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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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