Is there any dessert more cozy, more comforting, or easier to whip up for a chilly evening than a classic, old-fashioned fruit cobbler, warm from the oven? This incredible, from-scratch Pear and Apple Cobbler, with its sweet and tart fruit filling bubbling under a soft, cakey topping, is the ultimate in simple, rustic comfort.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new go-to fall dessert. We’ll show you how to create a luscious, jammy filling with the perfect balance of sweet pears and tart apples, all seasoned with the coziest warm spices. The real secret, however, is the unbelievably easy, stir-together topping that bakes up into a beautiful, golden-brown, biscuit-like crust. Served warm with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream, this is a dessert that tastes like pure, unadulterated joy.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cozy Fall Dessert
What makes this Pear and Apple Cobbler so spectacular is its incredible simplicity and its wonderfully comforting, classic flavor. There is no fussy pie crust to roll out. The fruit filling is a simple, no-cook mixture that gets tossed together in one bowl. The topping is a brilliant shortcut, using self-rising flour to create a foolproof, tender, cake-like topping with minimal effort. It’s a rustic, show-stopping dish that is perfect for a weeknight family dessert or as an easy, crowd-pleasing addition to your Thanksgiving table.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Cozy Cobbler
This recipe uses a handful of simple, classic ingredients to let the beautiful seasonal fruit shine.
- The Fruit Duo (Apples & Pears): This is the sweet and tart heart of our cobbler. For the best result, you want to use firm varieties of both fruits that will hold their shape during baking and not turn to mush.
- Granny Smith Apples: A firm, crisp, and tart apple like a Granny Smith is the perfect choice. Its bright, acidic flavor is a beautiful contrast to the sweet topping.
- Bosc Pears: A firm, fragrant, and sweet Bosc pear is ideal for baking. It becomes wonderfully tender while still holding its shape.
- The Easy “Shortcut” Topping:
- Self-Rising Flour: This is the genius secret to an incredibly easy and foolproof topping! Self-rising flour is simply all-purpose flour that has already had baking powder and salt perfectly blended into it. It’s a fantastic shortcut that guarantees a beautiful, light, and tender result.
- The Spiced Whipped Cream: The perfect, cool, and creamy finish. A simple, homemade whipped cream is elevated with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, which beautifully complements the flavors in the fruit filling.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Pear and Apple Cobbler
Follow these simple, detailed steps to create this rustic and deeply satisfying dessert.
Step 1: Prepare the Apple and Pear Filling
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter or spray a 9×9-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the 2 1/2 cups of sliced Granny Smith apples, the 2 1/2 cups of sliced Bosc pears, the 3/4 cup of brown sugar, the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, the 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice, and the 1/4 teaspoon of table salt.
Add 2 tablespoons of the softened, unsalted butter and toss everything together until the fruit is evenly and thoroughly coated in the sugar and spice mixture.
Add the fruit mixture to your prepared baking dish and dot the top of the fruit with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Part 2: Make the Easy Self-Rising Flour Topping
In another medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of self-rising flour, the 1/2 cup of sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Add the 1 beaten egg and the 2 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter. Use a spoon or a fork to stir the mixture until it is just combined and a thick, slightly lumpy batter has formed.
Pro Tip: This is the classic look of a “cobbler”! Drop the topping in rustic, separate spoonfuls over the top of the fruit, leaving some small gaps in between. This allows the fruit to bubble up beautifully around the cakey topping as it bakes.
Part 3: Bake to Golden, Bubbly Perfection
Place your baking dish on a larger, rimmed baking sheet. This is a crucial step that will catch any potential drips from the bubbling fruit filling and will save your oven from a sticky, burnt-on mess!
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You’ll know the cobbler is perfectly baked when the fruit filling is hot and bubbling vigorously all around the edges and the topping is a beautiful, deep golden brown.
Let the cobbler cool on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes before serving. This important resting period allows the hot, jammy filling to cool down and set up slightly, making it easier to scoop.
Part 4: Whip the Spiced Cream and Serve
Just before serving, make the simple spiced whipped cream. In a large bowl, add the 1 cup of cold heavy whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, beat it for about 1 minute.
Add the 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar, the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and the 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
Continue to whip the cream mixture until it holds beautiful, soft peaks.
Serve the warm cobbler scooped into bowls, with a generous dollop of the spiced whipped cream and/or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The Best Cozy & Easy Pear and Apple Cobbler
A classic fruit cobbler featuring a sweet and spiced filling of fresh Granny Smith apples and Bosc pears. The fruit is tossed with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice and placed in a baking dish. The dessert is covered with a simple, drop-biscuit style topping made from self-rising flour and egg. The cobbler is baked until the fruit is tender and the crust is golden brown, then served with ice cream and a homemade spiced whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 43 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Filling:
- 2 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith apples
- 2 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced Bosc pears
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- For Serving:
- Ice cream
- For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, toss together the sliced apples, pears, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the softened butter.
- Add the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish and dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Make the Topping: In another bowl, combine the self-rising flour, sugar, salt, and beaten egg.
- With a spoon, drop the topping mixture in dollops over the fruit filling. Top the dollops with small pats of the 2 tablespoons of softened butter for the topping.
- Bake: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender and bubbly.
- Make the Whipped Cream: While the cobbler bakes, add the heavy cream to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and whip until the cream holds soft peaks.
- Serve the warm cobbler with a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of the spiced whipped cream.
Notes
- This recipe uses self-rising flour as a convenient shortcut for the drop-biscuit topping.
- The topping is a thick batter that is dropped by the spoonful over the fruit, not a crumbly streusel.
- A mix of both apples and pears provides a more complex flavor and texture to the filling.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Pear and Apple Cobbler is a wonderful dessert to have on hand for a sweet treat.
- Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked cobbler in your baking dish up to 24 hours in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the total baking time since it will be starting from cold.
- Storage: Store any leftover cobbler, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: You can enjoy leftovers cold or at room temperature, but it’s best when reheated. The best way to re-crisp the topping is to reheat the cobbler in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until it is warmed through.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This incredibly simple cobbler recipe is a fantastic base for all sorts of delicious fruit desserts.
- Add a Nutty Crunch: For a wonderful, buttery crunch and extra texture, you can add 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping mixture along with the flour and sugars.
- Add a Festive Cranberry Twist: For a beautiful color and a delicious sweet-tart flavor combination that is perfect for the holidays, you can toss in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries along with the apples and pears in the filling.
- Make it a Classic Peach Cobbler: In the summertime, this simple recipe is absolutely fantastic when made with about 5 cups of fresh, sliced peaches.
Enjoy The Ultimate Cozy Fall Dessert!
You’ve just created a truly perfect dessert that celebrates the simple beauty of fresh, seasonal fruit. This Pear and Apple Cobbler is a timeless classic for a reason: it’s incredibly easy to make, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and it is the taste of pure, homemade comfort in a bowl. It’s the perfect ending to any meal.
We hope you and your family love every warm, bubbly, and crunchy bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy fruit dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difference between a cobbler, a crisp, and a crumble?
It’s a delicious family of rustic, baked fruit desserts! A Cobbler, like this recipe, has a soft, biscuit-like or cake-like topping that is dropped in dollops over the fruit. A Crisp has a streusel-like topping that traditionally includes oats, which “crisp” up during baking. A Crumble is very similar to a crisp, but its topping is made without oats, just from flour, sugar, and butter.
Q2: Can I make my own self-rising flour if I don’t have any?
Yes, it’s very easy to make your own! For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, simply whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt. For this recipe, you would use 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
Q3: What are the best fruits to use for a cobbler?
The most important thing is to use ripe but still firm fruits that will hold their shape during baking and not turn into a mushy mess. For this recipe, a mix of firm-tart Granny Smith apples and firm-sweet Bosc pears is fantastic. This method is also wonderful with peaches, plums, apricots, blackberries, or a mix of berries.
Q4: Can I make this cobbler ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead dessert! The best method is to assemble the entire unbaked cobbler, cover it tightly, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This is a huge time-saver on a busy cooking day. Just remember to add a little extra time to the bake since it will be starting from cold.
Q5: My topping is pale and doughy on the bottom. What did I do wrong?
A doughy topping is usually a sign that the cobbler was slightly under-baked. Make sure that you bake it until the topping is a deep golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling vigorously all around the edges. If the topping is browning too quickly before the fruit is bubbly, you can tent the dish loosely with a piece of aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.