Houston’s Restaurant may have closed its doors, but its legendary apple walnut cobbler lives on in the hearts and memories of devoted fans. This beloved dessert combined tender cinnamon-spiced apples with crunchy walnuts, all topped with a buttery cookie crumb crust that created the perfect textural contrast. Now you can recreate this restaurant favorite in your own kitchen with this faithful copycat recipe that captures every delicious detail.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to Houston’s apple walnut cobbler lies in using canned apples packed in water rather than syrup. This allows the natural apple flavor to shine while the added spices and brown sugar create the perfect sweetness level. The cookie crumb topping provides a delightful contrast to the tender fruit filling, creating layers of flavor and texture that make this dessert a Houston’s signature.
Ingredients
For the Apple Walnut Filling:
- Canned sliced apples – Use apples packed in water for clean, natural flavor
- Water – Helps create the perfect filling consistency
- Chopped walnuts – Adds crunch and nutty richness throughout the cobbler
- Cinnamon – Provides warm spice that complements the apples perfectly
- Nutmeg – Adds subtle warmth and depth to the spice blend
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and balances the sweetness
- Melted butter – Creates richness and helps bind the filling
- White corn syrup – Adds glossy sweetness and prevents crystallization
- Brown sugar – Provides caramel notes that pair beautifully with apples
For the Cookie Crumb Topping:
- Salt – Balances sweetness in the cookie topping
- All-purpose flour – Forms the base structure of the cookie topping
- Baking powder – Creates a slight lift for a tender cookie crust
- Cold butter – Essential for creating the proper crumb texture
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a golden color
- Egg yolk – Provides richness and helps bind the dough
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor profile
Instructions
Preparing the Apple Walnut Filling
- Combine filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add canned apples, water, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, melted butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar.
- Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed.
- Check liquid consistency. If there isn’t enough apple juice from the can, add a little water to achieve proper consistency.
- Set aside while preparing the cookie crumb topping.
Making the Cookie Crumb Topping
- Prepare food processor by cutting cold butter into four equal pieces.
- Process butter and wet ingredients. Add butter pieces, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk to food processor. Process until well blended.
- Add dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the processor. Blend until all ingredients are mixed well and dough forms a ball quickly.
- Chill the dough. Remove from processor and place between waxed paper. Chill just long enough so dough can be rolled out without sticking to wax paper.
Assembly and Baking
- Prepare a baking dish. Spray an 8″x11.5″x2″ baking dish with oil spray.
- Add filling. Pour the apple walnut mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
- Roll out topping. Roll the chilled cookie dough between two pieces of waxed paper to fit the baking dish.
- Cover with topping. Carefully place the rolled cookie dough over the apple walnut filling.
- Bake at 375°F for 20-24 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Chef’s Notes
The key to authentic Houston’s flavor is using apples packed in water, not syrup. Musselmans and Lucky Leaf are reliable brands that carry this product. If you can’t find water-packed apples, drain syrup-packed apples thoroughly and rinse before using.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Room Temperature Storage: Cover and store for up to 2 days at room temperature.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store covered for up to 3 days. Cobbler is delicious served cold or reheated.
- Reheating Method: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or reheat the entire dish in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Freezing: Can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Houston’s Apple Walnut Cobbler – Easy Copycat Recipe
Recreate Houston's famous apple walnut cobbler at home! Tender apples, crunchy walnuts, and buttery cookie crumb topping make this dessert irresistible.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 556kcal
Ingredients
- 1 20 can can sliced apples note, these apples are packed in water
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cup chopped Walnuts
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon plus 2 teaspoons
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup white corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
Cookie Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ounces butter cold
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Filling In the mixing bowl add canned apples, water, walnuts cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar ingredients and stir well.
- If you do not have enough apple juice from can of apples add a little water to make up the difference. Set aside.
Cookie Crumb Topping
- This is easy to blend in a food processor. Cut butter into four pieces and place in the processor, add sugar, vanilla, and egg. Process until blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, blend dry ingredients until all is mixed well. Should form a ball very quickly.
- Remove from processor and place between waxed paper and chill just long enough so dough may be rolled out without sticking to the wax paper. Spray baking pan with an oil spray and pour walnut mixture in an 8″x11.5″x2″ baking dish and cover with rolled out cookie dough topping.
- Bake at 375 degrees 20 – 24 minutes, the top should be golden brown. Walnut cobbler should be served hot with crust side down with a generous serving of your favorite vanilla ice cream on top.
Notes
Please use apples that are packed in water, not all stores carry these. Brands that do make sliced apples in water are Musselmans and Lucky Leaf.
Nutrition
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Really wish that Chris or Geoff or someone who said, “yes, that’s it exactly!” would have bothered to publish a detailed recipe. “Mix with cin, and all spice” – HOW MUCH cinnamon and allspice?! Chef Pierre is a commercial product available only to restaurants (unless you want to buy an entire case off of Amazon) – for those of us who are not professional bakers trying to recreate this with a grocery store Sara Lee pie, more explanation would have been nice. Chris says to put the crust on top like you would a pie, but then refers to it as a cobbler – which is totally different from a pie. Extremely frustrating!
Way too much butter/ not enough flour in the cookie topping… A greasy soupy mess. Find a recipe that works!
This came out a soupy mess, too much liquid not enough apples. Crust was pain in the neck to roll. Wouldn’t make it again.
i work at hillstone/houstons…the key to the cobbler is a chef pierre Apple cinnamon hi pie. yes you’re paying 8 bucks for 1/6 of a $5 pie.
This recipe was a disaster.
I made this last night, I added some rhubarb and it turned out to be the best apple cobbler I have ever made. Will be making it again.
You made it to complicated. Here is recipie take it from someone who knows.
Use Sara Lee “Hi-Pie” Basic apple Pie, remove top and press into baking dish, take aplles and mix with cin, and all spice plus a squeeze of lemon. Toss and place in baking dish with crust, take bottom of pie crust ans place on top, small slits to vent cook per directions. While cooking make a simple caramel, 1 lb no salt butter and one Lb brown sugar, heat on medium and ruduce to caramel cosistancy, remove from heat stir in 1 tbl cin, 1 Tbl water and 1 package walnuts. Pour hot caramel over cooked apple cobbler. Let set at room temp. Cut into squares and reheat in micro. Serve with scoop of “Dreyers” vanilla.
I don’t know what Hi-Pie is, is this a commercial product?
Yep, Chris has the idea! It tasted exactly like Houston’s and I had made it this way on numerous occasions! Always a hit!
Where do you buy canned sliced apples?
I bought them at Kroger.
Thanks much! I haven’t been able to find them anywhere!!
I will double check when I go to the grocery store this weekend. If not, I will update the recipe. I normally shop at HEB (a Texas chain of grocery stores), and Kroger.
Everyone leaves out the best part of the recipe, the caramel sauce! Am I missing something?