 3: Roll out the cinnamon roll dough

So now we have the fun part. 

With your pastry thawed, roll it out into a large rectangle almost the size of the pie crust you’ll need, so I would say around 12 in.

You can see I used my pastry mat – if you don’t have one, do yourself a favor and get one, it’s so helpful when rolling out pie crust. I also squared off the pastry dough with my pastry cutter.

Step 4: Butter and sugar the dough

Once your dough is rolled out, brush it with a quarter cup of melted butter, ensuring it’s coated well. You really want to brush the pastry well because the melted butter will hold the brown sugar and cinnamon in the next step.

Mix half a cup of brown sugar and another teaspoon of cinnamon, and spread all that lovely brown sugar and cinnamon on top of your pastry.  You are now ready to roll it up into a nice tight roll.

Step 5: Create the swirls and assemble the cobbler

Now, using a pastry slicer or a pizza cutter, slice the roll into individual slices that are about a quarter inch thick and lay the slices on your pastry mat. 

I just flatten them with my fingers. I think that makes it easier to handle them; just make sure your pastry mat is well-floured so that these lovely little cinnamon swirls don’t stick to the mat.  

Cover your apple filling with these cinnamon swirl pieces, and make sure it’s all tight and fully covered. 

Don’t worry about the apples not having a chance to breathe cause there are lots of little nooks and crannies in the top – the steam will be able to get out.

Step 6: Brush and bake

Next, brush the top with an egg yolk mixture. This helps the pastry to achieve that beautiful golden glow we all want. 

Heat your oven to 350 F, and bake your cobbler for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown.

Now I have a fast oven, I typically put it in for less time, and that way, I know I’ll be safe. If I need to add 5 or 10 minutes at the end, I’m ok to do so.

Step 7: Add the glaze

While your cobbler is baking, you can mix up some glaze using icing sugar and water. 

For this recipe, let’s use a cup of icing sugar or powdered sugar and put it in a small bowl. Add one to two tablespoons of water, and mix well – It takes very little water to make a nice thick icing sugar glaze. 

Once you’ve made that up, put it aside until your Cinnamon Swirl Apple Cobbler is baked.  Let the cobbler cool on a cooling rack or a large cutting board for about 15 to 20 minutes until it’s at room temperature.

You can then drizzle that lovely icing sugar glaze all over, giving it the look of a cinnamon bun!

Expert Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler tips

Follow these expert tips, and your cinnamon roll apple bake will be perfect every time.

• Juicy Filling: Pile the apples high in the pan – they always shrink down when they cook. This is the easiest way to get a thick and juicy filling.
• Tart Apples: A good apple for this recipe is a tart apple like the Pink Lady. Its slightly sour note works well with the sweet pastry and glaze.
• Sweet Balance: Speaking of sweet, if you like sweet apples, go for it! Just remember to use a little less sugar in the recipe.
• Lemon Juice: Want to prevent your apple filling from turning brown? Sprinkle some lemon juice on your apples as soon as they’re cut. The vitamin C in the juice will keep your apples looking fresh.
• Crust Control: Keep your apple pie filling from shrinking away from your crust. To do this, lightly press your apple filling down in the pan before adding your crust on top. This has been a favorite tip among my students for years!

How to serve

Oh, the joy of serving up cobbler recipes!

A warm slice, fresh from the oven, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over it. It’s a classic combination, really – the cool, creamy ice cream with the warm, spiced cobbler.

But don’t stop there! Ever tried it for breakfast? It’s actually a delicious breakfast treat when paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea. 

For an easy apple dessert, you can serve it just as it is, or get creative by adding a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce. And if you’re feeling extra indulgent, another scoop of ice cream wouldn’t hurt!

How to store

Now, if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, here’s the best way to store them.

Simply let the cobbler cool to room temperature. Then cover your baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.

You can then keep it in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready for a slice, just warm it in the oven or microwave.

Where did I get my inspiration for this recipe?

I always like to have dessert on hand in case I have guests over. Just this past week, I was cooking our turkey dinner to celebrate the Christmas holidays (we actually had our turkey dinner on boxing day).

I wanted to make a delicious but very easy dessert recipe, and typically when it’s frightfully cold outside, I turn to comfort food.

One of my favorite recipes to make is Apple Crisp. I don’t even need to look at the recipe anymore as I’m able to just make it up as I go along! 

Typically I use a traditional apple crisp topping and that’s brown sugar, flour, and lots and lots of melted butter – I also had some leftover pie crust in the freezer that I wanted to use.

I’ve been seeing on Facebook and social media lots of posts about the cinnamon pastry pie crust that folks are using with their apple pies.

So I came up with this recipe – using cinnamon swirls for the topping!

You might also like…

I love baking with apples, and often try out vintage recipes, like our Apple Pandowdy! We also use this same basic pie crust recipe to make our delicious cinnamon roll pie crust on our famous Dutch Apple Pie.

I’ve got a whole set of apple dessert recipes right here. These are my favorites:

• Harvest Apple Galette
• Mom’s Apple Pie
• Dutch Apple Pie with Cinnamon Pie Crust

Final thoughts

So that’s it. Pretty easy, and it was so delicious! We had our boys for dinner that night, and they just ate it all up with big scoops of vanilla ice cream! Of course, we got to have leftovers 🙂 that’s the best part of cooking a big dinner!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the Pie Lady Bakes community! We’re all about sharing easy-to-make vintage recipes that remind us of the ones our moms and grandmas used to make.

If you haven’t already, you can sign up for my weekly email newsletter using this link. It’s absolutely free, and you’ll never miss out on any of my new recipes.

See you soon!

Judy

★★★★★ 

If you’ve made this delicious Cinnamon Swirl Apple Cobbler, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Be sure to give us a 5-star rating!

★★★★★ 

Share with friends!