Apple Pandowdy

8 servings

Funny name, serious—and seriously easy—dessert. This apple pandowdy recipe is so delicious that we're just going to have to say...cobbler: You’ve been warned.


Basically Butter
Basically Apple Pink Lady
Basically Dark Brown Sugar
basically ingredients flour
Basically Vanilla Extract
Basically Cinnamon
basically ingredients kosher salt
Basically Lemon
Basically Ginger
Basically Puff Pastry
basically ingredients granulated sugar
Basically vanilla ice cream


Basically Tablespoon
Measuring SpoonsBuy
Basically Cup Measures
Measuring CupsBuy
Basically Small Saucepan
Small SaucepanBuy
Basically Vegetable Peeler
Vegetable PeelerBuy
basically equipment cutting board
Cutting BoardBuy
basically equipment chefs knife
Chef's KnifeBuy
basically equipment large bowl
Large BowlBuy
basically equipment microplane
Basically 3 qt Baking Dish
3-Qt. Baking DishBuy


  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cook 6 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until bubbling and golden, about 5 minutes; set aside.

  2. Prepare your apples: Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from apples. Stand them upright and slice down along core, working all the way around to remove big lobes of flesh. Cut lobes lengthwise into 1" pieces (irregular shapes are fine). Discard peel and cores. Transfer apples to a large bowl.

  3. Add ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. flour, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 2 tsp. cinnamon, and ½ tsp. salt to bowl with apples.

  4. Using a microplane or fine rasp grater, grate zest of ½ lemon over apples. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from zested half over apples, catching any seeds. Using peeler, remove peel from ginger, then grate over apples.

  5. Toss apple mixture until combined, then transfer to a shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Drizzle all but 2 Tbsp. brown butter over apples.

  6. Dust cutting board with a light coating of flour and unfold puff pastry on floured surface. Dust top with flour. Cut puff pastry into irregular 1" pieces (any shape is fine).

  7. Arrange pieces of puff pastry over apples, overlapping but spreading to cover almost completely. Brush pastry with remaining brown butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

  8. Bake pandowdy until pastry is puffed and golden around edges, 25–30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake until juices are thick and bubbling and pastry is brown all over, 30–35 minutes longer.

  9. Using a spoon, press pastry down into warm juices (but don’t submerge); let cool slightly.

  10. Serve pandowdy warm with ice cream.

    apple pandowdy
  11. Do Ahead: Pandowdy can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool. Cover loosely with foil and store at room temperature. Reheat uncovered in a 200° oven 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe by Claire Saffitz
Photos by Alex Lau
Reviews Section
5 out of 5
Love how easy this was to make- the videos for each step were a big help!
5 out of 5
Really, really delicious and super easy recipe. I will definitely be making this again, and the apple filling portion would be an amazing apple pie / or crisp filling as well.
5 out of 5
This is divine! I wish I had found this recipe years ago. Goodbye pie
5 out of 5
too fantastic to not do.. will try just because..thanks


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