Once fall hits, these are my favorite apple dessert ideas that I’ll be making all season long! From homemade apple pie to apple cakes and dessert bars, I know you’ll love these recipes just as much as I do.
Looking for more fall baking inspiration? Check out my best pumpkin recipes, next!
Why I Love These Apple Dessert Recipes
Fall is on the way, and if you’re already wondering, “What can I do with a lot of apples?” you’re not alone! I’ve put together a list of my favorite apple dessert recipes that I make every year as soon as the leaves start changing. And many of them carry me well into Thanksgiving and the holiday season! Here’s why I’ve chosen these apple desserts:
- Something for everyone. These apple dessert ideas offer a little bit of everything, no matter your skill level in the kitchen. Whether it’s cookies, cakes, pies, or bars, I love sharing recipes that I enjoy, and that are also easy and approachable.
- Festive. Even if you’re not baking for Thanksgiving or Christmas yet, there’s lots of inspiration here for the holidays. Apple desserts are perfect whether it’s a cozy fall weekend with the family or a festive feast.
- Cozy. I love the fresh apples and spice in these recipes. There’s something special about the first apple recipe that goes into the oven every year. Just about all of these desserts will make your house smell incredible!
What Are the Best Apples for Baking?
The best apples for making desserts like pies, crisps, and other baked goods are firm, sweet-tart apples that hold up in high heat. They’re often called “baking apples”, and popular kinds include Granny Smith (my fave), Honey Gold, Braeburn, Gala, Cortland, and Fuji apples. I’ll sometimes use a mix of different baking apples for extra flavor and texture.
20+ Apple Dessert Ideas to Try
Don’t forget to check out my recipe finder for more fall desserts and apple recipes, like these pumpkin apple muffins and skillet apple biscuits.
Apple Dump Cake
This apple dump cake puts an easy, seasonal spin on a classic dump cake made from a box of cake mix. This recipe has a tasty topping of juicy apple pie filling and buttery oat streusel. It’s the perfect potluck dessert!
Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake
I love this apple-filled twist on a sour cream coffee cake. It’s super moist and tender, bursting with fall apples and spice. So delicious with a mug of hot apple cider!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
These apple cheesecake bars are another crowd-pleasing fall dessert, and they’re super simple to make! Creamy apple cheesecake filling is layered with a crunchy streusel and gooey caramel. The flavors and textures are the BEST.
Homemade Apple Pie
No apple dessert list is complete without a good old-fashioned, homemade apple pie recipe. This dessert is as simple and delicious as it gets, with a flaky homemade pie crust brimming with buttery caramelized apples. I also include tips for making a lattice crust!
Apple Strudel
Skip the bakery line and make your very own cozy apple strudel at home! This easy apple strudel is bursting with cinnamon spice, wrapped in gorgeous and flaky pastry dough.
Apple Pie Bread
This quick apple pie bread recipe has all the flavors I love in a homemade apple pie, baked into a soft, moist quick bread loaf instead. It’s topped with a crunchy nut streusel and packed with shredded apples and spice.
Apple Crisp Trifles
How fun are these single-serving apple crisp-inspired trifles? This easy fall dessert has everything you love about a classic apple crisp, deconstructed into a party-ready mini trifle. So cute!
Easy Apple Crisp
Like apple pie, I couldn’t make this list without a classic apple crisp! I love apple crisp because it’s a fail-proof dessert, filled with sweet cinnamon apples baked under a crunchy oat crumble. In our house, the only way to serve it is a la mode, topped with ice cream!
Apple Pie Dip
Your next fall get-together needs this easy apple pie dip! It’s basically apple pie filling that’s ready for scooping and dipping. Make it in minutes and serve it with pie crust chips or apple chips.
Apple Pie Bars
Apple pie bars are so festive and they never disappoint! These have a flaky pie crust just like classic apple pie, layered with cinnamon sugar apples and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal crumbs. Don’t skip the drizzle of sweet glaze!
Norwegian Apple Cake
For an apple dessert that’s as gorgeous as it is good to eat, make this easy Norwegian apple cake! This is a classic recipe for a buttery cake made with sweet-tart apples and cinnamon sugar. It’s delicious after dinner, and you can even serve it as a coffee cake at brunch.
Chewy Apple Cider Cookies
These chewy apple cider cookies live up to their name, with chewy centers and crispy edges bursting with spiced apple flavor. They’re the ultimate fall cookie!
Mini Apple Pies
I’m still not over how adorable these mini apple pies turned out. They’re a bite-sized version of a full apple pie, with the same gooey apple filling and flaky crust that I love. Only these are baked in a muffin tin!
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Soft and moist and loaded with apples, this apple cinnamon bread gets even better with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping! It’s the perfect quick bread recipe to make on a fall afternoon. It’s great for dessert and you can even sneak a slice at breakfast!
Skillet Apple Pie
This skillet apple pie is a rustic twist on the classic fall dessert. Baking the pie in a cast iron skillet gives it the perfect cozy touch, especially once you get down to the crust infused with caramel underneath!
Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies
I gave my favorite oatmeal cookies recipe a fall spin and these turned out so great! They’re a soft and chewy oatmeal cookie filled with dried apple chunks and drizzled with caramel. Too good!
Caramel Apple Popcorn
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried this caramel apple popcorn! It takes a bowl of crunchy caramel corn and gives it a seasonal boost with crispy apple chips. This is the only sweet snack you need for your Halloween movie marathon!
Cream Cheese Swirled Apple Cake
This is a sweet and moist apple bundt cake swirled with tangy cream cheese and dusted with powdered sugar. It stuns at the dessert table, and that’s before you slice into it!
Apple Fritter Bread
Who else is obsessed with apple fritter donuts? Because I’ve taken the spirit of an apple fritter donut and baked it into a quick apple bread! You’ll love how insanely moist this bread is, filled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with glaze.
Dutch Apple Pie
With its perfectly spiced filling and irresistibly crumbly, buttery topping, this Dutch apple pie is a family-favorite apple dessert. It saves the extra work of making a top crust, so it’s just as perfect for the holidays as it is for everyday baking.
Simple Apple Crumble Tart
Somewhere between a classic apple crumble and homemade apple pie, you have this delicious and EASY apple tart! It’s a cozy apple pie filling topped with a crispy crumble, packed full of warm spice.
