Easy Crescent Roll Apple Cobbler (Homemade Apple Pie Filling)

by Kayla Berman on September 7, 2022 3 comments

Crescent Roll Apple Cobbler is the ultimate fall dessert recipe! Made with pre-made canned crescent roll dough, fresh apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar … this simple treat is easy to make, ooey-gooey, and complete with a golden brown cobbler topping. Perfect for a quick weeknight dessert!

Love this recipe? Check out my Crescent Roll Peach Cobbler too.

Quick, Easy, & Delicious Dessert Recipe

Fall is quickly approaching us and as we all know fall is the season of all things pumpkin and apple. And I personally prefer the sweet and crunchy red fruit side of things.

Although, there is absolutely no arguing that pumpkin bread and chocolate chip pumpkin oatmeal bars are both delicious autumn treats.

But anyway, back to apple! I just love the elements in an apple dessert – warm cinnamon, ooey-gooey caramel sauce, buttery pie crust or puff pastry – the list could go on and on.

Crescent Roll Apple Cobbler has pretty much got it all! Think tender apples in a velvety cinnamon sauce topped with a golden brown, cinnamon sugar sprinkled dough. It is truly everything you need this fall.

Plus this simple recipe comes together in no time at all and is perfect for a weeknight dessert! A must make after a trip to the apple orchard. Or even just a trip to the grocery store.

For more easy recipes with crescent rolls check out my cinnamon monkey bread, ham & cheese roll-ups, and cinnamon rolls!

Ingredients

Apple cobbler with crescent rolls calls for only 6 simple ingredients! It is the perfect quick and easy treat for apple picking season.

Ingredient Notes

Crescent Rolls: You will need 1 can of crescent roll dough for this easy dessert. The pre-made dough makes the perfect top crust to this classic baked fruit dish. I love to use Pillsbury!
Apples: This recipe calls for 4 apples peeled and chopped. You can use whichever kind you like, but I prefer honey crisp.
Butter: Butter is used in multiple places throughout this dessert. You will need it in the homemade filling and on top of the crescent dough. 4 tbsp unsalted butter in total!
Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is the sweetener of choice here. It adds a rich and delicious sweetness! Add 1/2 cup + 2 tsp.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon! The key to any apple treat. You’ll need 1 tbsp + 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Or however much you’d like!
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used in this recipe to thicken up the apple filling and make it super ooey-gooey. 1 tbsp is perfect.
Water: Although not really an ingredient, you will need water for this recipe! It is used in the cornstarch slurry and is an element of the apple filling mixture.

Looking for more delicious apple-filled recipes? My Easy Caramel Apple Slices Sheet Pan or No-Churn Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream have got to be your next stop.

Substitutions & Additions

There are a few substitutions and additions you could make to this recipe for it to meet your personal preferences, tastes, or needs!

Fruit: You could switch up the fruit in this recipe for a totally different cobbler. Perhaps peaches or blueberries depending on the time of year!

Sugar: I have not tried it, but I think the light brown sugar could be easily swapped for white sugar here. Or even coconut sugar for a refined sugar free option!

Crescent Roll Dough: Although this recipe purposely uses crescent dough you could probably swap with a biscuit topping or even a pie crust if you’d like.

Spice: For more delicious fall flavor try adding apple pie spice. Or ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom which is what makes up the spice blend!

How To Make This Recipe

This apple dessert recipe is incredibly easy to make! You’ll make a quick and simple homemade apple pie filling, cover with pre-made refrigerated dough, and bake until bubbly and delicious.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Then add the fresh apples, butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a large pot on the stove over medium heat.

Step 3: Combine and let simmer for a few minutes until the apples are soft, but not mushy.

Step 4: Then combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl for the cornstarch slurry.

Step 5: Add the cornstarch slurry to the apple mixture. Combine. Let simmer and allow the apple pie filling to thicken.

Step 6: Then remove the apple mixture from the heat and transfer to a prepared large baking dish. Spread evenly.

Step 7: Top the apples in the dish with the crescent roll dough. You may need to trim and cut the sheet slightly to fit the exact size of your dish.

Step 8: Next in a small bowl combine the topping ingredients – melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Step 9: Spread the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top of the crescent dough.

Step 10: Then cover the dish with aluminum foil, place in the preheated oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes. The dough should be fully cooked through and golden brown on top. The top may look burnt, but it is just the dark color from the cinnamon.

Step 11: Remove from the oven, top with a scoop of ice cream, and enjoy!

unbaked crescent roll cobbler with cinnamon, sugar, and butter on top

Expert Tips

Chop the apples according to your liking. I did small pieces, but bigger apple slices would also work if that is what you prefer.

Prep the apple pie filling ahead of time. This will save time on the day you are baking or serving this dish. You could also use store bought apple pie filling for an even easier and quicker recipe.

Cut the crescent roll dough to fit the shape of your baking dish if needed. For example, I needed to round the corners so it would fit into my oval dish.

Add a second can of crescent rolls if you have a very large baking dish.

Make sure to cover the cobbler at first when baking. Otherwise the top of the dough will brown quicker than then the inside will bake. You’ll be left with an underdone topping!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-made apple pie filling?

Yes, totally! A pre-made or store bought apple pie filling should work perfectly here.

You would just skip all the steps up until placing the apple pie filling in the dish. After that, everything else should be the same.

What apples should I use for this recipe?

I always use honey crisp apples! They are my favorite apple to both eat and bake with.

But I think you could pretty much use whichever apples you’d like. Gala would be another great option.

Or you could even use more tart apples, like granny smith apples!

How to serve this recipe?

I recommend serving this recipe hot and fresh out of the oven. The dish will be perfectly bubbling and browned!

Add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of your serving and it will truly be the perfect fall dessert.

How to best store this recipe?

The best way to store this recipe is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last about 5 days!

Love this recipe? Check out more great recipes below…

More Apple Recipes

More Holiday Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this easy apple cobbler recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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