Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler
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Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler is a taste of autumn wrapped up in a warm apple dessert. It's crunchy, sweet, and contains your favorite fall flavors for holidays and special occasions. It tastes like a cross between an apple cobbler and a pecan pie!
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Why You'll Love It
- easy recipe
- simple ingredients
- amazing caramel flavor
- perfect fall dessert
- a holiday favorite!
Recipe Spotlight
Ever wonder how some cobblers have crusts that never get crunchy on top? Well, that won't happen with Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler. The caramel drizzle creates a crunchy crust that tastes just like a pecan pie!
This super easy dessert will satisfy your craving for tart apples and homemade caramel sauce. Making caramel apples is fun, but involves many steps. Adding the same ingredients to a cobbler provides similar results without all of the work.
You'll love the caramel bits weaved throughout this easy dessert recipe. It's even better topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Your entire family will give it rave reviews!
Ingredients
These basic ingredients can be easily found in your local grocery store. They resemble a caramel apple dump cake recipe, but the results are surprising!
See recipe card for quantities.
- apple pie filling - can substitute fresh apples if desired
- ground cinnamon - the perfect spice for fall
- pecans - roughly chopped, or use sliced almonds
- dry yellow cake mix - can use spice cake mix for stronger flavor
- brown sugar - base for the caramel sauce
- heavy cream - provides richness and depth
- salted butter - blends with brown sugar to make the caramel
- vanilla extract - flavor enhancer
How to Make Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler
Start by emptying two cans of apple pie filling into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix apple pie filling with a dusting of cinnamon in the bottom of the baking dish.
Cover the top of the apples with half of the caramel sauce (recipe below). Sprinkle half of the pecans over the caramel.
Sprinkle half of the dry cake mix over the top. Save the rest of the cake mix for another recipe.
Drizzle melted butter over the cake mix. Using a knife, mix the butter in with the dry cake mix, then top with the rest of the pecans.
Finish by pouring the rest of the caramel sauce over the entire cobbler. Use the back of a spoon to spread the caramel evenly on top.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until the crust is crunchy.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
- To make homemade caramel sauce, simply melt butter in a saucepan, stir in brown sugar and heavy cream.
- Stir well over medium heat until it begins to bubble and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Caramel sauce will thicken as it cools to room temperature.
- If you have extra caramel sauce, it tastes great over a scoop of ice cream!
Recipe FAQS
If you want to make this recipe even quicker, it's perfectly fine to use store bought caramel sauce in a jar. I've done it both ways, and the results are equally amazing. Either way it creates a delicious dessert, and saving time is never a bad thing!
Absolutely! If you want to peel and slice the apples beforehand for homemade fresh flavor, go for it! If you choose this route, you'll need to cook the apples in a skillet until they're soft before adding them to the recipe.
Variations
- substitute a spice cake mix or white cake mix if desired
- use sliced almonds instead of pecans
- make it with peach, pumpkin or cherry instead of apple filling
- add sea salt to the top to create a salted caramel apple cobbler
- make your own homemade apple pie filling
Serving Suggestions
This is a great caramel apple cobbler to serve with whipped topping or vanilla bean ice cream. It's rich, dense and decadent.
If you're in charge of the dessert for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas this year, you'll make everybody happy with this delicious treat!
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed throughout.
Caramel pecan cobbler can be frozen for up to 3 months when kept in an airtight container or vacuum sealed for freshness. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven.
More Apple Desserts
Before you know it, Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler will disappear and you'll be craving another cozy dessert! Try some of my other popular apple recipes...
- Fried Apple Crisp
- Monkey Bread Apple Cobbler
- Apple Walnut Dump Cake
- German Chocolate Caramel Apples
- Fresh Apple Cake
- Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
Recipe Card
Caramel Apple Pecan Cobbler
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
FILLING
- 2 (15 ounce) cans apple pie filling
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans (halved)
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) box yellow cake mix (halved)
- 1 stick butter melted
HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Empty 2 cans of apple pie filling into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
- Cover the top of the apples with half of the caramel sauce (recipe below). Sprinkle half of the pecans over the caramel.
- Sprinkle half of the dry cake mix over the top. Save the rest of the cake mix for another recipe.
- Drizzle melted butter over the cake mix. Using a knife, mix the butter in with the dry cake mix, then top with the rest of the pecans.
- Pour the rest of the caramel sauce over the entire cobbler. Use the back of a spoon to spread the caramel evenly on top.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until crust is crunchy.
HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in brown sugar and heavy cream.
- Stir well over medium heat until it begins to bubble and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Use as directed in filling above.
Notes
- You'll only need half of a dry cake mix for this recipe. Save the other half for another dessert.
- Can substitute store-bought caramel in a jar if desired.
- Caramel sauce will thicken as it cools to room temperature.
- Serve cobbler with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped topping for an amazing dessert!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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I just made the caramel sauce. It is really yummy, and so much easier than my usual caramel.
I am going to try the whole dish at Thanksgiving. It looks delicious!
Thanks!
Woo Hoo! So glad it worked for you! I kept a little of it in the fridge...and I sneak a bite every now and then. It reminds me of the pralines in Charleston. 🙂
This is absolutely yummy. I love how crunchy the topping is. Never had anything like it.
I just discovered your blog and can’t wait to try so many of the recipes! This apple dessert was a 5 ⭐️ with my family! I knew we needed a good comfort meal on this cold day so I made chicken and dumplings followed with this yummy apple goodness. It was easy using the canned apple filling and so good!
Hi Sonya! Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I'm so glad you found me too! You picked a great recipe to try! Let me know if you have any questions in the future. 🙂
This is perfect for fall!
It sure is! So glad you like it!
Apple, Caramel and Pecans? I can't wait to make this! Looks absolutely 'scrummy' as Cheri Beri would say!
Thank you Mary! It's one of my favorites and it's so easy to make!