Fall means one thing in the kitchen: apples everywhere! Whether they came home from a weekend at the orchard or a quick trip to the grocery store, a big bag of apples calls for recipes that put every last one of them to good use.
From breakfast bakes to holiday desserts, these are some of the best ways to turn this season’s harvest into something worth sharing. Go through the list and see which one becomes a new favorite.
12. Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie
This no-churn dessert layers a homemade graham cracker crust, rich cinnamon ice cream and a warm apple topping. The ice cream base comes together with heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk, so no ice cream maker is needed.
Sliced apples simmer down with cinnamon and lemon juice into a syrupy topping that gets spread on right before serving. It freezes well ahead of time, making it an easy addition to a fall dessert spread.
Best Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie (No Churn Recipe)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray at 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Process the graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Melt butter in a microwave safe dish. With the motor running on low speed, pour the melted butter through the feed tube until incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and press down, moving some of the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Press until firm. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sweetened condensed milk and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon.
- Pour into the cooled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 2 hours.
- Cook the apples, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until thickened.
- Once most of the liquid is absorbed, reduce to low heat and stir in the lemon juice. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Prior to serving, spread apple mixture on top of the ice cream pie. Slice and serve.
11. Instant Pot Apple Butter
Fresh apples cook down into a smooth, spiced spread with the help of an Instant Pot. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice give this apple butter warm, cozy flavor. And the whole batch is gluten free, dairy free and vegan!
Once it’s smooth and dark, it keeps in the fridge for weeks. Spread it on toast, stir it into cocktails or use it to bake muffins and doughnuts all season long.
Instant Pot Apple Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Peel, core and chop the apples. Place them into the Instant Pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Manual) for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then manually release the rest.
- Set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook for 8 hours.
- Allow the apple butter to cool slightly, then use an immersion blender to puree it until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Transfer the apple butter to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator.
10. Apple Butter Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
These muffins get their moisture and flavor from apple butter and sour cream, plus a handful of fresh cranberries in every bite. A buttery cinnamon streusel goes on top before baking, so it stays put instead of sinking into the batter.
Greek yogurt can be swapped in for the sour cream if that’s what’s on hand. They’re a great way to use up a jar of apple butter sitting in the fridge.
Apple Butter Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, milk and apple butter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the cranberries. Fill the muffin tin 2/3 of the way with batter.
- Make the streusel: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Sprinkle streusel on top of the muffins before baking. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool to room temperature before removing from muffin tin.
9. Baked Apple Butter Doughnuts
These doughnuts skip the fryer and the butter entirely, relying on apple butter and buttermilk for moisture instead. The batter bakes up in a doughnut pan or a regular muffin tin, then each one gets dipped in a cinnamon sugar coating while still warm.
They come together with pantry staples and a fraction of the fat of a fried doughnut. Serve them fresh with a hot cup of coffee on a crisp morning.
Baked Apple Butter Doughnuts
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a doughnut or muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk eggs together with apple butter, 1/2 cup sugar, buttermilk and brown sugar in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Batter will be sticky. Fill a doughnut or muffin pan 2/3 of the way with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the cinnamon and 1 cup sugar together. Allow the doughnuts to cool, then dip into the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
8. Jewish Apple Cake
This dense, moist cake is built in layers, alternating batter with fresh apples tossed in cinnamon and sugar. Vegetable oil stands in for butter, which keeps the cake dairy free and traditional for Rosh Hashanah tables. Honeycrisp, Winesap, Fuji and Gala apples all work well here. The cake keeps for days at room temperature and also freezes beautifully.
Best Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients – vanilla, eggs, oil and orange juice – to flour mixture. Mix by hand for 5-10 minutes until very thick.
- Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. If using a bundt pan, arrange apple slices in an overlapping pattern on the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour half of the batter on top of the apples. Layer remaining apple slices and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar, followed by the remaining batter.If using a tube pan, spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the pan. Layer apple slices over the batter. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and top with the rest of the apple slices in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack before turning it out of the pan.
7. Apple Butter Cookies with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
Apple butter and extra brown sugar give these oversized cookies a soft, cakey texture that holds up for days. A cinnamon vanilla frosting made with real vanilla bean paste gets spread on top once the cookies have cooled completely.
The frosting stays soft at room temperature, so there’s no need to refrigerate a finished batch. These are a fun addition to a fall or holiday cookie tray.
Apple Butter Cookies with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and apple butter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the apple butter mixture until combined. Cover the dough and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 3 Tbsp. cookie scoop, place cookie dough 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat the butter until fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla bean paste and cinnamon. Store at room temperature.
6. Apple Butter Baked Brie Puff Pastry Twists
Sheets of puff pastry get spread with apple butter and dotted with cubes of brie before getting twisted into individual pieces. A sprinkle of rosemary sugar on top adds an earthy contrast to the sweet apple butter and creamy cheese.
No utensils are needed, which makes these easy to grab and eat at a gathering. Let them cool to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Apple Butter Baked Brie Puff Pastry Twists (Easy Fall Appetizer)
Ingredients
Method
- Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll out the first puff pastry sheet into a larger rectangle. Spread half of the apple butter onto the surface.
- Cut the brie into small cubes. Arrange half of the brie on top of the apple butter.
- Fold the puff pastry sheet from short end to short end. Slice 1" strips from long end to long end. Starting in the middle of a pastry strip, twist the dough out to the ends. Place twists on parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Whisk the egg with 1 Tbsp. of water. Brush the twists with egg wash.
- Combine the rosemary and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the twists generously with rosemary sugar.
- Bake 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
5. Cinnamon Apple Crisp
This apple crisp skips the oats entirely, relying on melted butter to create a crumbly, streusel-like topping instead. Tart apples like Granny Smith, Cortland or Braeburn hold their shape well underneath the buttery topping as it bakes.
The filling gets a hit of cinnamon and lemon juice, along with a little cornstarch to help it thicken. A warm scoop straight from the oven pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream.
Cinnamon Apple Crisp (No Oats Recipe)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss to coat the apples in the mixture.
- Pour the apple filling into the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the baking dish for at least 20 minutes before serving.
4. Passover Apple Cake
Cake meal stands in for flour in this layered apple cake, making it kosher for Passover. Layers of cake batter and cinnamon sugar apples bake up thick and spongy, similar to a traditional Jewish apple cake but without any leavening.
A little brown sugar and extra cinnamon give it more depth of flavor than the classic version. It’s a dessert that holds its own on any seder table.
Passover Apple Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs on medium-high speed. Lower the speed and gradually add the sugars, oil and vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add cake meal and blend well.
- In a small bowl, toss the sliced apples in half of the the cinnamon sugar mixture. Reserve the other half for sprinkling the top of the cake.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth batter using a rubber spatula, and arrange half of the apple slices over the batter in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining batter and apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the layer of apples.
- Bake for 90 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan before slicing into squares.
3. Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Sour cream keeps this coffee cake incredibly moist, while a swirl of cinnamon apples runs through every slice. A thick, buttery crumb topping bakes up golden brown on top and stays put thanks to using melted butter instead of cold.
The apple filling is cooked down first, so it stays soft and syrupy once it’s swirled into the batter. This cake travels well, making it a good option for potlucks and get-togethers.
Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Bring the apples, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened and apples are very soft, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Blend in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, blend the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of the apple mixture onto the cake batter. Using a knife, swirl the apple mixture evenly into the cake batter.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mix all of the topping ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cake layer. Bake 40 minutes.
2. Warm Apple Crostata
This free-form pastry has all the charm of scratch baking without any fuss over a perfectly crimped edge. A flaky, buttery crust gets folded loosely around a filling of tart apples cooked with cinnamon and nutmeg until soft and syrupy.
Brushing the crust with heavy cream and turbinado sugar before baking gives it a beautifully golden finish. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Warm Apple Crostata Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Cut the cold butter into cubes. Add the butter to the food processor and process until they are the size of peas.
- With the motor running on low, pour 5 Tbsp. very cold water through the feed tube until a crumbly dough forms.
- Remove the dough and press it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes an amber color. Don't worry if it gets clumpy.
- Stir in the apple slices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of water. Pour the mixture into the apples and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a large circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread the apple mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a perimeter of dough about 2 inches.
- Fold and gather the dough in towards the center, slightly overlapping other pieces of dough and overlapping the apple mixture by 1/2 inch.
- Brush the dough with heavy cream. Sprinkle it with turbinado sugar. Bake 50 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before transferring it to a serving plate.
1. Puff Pastry Apple Dumplings
Store-bought puff pastry gets wrapped around cinnamon apples for a dessert that looks far more complicated than it actually is. Each little pastry package gets topped with a buttery pecan streusel before baking at two different oven temperatures for a golden, crisp finish.
A drizzle of caramel sauce on top takes them to the next level! These are a favorite for holiday tables and taste like they came from scratch every time.
Puff Pastry Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Peel, core and chop the apples.
- Combine cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and bread crumbs in a large bowl. Toss the apples in the cinnamon mixture. Set aside.
- Roll out the first puff pastry sheet into a large rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 4 equal squares. Use a pastry brush to brush each square with beaten egg. Place a few spoonfuls of the apple mixture in the center of each pastry square. Fold opposite corners in towards the middle, overlapping the corners over top of the apples.
- Brush the outside of each dumpling with the egg wash. Repeat this process with the second puff pastry sheet, so that you have a total of 8 dumplings.
- Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the dumplings in the baking dish.
- Melt butter in a microwave safe dish. Combine the melted butter with the remaining streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the tops of the dumplings. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.
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