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Close-up of golden-brown apple cobbler topped with whipped cream, fresh from the oven.

Easiest Sourdough Discard Apple Cobbler Recipe

This sweet treat comes together quickly using sourdough discard for a tender, slightly tangy topping that pairs perfectly with crisp apples.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple, apples, bowl, cobbler, cream, ingredients, recipe, recipes, Sourdough, sugar
Prep Time: 9 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 44 minutes
Servings: 0
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

For the Apple Filling:

  • 7 medium Granny Smith or other good baking apples peeled and sliced (about 8 cups)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ cup apple juice or water
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (110 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour or milled wheat
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted

For the Sourdough Cobbler Topping:

  • 1 ½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour or fresh milled wheat--SEE TIPS
  • ½ cup (100 grams) sourdough discard or active sourdough starter
  • ½ cup rolled oats 60g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (white sugar) 100g
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes or grated
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 9X13-inch baking dish, or a cast iron pan. In a large mixing bowl toss the sliced apples, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, allspice, water (or apple juice), cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, butter, and flour.
  • Place the apples in a cast-iron pan or skillet and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until apples are slightly soft. Apples should be slightly tender but not super soft!
  • While the apples are cooking, in another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, and sugar.
  • Grate or cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the sourdough starter, buttermilk, and vanilla.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. It should be a thick, slightly sticky dough.
  • Scoop dollops of the cobbler dough evenly over the slightly cooked apples. It doesn’t have to cover them completely--gaps are fine!
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges.
  • Serve warm, optionally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or your favorite ice cream) or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Notes

    • Apples: Good varieties include Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, or a mix.
    • Add-ins: You can toss in a handful of raisins, cranberries, or chopped pecans with the apples if you like.
    • Coconut sugar can be used in place of cane sugar.
    • If using fresh milled wheat in place of all purpose flour, I would highly recommend using a soft white wheat berry variety milled on the pastry setting for best results. It will give the crumble a softer texture.