Soft, warm apples bubbling away under a fluffy sourdough topping might just be one of the cosiest desserts imaginable. This Sourdough Apple Cobbler in a Slow Cooker is comforting, simple and wonderfully low effort, with warm spice, tender fruit and a soft cake-like topping that practically begs for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Honestly, this recipe was born out of desperation. We spent over two months redoing our kitchen, which meant I had exactly two ways to cook: a slow cooker and a single electric ring. Absolute chaos for anyone obsessed with sourdough baking.
So naturally, I started experimenting with ways to keep making sourdough recipes without an oven, and this slow cooker sourdough apple cobbler ended up becoming one of my favourite accidental creations.
No slow cooker either? Try our Stovetop Sourdough Apple Upside Down Cake (No Oven Needed)!
Recipe Highlights
TEXTURE: Soft apples, fluffy topping
WHAT'S SPECIAL: Oven-free sourdough dessert
TOP TIP: Always use a tea towel under the lid
SEB'S RATING: Never skips the ice cream
Sourdough Cobbler Topping
Cobbler means slightly different things depending on who you ask.
Some people think of a fruit filling topped with little biscuit or scone-like pieces of dough. Others picture a softer batter-style topping that bakes up somewhere between cake and pudding. Personally, I love both versions.
My Strawberry Sourdough Cobbler uses a more traditional biscuit-style cobbler topping, but after testing it in the slow cooker, I realised it simply didn't work as well. The underside stayed soggy and dense because of the trapped moisture from the crockpot lids.
So for this slow cooker apple cobbler, I switched to a softer batter. It cooks through much more evenly in the slow cooker environment, staying moist without becoming gummy. The result is somewhere between a fluffy sponge and a traditional cobbler topping, and it works beautifully with warm apples and cosy spices.
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you will need for this great recipe for crockpot apple cobbler:
- Apples. Fresh apples work best here. Granny Smith apples give a lovely tart contrast, while sweeter varieties like Honey Crisp or Red Delicious create a softer, sweeter apple dessert. The best apples are the ones you have on hand, truly!
- Cinnamon and sugar. Cinnamon adds warmth and classic cosy flavour. Adjust the sugar depending on how sweet your apples are. You can also use brown sugar here.
- All-purpose flour and baking powder. Plain flour and baking powder create a light, fluffy topping rather than a dense cake mix-style cobbler.
- Butter. Use cold unsalted butter rubbed into the flour mixture. It helps create a soft, tender texture.
- Sourdough discard. Use reasonably fresh discard. Very old, highly acidic discard can make the batter thinner and add too much sourness.
- Egg and milk. These loosen the batter and help the topping cook through gently in the slow cooker.
You'll find the full ingredient list, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Add the chopped apples, cinnamon, sugar and 5 tablespoon of water to the slow cooker bowl and mix well. Turn the slow cooker onto HIGH while you prepare the topping.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and sugar.
3. Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger buttery pieces remaining. It will be buttery and lumpy.
4. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the egg, sourdough discard and milk until smooth.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently until combined into a batter. It will be lumpy and thin (ish)/ pourable.
6. Pour the cobbler topping over the apples, aiming to spread it fairly evenly across the surface.
7. Place a clean kitchen towel underneath the lid before covering the slow cooker. This helps absorb condensation and stops water dripping onto the batter.
8. Cook on HIGH for 1½-2 hours, depending on your slow cooker. The topping should feel set, lightly golden around the edges and pulling away slightly from the sides.
9. Serve immediately while still warm.
Serving Suggestions
Freshly made slow cooker apple cobbler is definitely best served warm. That's when the apples are soft and syrupy, and the topping is at its fluffiest.
We love it with:
- a big scoop of vanilla ice cream
- pouring cream or double cream
- warm custard
- crème fraîche or Greek yogurt for a little tang
It's the kind of delicious dessert that feels perfect for cosy evenings, lazy Sundays or family gatherings during autumn and winter.
Tips For Making Cobbler in a Slow Cooker
- Cook on HIGH. Low heat creates too much steam and can leave the topping dense or soggy. Higher heat helps the batter set properly. Plus, you get better rise.
- Use fresh-ish sourdough discard. Overly old discard tends to become more acidic and runnier, which can affect both flavour and texture.
- Always use a cloth under the lid. Slow cookers create a lot of condensation. A kitchen towel under the lid absorbs excess moisture and prevents water droplets from ruining the cobbler topping.
- Some slow cookers run cooler than others. If the topping still looks wet after 2 hours, simply continue cooking a little longer. Slow cooker timings can vary quite a bit.
- This recipe doesn't scale well. Doubling the recipe in the same size slow cooker usually leads to uneven cooking. It only works well if you have a much larger base surface area.
- Fresh is best. Like many crockpot recipe desserts, this tastes best freshly made. Leftovers are still delicious reheated in the microwave, but the topping softens considerably by the next day.
More Sourdough Apple Recipes
If you love cosy apple dessert recipes and easy ways to use sourdough discard, there are plenty more sourdough apple bakes to try next, from sourdough apple cake and sourdough apple muffins to soft enriched loaves full of warm spice flavours.
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Sourdough Discard Apple Cobbler In A Slow Cooker
Equipment
- 3.5 L (3 Quart) Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 450 g (1 lb) apples peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 10-20 g (1-1½ tablespoon) granulated sugar depending on the sweetness of the apples
- 5 tbsp water
Sourdough Cobbler Topping:
- 60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 g (3½ tablespoon) unsalted butter cold
- 60 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 100 g (~½ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Instructions
- Place the cubed apples, sugar, cinnamon and water in a bowl of a slow cooker. Mix and set slow cooker on high whilst you prepare the cobbler topping.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugar.
- Rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse wet sand (some larger bits of butter are ok). It's a very buttery mixture, so work quickly before the butter melts between your fingers.
- In a separate bowl or a jug, whisk the egg, sourdough discard and milk until combined.
- Pour the sourdough mixture into the butter crumbs and fold gently to combine. It will be lumpy, and that's perfectly fine!
- Pour the batter on top of the cinnamon apples, aiming to distribute the mixture evenly.
- Use a kitchen towel under the lid of the slow cooker to stop condensation drips from falling onto the batter, as the cobbler cooks.
- Cook on HIGH for 1.5-2 hours, depending on the slow cooker. The topping should be firm, and the sides brown and pulling away from the sides of the slow cooker bowl.
- Serve warm as soon as it's cooked with cream, custard or a scoop of ice cream!
Nutrition
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