Love apple desserts? So do we! These best-loved recipes for apple pies, cakes, strudels and more are the sweets you need this fall.
Our Best Apple Desserts
Updated on Oct. 08, 2024
Cranberry Apple Pie
New England is one of the prime apple- and cranberry-growing regions of the country. This is my all-time favorite cranberry apple pie recipe. —Betty Winberg, Nashua, New Hampshire
Editor’s Tip: Whether you picked apples at an orchard or bought them at the store, learn how to store apples to keep them crisp.
1/31
2/31
Apple Dumplings with Sauce
Total Time
1 hour 50 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This warm and comforting apple dumplings recipe is incredible by itself or served with ice cream. You can decorate each dumpling by cutting 1-inch leaves and a 1/2-inch stem from the leftover dough. —Robin Lendon, Cincinnati, Ohio
3/31
Easy Apple Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
After testing many apple cake recipes with fresh apples, this old-fashioned cake is moist, dense and down-home delicious. Even better, it’s quick to fix and, served warm with whipped cream or a dollop of frozen custard, one of my family’s very favorite recipes for decades. —Sherry Ashenfelter, Waterville, Ohio
Try this easy apple compote recipe with it.
4/31
Mini Apple Crisp
Total Time
40 min
Servings
1 serving
From the Recipe Creator:
With my family’s hectic schedule, I cook for one quite frequently. My mini apple crisp recipe is so simple to make. It works equally well as a nice single-serving dessert for me or as an afternoon snack when our oldest son gets home from school. —Sherry Krenz, Woodworth, North Dakota
5/31
Caramel Apples
Total Time
40 min
Servings
16 servings (8 apples)
From the Recipe Creator:
Nothing tastes better at this time of year than a sweet-to-eat caramel apple! That rich homemade flavor just can’t be beat. —Karen Ann Bland, Gove, Kansas
6/31
Winning Apple Crisp
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I live in apple country, and a delicious crisp is one good way to use them that doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s one of my favorite easy apple desserts. —Gertrude Bartnick, Portage, Wisconsin
7/31
Apple Dumpling Bake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I received this recipe for baked apple dumplings with Mountain Dew from a friend of mine, then tweaked it to suit my family’s tastes. The soda is definitely the secret ingredient in this rich apple dessert. Here are 41 more apple recipes made in a 13×9. —Chris Shields, Monrovia, Indiana
8/31
Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These apple peanut butter cookies are great for fall gatherings. They’re crisp on the outside and soft inside. We love using fresh-picked apples from the orchard. —Marjorie Benson, New Castle, Pennsylvania
9/31
Maple and Cream Apple Pie
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The cream in this pie makes it so rich and delicious. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, this is it. —Glenda Ardoin, Hessmer, Louisiana
Learn how to make fried apple pies and serve them as individual desserts, arrange them on a buffet table, take them to a picnic or grab one on your way out of the house in the morning.
11/31
Dutch Apple Pie
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Everything about this Dutch apple pie recipe (especially the crumble!) makes it the top request at our family gatherings. The oat crust reminds me of a cookie, and the tart apple filling just can't be beat during harvest time. —Brenda DuFresne, Midland, Michigan
12/31
German Apple Cake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother made this German apple cake for my brothers and me when we were kids. It’s an excellent choice for Christmas or any time of year. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
13/31
Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie
Total Time
1 hour 50 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
You’ll love the smell in your kitchen—and the smiles on everybody’s faces—when you make this scrumptious caramel apple pie recipe. It takes me back home to Virginia and being at my granny’s table. Here’s how to choose the right apple for your recipe. —Jean Castro, Phoenix, Arizona
14/31
Caramel Apple Strudel
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My father, who was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, would tell us stories about how his mother covered all the kitchen counters with dough whenever she made apple strudel. This recipe is a modern, delicious way to carry on part of my family's heritage. —Sarah Haengel, Bowie, Maryland
15/31
Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
An attractive topping of cinnamon-spiced apple slices and a homemade oat-and-walnut crust make this creamy dessert a definite showstopper. —Emily Ann Young, Edmond, Oklahoma
16/31
Golden Apple Pie
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Pies are the dessert I like best to prepare. This one's the favorite for family get-togethers, and it has been awarded blue ribbons at a couple of local fairs. —Theresa Brazil, Petaluma, California
17/31
Apple Doodles
Total Time
25 min
Servings
3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This apple doodle recipe originally started as an apple cake. But I worked it into a recipe for cookies and have been making them this way ever since. It's a nice way to feature fall's delicious produce. —Cecilia Lorraine Ruiz, Sunnyvale, California
18/31
Caramel Apple Rice Krispies Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Ooey, gooey caramel meets your favorite crisped rice treat in this caramel apple Rice Krispies Treat recipe. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
19/31
Dutch Apple Cake
Total Time
1 hour 45 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband and I came to Canada from Holland more than 40 years ago. This traditional Dutch recipe is a family favorite and has frequently gone along with me to suppers and other get-togethers. —Elizabeth Peters, Martintown, Ontario
20/31
Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Total Time
55 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
The streusel topping that comes with this recipe for apple cream cheese bars is absolutely irresistible. If you can’t resist a “taste test” before a party, just arrange each apple bar on a serving platter and no one will know a piece is missing from the pan! —Katherine White, Henderson, Nevada
21/31
Challah Bread Pudding
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I created this challah bread pudding recipe after my mother-in-law told me that she liked bread pudding. I was on a mission to create a version that was so good she’d ask me for the recipe. It worked! This can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert. —Marsha Ketaner, Henderson, Nevada
22/31
Apple Bavarian Torte
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
A cookie-like crust holds the sensational filling of cream cheese, apples and almonds. This comforting apple torte will be welcomed addition to a bake sale or potluck. —Sheila Swift, Dobson, North Carolina
23/31
Apple Cider Pound Cake
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Fall in New England is so beautiful, and the apples here are the best! This apple cider cake is a family favorite and I like to serve it with hot cocoa.
24/31
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Apple cranberry crisp is a wonderful dessert for fall, when both cranberries and apples are in season. The fruits are quite compatible in flavor and color, and they help make any table look festive and inviting. —Martha Sue Stroud, Clarksville, Texas
25/31
26/31
Apple Betty with Almond Cream
Total Time
3 hours 15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I love making this apple betty for friends during the peak of apple season. I plan a quick soup and bread meal so we can get right to the dessert! —Elizabeth Godecke, Chicago, Illinois
27/31
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Total Time
40 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These apple pie cupcakes are always a hit! They are so easy to make and the flavor just screams fall. Of course, they're equally delicious any other time of year. —Jennifer Stowell, Deep River, Iowa
28/31
Slow-Cooker Apple Pudding Cake
Total Time
2 hours 15 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
A satisfying dessert like this is a superb treat on a chilly night. It has three layers—apples, cake and sauce—and I like to serve it in a bowl. It's comfort food for the soul. —Ellen Schroeder, Reedsburg, Wisconsin
29/31
Fried Apples
Total Time
45 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Mom often made these rich cinnamon-sugar apples when I was growing up. I swear the folks at Cracker Barrel copied her recipe! —Margie Tappe, Prague, Oklahoma
30/31
Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Total Time
45 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Bring these extra special cupcakes to your next event and watch how quickly they disappear! With a caramel topping and spice cake base, they're the perfect mix of two favorite fall treats. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
31/31
Apple Kolaches
Total Time
40 min
Servings
2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A fellow home cook shared this recipe for a sweet, fruit-filled pastry. My son, who isn’t a dessert fan, was disappointed when he came home to find his dad had polished off the last kolache in the batch. —Ann Johnson, Evansville, Indiana
