Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (2024)

Our apple pies, crisps, cakes, cookies, breads and other apple dessert recipes will fill your kitchen with the flavors of fall: crisp apples, creamy caramel, fragrant cinnamon, toasted nuts.

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Vanilla Apple Gratin

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (1)

This simple, orchard-fresh dessert captures the flavor of vanilla ice cream melting into the warm apples in a pie—but more quickly, and with way less fat and sugar.

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Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes with Miso Caramel and Walnuts

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (2)

Chef Ji Hye Kim of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shares the recipe for these lightly spiced, apple-flecked cakes. Their slightly chewy texture comes from sweet rice flour, a typical ingredient in many Asian sweets. Topped with miso caramel, toasted walnuts and whipped cream, this dessert fires on all flavor and texture cylinders.

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Apple Crumble

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One bite of this gloriously simple recipe will remind you that, sometimes, you don't mess with a good thing. Chef Jason Qureshi of River Roast in Chicago prefers to use Granny Smith apples for their firm texture and tart taste.

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Apple Sour Cream Kuchen

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (4)

This German-style, not-too-sweet, yeast-raised cake begs for a cup of coffee. For an extra tang, you can serve it with a dollop of lightly sweetened sour cream.

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Danish Pastry Apple Bars

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One of Gail Michael's students shared this apple dessert recipe with her long ago. The bars taste like apple pie in a baking pan.

Our Best Bar Cookies

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Apple-Almond Brave Betty

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We gave a classic dessert a new name, in honor of all the people who have cooked in servitude or fought for social justice over the centuries—and we updated the flavors, too, with almond cookies and a splash of bourbon.

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Spiced Apple Tarte Tatin

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (7)

This easy, French-style upside-down apple tart relies on frozen puff pastry. The spice flavor comes from Chinese five-spice powder, a widely available blend with flavors of clove, black pepper and star anise.

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Harvest Apple Bars

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (8)

Tammy Post's Iowa State Fair blue-ribbon recipe doesn't skimp on apples, which results in incredibly moist and indulgent bars.

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Maple-Walnut Apple Cobbler

This easy skillet cobbler is bursting with harvest flavor: crisp apples, cinnamon, toasted walnuts and sweet maple syrup.

Easy Crisp and Cobbler Recipes

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Caramel Apple Cookies

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (10)

Creamy caramel frosting finishes these apple-filled cookies.

Our Favorite Fall Cookie Recipes

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Freestyle Apple Tarts

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (11)

This recipe from Iowa's Rapid Creek Cidery restaurant looks daunting, but it's actually five very simple parts that are easily made ahead. (You'll end up with extra candied nuts; they're great alone or with cheese.)

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Fresh Apple Cake

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (12)

This nutty comfort cake from Sharon Buckner of Rhineland, Missouri, gets a sugary top and caramelized gooey bottom as it cooks. Don't be surprised by the thick batter; it will bake into a moist, dense cake.

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Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (13)

Apples are gently cooked in butter, then arranged in a prebaked crust and brushed with jelly. The result is an edible work of art.

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Applesauce Spice Cake

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (14)

No granulated sugar is added to this apple dessert recipe; the sweetness comes from cider, fruit and applesauce. The recipe comes from Sandra Schifferle of Lansing, Kansas.

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Amish Apple Dumplings

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (15)

We often equate Amish food with comfort. Here's our version of a favorite apple dessert you might find at Amish-based restaurants in the Midwest.

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Crumb-Topped Apple Trio Pie

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (16)

Crisp on top, sweetly tender inside, this pie blends tart and sweet apples—Granny Smith, Jonagold and Braeburn—with sugar and cinnamon under a brown-sugar and walnut crumb topping.

Make Your Best Pie Ever

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Dutch Apple Pudding Cake

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (17)

With apple pie filling on the bottom and a moist walnut cake layer on top, this dessert makes the perfect ending to a fall or winter meal.

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Rise and Shine Cranberry-Apple Crisp

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (18)

Spiced coconut streusel adds crunch to healthy apples and berries.

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Cider-Baked Stuffed Apples with Salty Caramel Sauce

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (19)

Nuts and cranberries fill these simple baked apples that cook in your slow cooker. Top them with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and, if you like, a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Galette

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (20)

A free-form tart is the anxious pie-maker's best friend. No fussy crimping, and any torn edges or lumpy folds just add to the charm (especially when sprinkled with sparkly raw sugar).

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Apple Pear Praline Pie

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (21)

"The key to this pie is the apples you use," says Mary Schrier of Cumberland, Iowa, who got the recipe from an old handwritten family recipe book. She suggests not using Red Delicious apples. Instead, try Granny Smith, Jonathan or any sweet-tart heirloom apples. "There are quite a few orchards that are starting to carry the heirloom apples, and this old recipe is just waiting for them," she says.

Favorite Apple Pie Recipes

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Indulgent Caramel Apples

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (22)

Wrap your favorite tart or sweet apple in caramel (we even created a less sticky version), then unleash your imagination as you add on nuts, cereal, dried fruit, candy, decorative sprinkles or whatever else inspires you—and your taste buds.

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Nutty Caramel Apple Crisp

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (23)

A double dose of caramel—baked in with the fruit and drizzled on top—elevates the humble crisp to new levels of indulgence. Mix two types of apples for the best texture. The tender apples cook down and create a sort of thick sauce; the firm apples hold their shape.

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Apple-Butter Cakelets

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (24)

Caramel sauce adds a creamy-sweet finish to individual Apple-Butter Cakelets created by Midwest Living in honor of Illinois' Amish bakers. You can choose from two Prairie State ingredients, apples or pumpkins, for this treat.

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Streusel Apple Bread

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (25)

A touch of lemon, chopped cranberries and walnuts make this quick bread seem like coffee cake. Norma Hendricks of Hopedale, Illinois, likes to serve this for dessert. "I made this by combining a couple of recipes," Norma says. "I think I started with a cranberry bread, but most of my kids don't like cranberries. Then I saw an apple bread recipe, and I thought streusel would be good on top."

20 Sweet Quick-Bread Loaves

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Apple-Toffee Tartlets

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Try Jonagold, Gala or Granny Smith apples in this easy 3-step dessert. Refrigerated piecrust speeds prep time.

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Single-Serving Caramel Apples

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (27)

Joan Wagner of Overland Park, Kansas, considers this baked apple dessert her easy-entertaining recipe. "You can make these up to six hours ahead and cover them with plastic wrap, so the puff pastry doesn't dry out," she says. "The desserts can bake while your coffee is brewing."

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Spiced Apple Drops

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (28)

An apple a day tastes even better in cookie form, especially with frosting on top!

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Maple-Apple Pudding Bake

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (29)

The Wisconsin Maple Producers created this recipe to showcase maple syrup and juicy apples in a moist, rich dessert.

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Apple-Cranberry Walnut Pie

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (30)

Sweet apples balance the tang of cranberries in this fall favorite.

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Easy Apple Cranberry Slab Pie

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (31)

Purchased puff pastry adds to the ease of this dessert recipe, but the real star is the filling the pairing of sweet apples and tart cranberries. Homemade icing rounds out this crowd-pleasing potluck pie.

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Apple Pumpkin Sunflower Bread

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (32)

We packed a bushel of fall into this homey loaf: pumpkin, apple, nuts and spices.

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Apple Scones with Spiced Maple Butter

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (33)

They're light, buttery and full of apple flavor. We almost hate to cover up the baked-on apple slice with the whipped maple butter. Almost.

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Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (34)

Biscuits, apples, orange juice? Sounds like breakfast to us. Orange juice adds brightness to both the bite-of-autumn bread and the cream cheese icing drizzle.

Warm and Comforting Breakfast Breads

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Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best dessert apple? ›

Our favorite apple pie recipe calls for Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious apples, or a mix of all three. Honeycrisp apples err on the sweeter side, with a distinct honey-like flavor; Braeburns toe the line between sweet and tart; and Gold Delicious apples intensify in flavor when baked.

Are envy apples good for baking? ›

Crisp and sweet with an almost honey-like flavor, Envy apples are a smart choice for baking classic pies, rustic apple galettes, and every fall dessert in between. Why? Not only does their firm texture hold up to baking, Envy apples also keep their beautiful color—from the red peel to the pale yellow flesh—when baked.

What are the top 5 apples for baking? ›

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

Can you bake with Mutsu apples? ›

Mutsu (Crispin)

This large, yellow-green fruit is very juicy and super crisp. It has a sweet, refreshing flavor and is great for fresh eating, salads, freezing, sauce, and baking.

What is the most delicious apple to eat? ›

Gala: Gala apples are known for their crisp texture, sweet flavor, and relatively thin skin. They are one of the most widely consumed apples globally and are often considered a great choice for eating fresh out of hand. Fuji: Fuji apples are crisp, juicy, and sweet with a hint of tartness.

What can I do with lots of apples? ›

You could also make applesauce, apple butter or apple jelly. You could put them in muffins, crumbles and cakes. You could layer them in sandwiches. You could roast them with sausages or toss them into kale salad.

What is the Envy apple best used for? ›

The apples are popularly consumed straight out of hand and are favored for their crunchy, semi-aqueous nature. Envy™ apples can also be sliced and tossed into salads, used as a fresh topping over pancakes and waffles, or chopped and stirred into yogurt.

What is special about envy apples? ›

The peel is fairly thick and tough, more so than most other apple. The apple has a high juice content and will maintain its firmness while in storage. The flesh is pale yellow and can take up to 10 hours to oxidize, when ripe the flesh will be crisp. It is a very sweet apple with low acid and a slightly flowery taste.

What are envy apples used for? ›

Envy apples are perfect for salads, baking, cooking, and of course, snacking! Aura Kavadlo is here on behalf of Envy apples to show us two ways to use the apples: on a flatbread or in a crêpe. For more information and to find a store, visit EnvyApples.com.

What apples not to use for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

What is the sweetest apple to bake with? ›

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

Which apples make the best pies? ›

The best apples for making apple pie
  • Crispin (Mutsu). ...
  • Golden Delicious. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Honeycrisp. ...
  • Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
  • Northern Spy. ...
  • Pink Lady. This super crisp apple certainly is sturdy enough to hold its shape when baked. ...
  • Winesap. This heirloom cultivar is said to have been around for centuries.
Oct 8, 2021

What apple variety is not good for baking? ›

Try these: Jonagold, Northern Spy, Honeycrisp and Cortlandt, Granny Smith and Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, or Sierra Beauty, Calville Blanc, Roxbury Russet are all firm enough to hold up in the oven. Avoid these: McIntosh, Gala, Fuji or Red Delicious.

What happened to Winesap apples? ›

Winesap was a popular apple in the United States until the 1950s. It stores well, and its decline in popularity has been attributed to the development and increased use of controlled atmosphere storage which allowed a wider variety of apples to be sold over the course of the year.

What are the best apples for apple tarts? ›

The results are way more delicate and not as sweet as a shortbread shell, but provides the perfect base for our apples. The best apples for an apple tart: We're partial to Granny Smith, Honeycrip, and Gala, but you can really use any baking apple that you prefer in this recipe!

What type of apple is a dessert apple? ›

Colours range from red, to yellow and green, but all varieties fall into one of two categories: eating, also sometimes called dessert apples (including Cox's Orange Pippin, Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Braeburn, Gala, Pink Lady and Jonagold) or cooking, with the latter being more tart in flavour, a result of their ...

What is the sweetest dessert apple? ›

While there is an extremely wide variety of apples, all with varying flavors, the sweetest-tasting apple is fuji, followed by gala, honeycrisp, and Red Delicious apples. These apples are great for snacking and eating as is. Granny Smith, McIntosh, and Pink Lady fall on the tart end of the spectrum.

What is the best apple to use in a cake? ›

According to New England Today, the best apples for baking are firm-tart apples, and firm-sweet apples. Firm-tart apples are apples like Granny Smith, Esopus Spitzenburg, Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Pink Pearl. Firm-sweet apples are Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jazz, Jonagold, and Pink Lady.

What is the sweetest apple for baking? ›

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

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