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Come home from apple picking this fall and make one of these delicious apple dessert recipes! These 20 recipes will help you think beyond apple pie and apple crisp for desserts that will end up on your remake list year after year.
Taking my girls apple picking is one of my favorite fall activities. Even in years when we don’t have time to do a whole U-pick situation, we’ll swing by and grab a few bags of already-picked fresh apples to take home.
Of course I always have to make several batches of our favorite slow-cooker apple butter and my crockpot applesauce recipe. And then it’s time to dive right into dessert recipes.
Even though my crumb-topped apple pie and simple, old-fashioned apple crisp are family favorites, I like to use apples in so many other ways, too.Â
If you’re on the hunt for apple desserts to make that aren’t the typical pie or crisp, you’re in the right place!
The best apples for baking
Granny Smith apples might be the most popular baking apple, but they are far from the only or even the best variety for many recipes.
Year-round, you can find several apples at the grocery store that are equally great for baking:
- Honeycrisp
- Golden Delicious
- Pink Lady
- Fuji
- Jazz (harder to find, but becoming more popular)
During apple season, many other varieties become available from local orchards and growers. Some of my favorites to look for when I’m planning to bake include:
- Cortland
- Braeburn
- Jonathan
- Jonagold
- McIntosh
All of these apples have a great balance of tart and sweet flavors and hold up well to cooking. They won’t make your desserts overly sweet and they won’t turn to mush in the oven.
20 of my favorite apple dessert recipes
I’ve pulled together 20 of my favorite apple desserts that aren’t pie or crisp to help you think outside the box next time you come home from the apple orchard.Â
These recipes make for delicious treats on a cool fall weekend or can be added to your Thanksgiving dessert menu.
Don’t forget to make a batch or two of my apple pie spice to use all season long and check out my other apple recipes for even more inspiration.Â
Apple Spice Cookies
Pieces of fresh apple, spices, and oats make these cookies taste like apple crisp. They are also naturally gluten free!
Puff Pastry Apple Strudel
Frozen puff pastry dough makes for an easy and delicious apple strudel. You can even assemble it, then freeze it for later. Bake it from frozen for a quick holiday breakfast or dessert!
Sautéed Apples
Cook apple slices with butter, brown sugar, and spices for a topping you can spoon over ice cream, cheesecake, and so much more.
Puff Pastry Apple Tart
Puff pastry is the star in another easy and delicious recipe. This apple tart looks fancy but comes together in almost no time.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Calling all caramel apple lovers! Top a spiced brown sugar cheesecake with cooked apples and salted caramel sauce for a dessert that’ll have everyone asking for the recipe.
Apple Cider Blondies
Boiled apple cider and brown butter add tons of rich flavor to these chewy blondie bars.
Apple Butter Cake
When you love apple butter as much as I do, you find all kinds of ways to enjoy it. This rich, moist cake is finished with a decadent brown butter frosting.
Caramel Apple Cake
Apple Cobbler
Apple cobbler is easy to make with spiced apples and a simple Bisquick biscuit topping!
Caramel Apple Blondies
Chewy apple blondies are flavored with cinnamon, then topped with caramel frosting and pecans. You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by following the alternate directions in the recipe card.
Cinnamon Apple Galette with Salted Maple Glaze
Apple galette is so much easier than pie but with a similar payoff in flavor. Serve this one with a salted maple glaze to really take it over the top.
Apple Cider Donuts
It’s not fall until you’ve had an apple cider donut! Make your own at home with this classic recipe.Â
Caramel Apple Cake
Top this apple cake with a cooked caramel frosting for an unbelievably delicious dessert. This recipe also includes instructions for making a gluten-free version.
Apple Fritter Bread
If you love apple fritters, this recipe brings all of those flavors into a loaf of quick bread! Tip: Use vanilla coffee creamer for an easy way to add more flavor to the glaze.
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
These apple dumplings are made by wrapping whole apples in pie dough. They bake in a syrup made with brown sugar and apple cider for the perfect fall dessert.
Apple Turnovers
Fill squares of puff pastry with a spiced apple filling. Top them with a simple glaze for a delicious weekend breakfast or easy dessert!
Easy Apple Dumplings
If you don’t want to go to the effort of making my old-fashioned apple dumplings, try this quicker shortcut version! This one uses sliced apples, crescent roll dough, and ginger ale or lemon-lime soda.
Simple Baked Apples
Baked apples are an easy fall dessert that you’ll want to make year after year. Hollow out whole apples, then fill them with a buttery oat mixture before baking. Try adding a drizzle of caramel sauce when serving!Â
Snickers Apple Salad
Caramel Apple Poke Cake
Start with a cake mix, then use apple pie filling, caramel sauce, and toffee bits to turn it into a perfectly moist caramel apple poke cake.
