35+ Warming Apple Desserts for Fall 

October 02, 2019
Photo: Melina Hammer; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Nothing says "fall" like a Classic Apple Pie. Or an Easy Apple Cobbler. Or a Caramel-Coated Candy Apple. Or a delicious Apple Bundt Cake. The point is, apples and autumn go hand-in-hand. Forget pumpkin spice⁠—warm up with our collection of cozy apple desserts this season 
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Apple Cinnamon Bread

Annie Campbell
Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe

Besides being simple enough to whip up on a moments notice, as it bakes, this easy apple cinnamon bread puts off the kind of warming, buttery, spiced aromas that usher in all the fall feels. And given just how well a warm slice pairs with a cup of coffee, don’t be surprised if you find yourself making a loaf of apple cinnamon bread on a weekly basis throughout the season. The rich quick bread is incredibly moist, thanks to the apple and sour cream, but the key to ensuring it’s as tender as possible is to avoid over-mixing. In fact, once the final addition of dry ingredients has been added to the batter, it’s helpful to finish incorporating everything together by hand, using a rubber spatula, rather than continuing to whip the batter with an electric mixer.  We used Granny Smith apple in testing the recipe, but you can really use any apple variety you have on hand. Feel free to substitute the pecans called for walnuts, or leave the nuts out entirely. 

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Easy Apple Cobbler 

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Adam Hickman; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Easy Apple Cobbler  Recipe

Usher in the fall season with a warm pan of (almost too) easy apple cobbler. For this simple and delicious apple dessert, peeling and slicing the fruit will be the bulk of your workload. The combination of brown sugar and apples yields an exceptionally gooey-rich filling that was made to team up with a buttery, golden crust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While we preferred hearty Granny Smith apples for the filling, you can certainly use a different variety if that's what you have on hand. Regardless of the type of apple you pick, this warm and comforting cobbler is easy enough to make at the last minute, and is always a welcome addition to the holiday dessert spread. 

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Apple Cider Doughnuts

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Apple Cider Doughnuts Recipe

Few things deliver fall comfort quite like sweet apple cider doughnuts. Gaining their distinct apple flavor from four sources—apple cider, freshly grated apple, apple butter, and apple cider vinegar—these homemade doughnuts are anything but bland. And, because there’s no yeast involved, you don’t even have to wait for the dough to proof; meaning, there’s less standing between you and your hot, fresh apple cider doughnuts. For the most robust apple flavor, be sure to use cider, not juice—and always shake the cider jug before measuring. To give them a perfect finishing tough, either toss the warm doughnuts with Pumpkin-Cinnamon Spice or coat the cooled cider doughnuts with a Buttermilk Glaze or Maple-Vanilla Icing. 

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Buxton Hall Ultimate Apple Pie

Greg DuPree
Buxton Hall Ultimate Apple Pie Recipe

We found the ultimate apple pie in the most unexpected place. When customers walk through the door of Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, North Carolina, they are greeted not just by the sweet smell of smoke of whole hogs cooking over oak and hickory wood, but also by “the pie table”. Ashley Capps, the pastry chef behind the restaurant’s in-house Buxton Hall Bakery, crowns the long table’s vintage stands with flavors like Caramel Walnut Chess and her sell-out hit Banana Pudding Pie. Capps’ developed the Ultimate Apple Pie to include fresh and dried fruit along with apple butter for a deep flavor and engaging texture. This recipe is perfect for fall, but even better on Thanksgiving. Bake a few different pies this year and set up your own pie table.

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Grilled Apple Pie a la Mode

Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Grilled Apple Pie a la Mode Recipe

Whether it’s in the backyard or around a campfire, this easy, on-the-spot recipe has all the elements of a perfect apple pie. Make sure to use apples that are the same size so they’ll cook at the same rate. The ice cream will melt quickly, so put it on the apples right as you serve them. 

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Cranberry-Apple Tartlets

Linda Pugliese
Cranberry-Apple Tartlets Recipe

Surprise your guests with these cute and delicious tartlets. Fresh or frozen cranberries can be used to make the tangy filling. If using frozen berries, don’t defrost them. Frozen cranberries act more like fresh cranberries than thawed ones do; the skins burst at a similar rate and they are less juicy.

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Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce

Victor Protasio
Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce Recipe

The heirloom apple that makes this apple pie so tasty hails from Benton County, Arkansas. What makes it so special? The fragrant, tart, and tasty apple ripens to a deep red while still on the tree, but it continues to ripen after it is picked and transforms to a nearly black hue. Keep an eye out for these beautiful apples for your Thanksgiving pie. The Arkansas Black Apple Pie just needs a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and a scoop of ice cream to make your night perfect.

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Triple-Apple Pie

Caitlin Bensel
Triple-Apple Pie Recipe

How next-level store-bought crust, smart touches of fat and flavoring, and a trio of apples fit together fabulously.

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Maple Quinoa Bake with Skillet Apples and Walnuts

Photo: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Karen Rankin
Maple Quinoa Bake with Skillet Apples and Walnuts Recipe

This hearty and comforting baked quinoa is a great healthy breakfast to make ahead for the family or serve for a brunch gathering with friends.   

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Pistachio-Orange Caramel Apples

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen 
Pistachio-Orange Caramel Apples Recipe

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Hummingbird Caramel Apples

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen 
Hummingbird Caramel Apples Recipe

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Apple-Pear Pie with Cookie Butter Caramel

Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Apple-Pear Pie with Cookie Butter Caramel Recipe

If you’re looking to go next-level for you next holiday pie, this speculoos infused apple and pear pie is exactly what you’re looking for. Featuring finely ground speculoos cookies (we used Biscoff brand) in the crust, larger crumbles in the pecan streusel topping, and a decadent salted cookie butter caramel sauce both in the filling and drizzled over top, this fruit pie is anything but boring. While it may seem like a hassle, don’t skip giving your fruit the little pre-cook described in step 5. This method of par-cooking the slice apples and pears will help your fruit achieve a delightfully tender, but not-too-mushy texture through the baking process.

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Apple Pie Nachos

Time Inc. Video Studio 
Apple Pie Nachos Recipe

All of the flavors you crave from a gooey apple pie, but in an easy-to-make, highly shareable format.  

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Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Video and Photos by Alex Tepper
Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Recipe
Halving and rolling out the cinnamon buns ensures that they’ll stay thin and crisp like a pie crust would, rather than rising into actual cinnamon buns. Don't have a rolling pin? No problem. You can flatten the cinnamon buns using a glass.

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Apple Crisp

Photo: Jen Causey, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell
Apple Crisp Recipe

This is apple pie's less-fussy but just-as-tasty little sister.

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Cinnamon-Apple Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Cinnamon-Apple Cake Recipe

This 5-star cinnamon apple cake is one of our best-ever recipes and can be served as dessert or a breakfast coffee cake.

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Caramel Apple Blondie Pie

Photo: Hector Sanchez
Caramel Apple Blondie Pie Recipe

Buttery rich layers of tender cake and caramelized apples add up to one sweet combo. The secret to the crisp, flaky crust? Baking in a cast-iron skillet on a lower oven rack.

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Warm Apple Compote and Aged Cheddar Topping

Hector Manual Sanchez
Warm Apple Compote and Aged Cheddar Topping Recipe
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Apple Fritters with Salted Caramel Sauce

Hector Manuel Sanchez
Apple Fritters with Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe

Filled with a spiced apple compote, dipped in a vanilla glaze, and topped with a homemade caramel sauce, these over-the-top fritters take a bit of time to prepare but are well worth the wait.

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Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Cider Glaze

Caitlin Bensel
Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Cider Glaze Recipe

Don't be afraid to go 100% whole-grain with desserts; we use all spelt flour here with amazing results. The nutty flour boosts the taste of the butter, spices, and vanilla, unlike all-purpose flour, whose bland nature would dilute those flavors. Be sure to weigh the flour for accuracy; using too much will make the cake dry.

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Ciabatta French Toast with Warm Apple Maple Syrup

Photo: John Kernick; Styling: Paige Hicks
Ciabatta French Toast with Warm Apple Maple Syrup Recipe

Moist yet crusty ciabatta and nutty Gruyère cheese set this dish apart from traditional French toast. A vegetable peeler works great for getting thin slices out of the cheese. Rome or Fuji apples would also work.

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Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Jennifer Causey
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

Grated apple is the secret to a syrupy pie filling--it releases more pectin (a natural thickener) than the sliced apples alone. A quick salted caramel intensifies the apple flavor without making the dessert too sweet.

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Apple and Cherry Pie Trifle

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Deb Wise
Apple and Cherry Pie Trifle Recipe

This eye-catching trifle allows you to fully embrace the convenience factor of a prepared dessert from the freezer aisle without being obvious about it. Frozen Marie Callender pies make an amazing shortcut to creating fruity layers (accented with pieces of flakey, buttery crust) in this easy dessert that’s completed with a couple of other convenience items, like pudding mix and frozen whipped topping. It’s perfect for any occasion when you’re short on time, but still need something decadently impressive. Feel free to swap apple and cherry for your own favorite pie flavors.

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Mom's Rhubarb-Apple Crisp

Mom's Rhubarb-Apple Crisp Recipe

Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious apples hold their shape well and won't get too mushy after baking. Brown sugar lends deep molasses flavor to the topping.

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Apple Rose Tarts

Video and photo by Alex Tepper
Apple Rose Tarts
The apple rose tart, made famous on Pinterest, does take some time to prepare, but it’s all worth it once you impress your guests. And just like that, you’ll become one of your friends’ favorite bakers.

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Apple Cider Hazelnut Doughnuts

Photo by Charity Burggraaf
Apple Cider Hazelnut Doughnuts Recipe
In this version from Ellen Jackson’s Portland Farmers Market Cookbook, reduced cider is replaced with applesauce, and the still-warm apple doughnuts are dunked in a cider and applesauce glaze.

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Apple Foldovers

Photos by Alex Tepper
Apple Foldovers Recipe
This make-ahead masterpiece by Layce Smith is loaded with warm spices and wrapped up in a flaky, golden crust. Simply freeze ahead of time and pop one in the oven for a grab-and-go breakfast on a hectic weekday morning.
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Mini Apple Pies with Whipped Mascarpone

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Marianne Williams; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Mini Apple Pies with Whipped Mascarpone Recipe

These convenient handheld mini apple pies takes a few notes from the classic dessert for a delicious modern twist. The favorite childhood vanilla wafer cookie makes a comeback in the form of a crunchy crust. Similar to a graham cracker pie crust, the wafer cookies are crushed and mixed with melted butter to mold into muffin cups. Sour Granny Smith apples are cooked in a skillet on the stovetop and are warmly seasoned with staple fall spices to create the filling. Rich mascarpone becomes delightfully fluffy and when folded into a fresh batch of whipped cream for a decadent pie topper. 

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Cinnamon-Apple Dutch Baby

Photo: Brie Passano; Prop Stylist: Thom Driver; Food Stylist: Tina Stamos
Cinnamon-Apple Dutch Baby Recipe

This sheet pan Dutch baby is a perfect dish to whip up for a group brunch, but can easily be transformed into dessert when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

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Spiced Apple Two-Bite Tarts

Photo: Andrew Purcell; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Spiced Apple Two-Bite Tarts Recipe

The nutty pastry is absolutely delicious, like pecan shortbread. You can make the tart shells and filling the day before and assemble just before serving: Place the shells in an airtight container and chill the filling, bringing it to room temperature before placing it in the shells so it's not ice-cold. The crème fraîche dollop is more than just a pretty garnish; its rich, tangy flavor makes these sublime.

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Cinnamon-Apple Sufganiyot

Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson
Cinnamon-Apple Sufganiyot Recipe

These incredibly tender, jelly-filled doughnuts are a perfect treat for breakfast/brunch, snack time, or dessert. Opting for using a store-bought hot roll mix (we particularly like Pillsbury brand’s) saves a little bit of labor, but keeps this traditional sweet treat feeling homemade. If you want an even faster route to doughnut satisfaction, you can also use prepared pizza dough, which you can usually find in the bakery section of the supermarket; however, know these doughnuts will have a slightly chewier mouthfeel (which you may like better!). We loved apple jelly for this sufganiyot recipe, as it’s a delicious compliment to the cinnamon-sugar coating, but feel free use whatever flavor of jam you prefer. 

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