38 Apple Desserts That'll Get You in the Mood for Fall

french apple tart — The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

Apple desserts are a treat any time of the year. What can compare to the aroma of homemade cinnamon-spiced apple crisp or pie?

Crisp, sweet varieties of apples are best for eating out of hand, while others are best in baked goods. Some excellent baking apples include Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Cortland, Empire, and Gala.

Apples are also versatile and lend themselves to a variety of flavors. You might try changing up the spices or adding a different flavor to your favorite apple cake or baked apples. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are classic spices to use in apple desserts. Some complementary flavorings include lemon, Calvados or apple brandy, brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup or flavoring, and caramel.

Apple Varieties

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Fresh Apple Cake With Brown Sugar Topping

The Spruce

An easy, buttery brown sugar sauce adds moisture and flavor to this scrumptious fresh apple cake. Chopped walnuts add some crunch and it can be baked in a tube cake pan or a rectangular baking pan.
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Apple Brownies

Diana Rattray

Moist and chewy apple brownies are a breeze to fix with fresh apples and chopped pecans. Your family will ask for these again and again!
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French Apple Tart With Pastry Cream

The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

Impress your guests and show off your baking skills with this amazing French apple tart. The tart is built with layers of pastry, vanilla pastry cream, sliced apples, and an apricot glaze.
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Mini Apple Pies

Kristina Vanni

These mini fried apple pies are filled with a mixture of sweetened fresh diced apples with cinnamon. The little turnovers are fried to perfection. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar just before serving.

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Baked Apple Crisp Dessert

Diana Rattray

If you long for a fresh-baked apple crisp, this recipe is an excellent choice. The simple buttery topping makes it a super easy preparation. You probably have all of the baking ingredients on hand—all you need to get are some apples.
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Classic French Caramelized Apples

The Spruce

Caramelized apples are an excellent choice when you need a great dessert in a hurry. The pan juices are simmered with apple cider to make a delightful sauce. Spoon the apples over ice cream or serve them with a drizzling of cream.
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Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

The Spruce / Nita West

Cinnamon bread and Granny Smith apples team up in this lovely apple cinnamon bread pudding. Top the bread pudding off with a blissful caramel sauce and be prepared to take a bow.
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Fried Apples

The Spruce

These Southern-style fried apples can double as a side dish or dessert. Serve them along with pork chops or ham or add a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream to make them a delightful dessert.

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Caramel Apple Mug Cake

The Spruce

Mug cakes are such fun and this apple caramel mug cake is no exception. It's a single-serve cake, perfect when you're craving a quick dessert for yourself or want to treat that special someone.
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Crock Pot Apple Brown Betty Dessert

The Spruce

The slow cooker makes this apple betty dessert a snap to prepare and cook, and it's a great choice when you can't or don't want to use the oven.
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Vegan Apple Cobbler

The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

You won't miss the butter in this delicious vegan apple cobbler. Serve the cobbler as a dessert or serve it along with a big breakfast or brunch.
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Apple Coffee Cake

The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

Bake an apple coffee cake for brunch. It's made with a sour cream batter covered with apples and cinnamon, then topped with apple jelly and sliced almonds.

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Crumb-Topped Apple Pie Bars

The Spruce Eats / Jessie Sheehan

Apple pie bars offer a familiar taste, but you don't need to be a pie baking master to pull them off. The recipe makes a dozen bars with a shortbread cookie crust and crumbly top. The filling is that signature mix of Granny Smith apples and cinnamon that everyone loves.
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Spiced Apple Oatmeal Cake

Diana Rattray

If you are looking for a fresh apple cake with loads of flavor and texture, your search is over. This apple oatmeal cake is flavored with warm spices, and the texture comes from oats, pecans, and raisins.
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Apple Bundt Cake With Caramel Icing

Diana Rattray

This moist apple cake with caramel icing is a delicious dessert that is sure to impress. Garnish the cake with chopped nuts or toasted coconut.
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Applesauce Cookies

The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo

If you're craving a cookie recipe, these applesauce cookies are it. Unlike the other cookie recipe on this list, this is a lighter, more neutral recipe—no raisins, not nuts. Just a subtle flavor of apple and cinnamon, baked into a cake-like texture. They're perfect for sipping with a cup of Early Grey tea. Give these a try, and you'll be glad you did.

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Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Crumble Pie

Diana Rattray

This irresistible cinnamon-spiced apple crumble pie features a simple brown sugar and pecan crumb topping, making it a particularly quick and easy preparation when you use a frozen crust or purchased pie crust sheets. If you aren't a fan of nuts, replace them with oats or your favorite streusel mixture.
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Instant Pot Applesauce

Diana Rattray

The Instant Pot makes this cinnamon-spiced applesauce super easy to prepare and cook.
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Old-Fashioned Gluten-Free Apple Pie

The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

The crust for this gluten-free apple pie is made with a combination of rice flour, amaranth flour, and arrowroot starch. You won't miss the gluten (or be able to tell the difference!) in this old-fashioned apple pie.
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Caramel Apples

The Spruce Eats/Nita West

These dipped apples are easier than you might think. All you need is a bag of caramels, apples, and chopped peanuts. The apples are always a hit, so you might want to make a double batch.

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Hand-Held Apple Pies

Diana Rattray

These single-serve hand-held apple pies are made with buttery pastry and a chopped apple filling. Enjoy one or two of these little pies.
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Apple Dump Cake

The Spruce

This apple dump cake is ridiculously easy, All you have to do is prepare the apples, then pour the ingredients in the pan. You'll be rewarded with a mouthwatering dessert. If you don't have fresh apples or need a shortcut, make the dessert with canned apple pie filling.
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Gooey Caramel Apple Cake

Diana Rattray

This cake is as moist and delicious as its name implies. A hot caramel topping is poured over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, making it impossible to resist. The one-layer caramel apple cake is the perfect size for most families.
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Vegan Apple Pie

The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

Yes, you can make a proper apple pie with no butter! Whether for yourself or vegan friends and family, this vegan apple pie is an excellent choice for your dessert menu. Prepare the pie with a purchased vegan pie crust or use this homemade pie crust recipe.

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Honey Cinnamon Apple Cake

Anita Schecter

This impressive homemade honey apple cake is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. The cake is a traditional Rosh Hashanah honey cake with the addition of chopped apple and cinnamon, but it'll be a hit any time in the fall.
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Apple Cookies With Raisins

Diana Rattray

These old-fashioned apple cookies with raisins have a mouthwatering flavor and texture. Ice the cookies or sprinkle cinnamon sugar over them.
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Fresh Apple Cranberry Cake

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Fresh apples and cranberries get together in this wonderful, subtly spiced cake. Drizzle this fresh apple cranberry cake with the easy caramel sauce or top it with a cream cheese frosting.
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Apple Pie Skillet Cake

The Spruce

Whether you call this dessert sensation a pie or a cake, you will call it delicious. Dig out that trusty iron skillet and bake this wonderful apple skillet cake.

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Easy Apple Cranberry Pie

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Canned apple pie filling and whole berry cranberry sauce make this easy fall pie super easy to prepare.
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Baked Apple Pudding Cake

Diana Rattray

The brown sugar syrup makes this cinnamon-spiced baked apple pudding cake gooey and delicious.
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Apple Pie With Cream Cheese Pastry

Diana Rattray

Granny Smith apples and Golden Delicious apples provide the perfect balance of sweet and tart in this apple pie with cream cheese pastry.
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British Oaty Apple Crumble

Elaine Lemm

Put a British spin on your everyday apple crisp with this oaty apple crumble recipe. The crunchy topping is made with muesli or a combination of oats and dried fruits.

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Classic Apple Cobbler

The Spruce

Tart Granny Smith apples and a cinnamon-scented cake batter topping make this apple cobbler a dessert you'll make again and again. Print the recipe and store it in your recipe box.
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Cinnamon-Spiced Fresh Apple Bars

Diana Rattray

Shredded or diced apples and chopped walnuts give these apple bars their moist texture while cinnamon and nutmeg are combined for warm fall flavor.
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Tezon Caramel Apple Pie Cocktail

S&C Design Studios

For those who prefer to drink their dessert, try an apple cocktail. Change up your dessert menu with this fabulous caramel apple pie cocktail.
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Deep-Fried Apple Fritters

The Spruce

These deep-fried apple fritters feature fresh chopped fruit in a simple fritter batter. Sprinkle the fritters with powdered sugar or serve them with maple syrup. The fritters make a fabulous dessert or breakfast treat.

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Applesauce Cake

The Spruce

If you have 15 minutes, you can make this moist applesauce cake. Raisins and walnuts give the cake irresistible texture and flavor. The cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch. Treat your family to this fabulous cake!
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Danish Apple Pancake Balls (Aebleskiver)

Getty Images/ClarkandCompany

The word aebleskiver is Danish for "apple slices." The light little pancake balls are made with the addition of chopped apples and cinnamon. They are totally worth buying a special aebleskiver pan.
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Apple Cider Doughnuts

Diana Rattray

Looking for a way to enjoy that fresh-pressed apple cider? Celebrate the fall season with these apple cider doughnuts.

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