Apple Recipes and Ideas: Cakes, Pies, Crumbles Dumplings & More

Find dozens of easy apple recipe ideas from delicious pies to savory dumplings.

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Autumn's apples abound!

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mindi Shapiro and Amanda Widis

Apple desserts, from crumbles to crisps, are fall favorites for a reason. With so many versatile varieties in season, we’ve picked our favorite apple recipes—both simple, and those worth the work. For fresh apple recipes such as leafy autumnal salads, use the Fuji or Honeycrisp variety. Tart Granny Smith and Cortland apples work exceptionally in baked apple dishes, while Golden Delicious and crunchy Gala apples can be enjoyed either way.

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Apple Chips with Honey-Lemon Mint Yogurt Dip

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Blakeslee Giles and Audrey Davis

Apple Chips with Honey-Lemon Mint Yogurt Dip Recipe
If bring home too big a haul from apple picking, these apple chips are a clever way to make delicious use of the surplus. These versatile chips are also customizable—sprinkle on any of your favorite spice blends for a unique twist.

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Caramel Apple Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Caramel Apple Cake Recipe
This apple cake is the one to make when you’re looking to impress. Topped with gorgeous sautéed apples and our Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce, this beautifully decorated cake is sure to be your centerpiece and a head-turner at any gathering.

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Double-Crust Apple Pie

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mindi Shapiro and Amanda Widis

Double-Crust Apple Pie Recipe
With two crusts, you seal in all of the apples’ natural juices and flavor, with the added bonus of twice the perfectly golden piecrust. Our secret: tossing the apples in apple juice to prevent browning and for a double dose of apple flavor.

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Easy Individual Apple Crisps with Oatmeal Crumble

Photo: Jason Wallis; Styling: Cindy Barr

Easy Individual Apple Crisps with Oatmeal Crumble Recipe
These single-serve apple crisps are a fast, easy, and simple dessert that works well for weeknight cravings. Our shortcut: using your favorite oatmeal cookie as the crumble to save time, instead of hand-mixing your own from scratch.

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Fall Greens and Apple Salad

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Claire Spollen

Fall Greens and Apple Salad Recipe
Cooler weather usually brings on an onslaught of warm, indulgent food that can leave you craving anything crisp and fresh. This big, colorful apple salad recipe hits all of the right seasonal notes with a tangy ginger-apple cider dressing.

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Apple Cider Fritters

Time Inc. Video Studio

Apple Cider Fritters Recipe
Perfectly crisp on the outside, deliciously sweet on the inside, apple fritters taste like fall. Make sure to closely monitor the oil temperature for this apple recipe: Going lower than 360 degrees will leave you with greasy fritters, but go over 370 degrees, and you run the risk of over-browning or burning.

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Cinnamon-Apple Sufganiyot

Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson

Cinnamon-Apple Sufganiyot Recipe
You decide when to eat these jelly-filled, cinnamon and apple doughnuts—they work for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or as a sweet snack. Our quick fix: using a store-bought hot roll mix (such as Pillsbury) saves a little bit on the labor time.

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Miso Caramel-Apple Pie

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Miso Caramel-Apple Pie Recipe
Miso caramel seems an unlikely combo—but it’s a match made to be. Deep umami miso balances the sticky sweet of caramel and apple, making this decadent caramel apple pie recipe unparalleled in flavor.

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Spiced Apple Chutney

Jennifer Causey

Spiced Apple Chutney Recipe
Tangy and sweet with a spicy kick, this versatile apple chutney can be used in to top any protein of your choice, or as a way to spruce up sandwiches and salads. Mustard seeds add a complex earthiness that let sweet Honeycrisp apples shine.

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Easy Apple Cobbler

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Adam Hickman; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe
After peeling and slicing the apples, which is the bulk of the workload, this gooey, warm, easy apple cobbler comes together in a snap. Finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect autumn dessert.

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Fried Apple Pies

Photo: Melina Hammer; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Fried Apple Pies Recipe
Because we know how good these are, this recipe makes enough filling for a second batch that you can freeze for later. These hand pies can easily be made ahead of time and taste delicious either warm or at room temperature.

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Caramel Apples

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Caramel Apples Recipe
An autumn classic, this caramel apple recipe takes a little extra time, but it’s 100% worth the effort. Our homemade gooey caramel sauce makes all the difference in taste and texture and has that authentic fall fair taste.

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Apple Peel-and-Core Jelly

Southern Living

Apple Peel-and-Core Jelly Recipe
If making apple recipes all season has left you with plenty of leftover peels and cores, this clever apple canning recipe is the perfect solution. Cinnamon and clove give this spiced apple jelly recipe a warming fall aroma.

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Easy Apple Butter

Southern Living

Easy Apple Butter Recipe
We recommend sweet apples for this apple butter recipe: Gala, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn are our favorites, but you can use whatever you have on hand. The additions of cinnamon and cloves pack flavor, but also make your kitchen smell amazing as this simmers.

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

Photo: Randy Mayor; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle Recipe
Perfect for a lazy Sunday-morning brunch, this apple muffin recipe will become your new go-to favorite. The best part of this indulgent breakfast food is the crumbly oat streusel.

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Cinnamon-Cider Candied Apples

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Rachel Haas

Cinnamon-Cider Candied Apples Recipe
Swapping traditional caramel for cinnamon-flavored candies such as red hots makes for a fun, festive twist on a classic candy apple recipe. Make sure to wash and scrub the apples well to remove any residual waxy coating.

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Apple-Maple Turnovers

Photo: Monica Buck; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Apple-Maple Turnovers Recipe
Spin everything you love about apple pie into this delicious (and speedier) apple turnover recipe. The addition of maple syrup adds a more complex, mellow sweetness, and using frozen puff pastry means these come together in a pinch.

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Stuffed Baked Apples with Maple Yogurt Cream

Photo: Travis Rathbone

Stuffed Baked Apples with Maple Yogurt Cream Recipe
These baked apples are stuffed with dried fruit, fall spices, and oats before becoming beautifully tender and plump in the oven. A yogurt-maple syrup drizzle is the perfect finishing touch on this fast-assembly dessert.

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw

Photo: Beatriz Da Costa

Cabbage and Apple Slaw Recipe
This creamy and colorful apple slaw would be a perfect light side at a fall tailgate. Our recipe showcases ruby red Fuji apples, which make a crisp and sweet addition to any salad or slaw.

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Spiced Apple Cider

Photo: Oxmoor House

Spiced Apple Cider Recipe
Apple cider needs no introduction—this steamy, warming drink stands out as a tried-and-true family-favorite when the weather gets chilly. Give this easy apple cider recipe a boozy kick for adults by adding a shot of spiced rum to each serving.

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Peggy’s Classic Apple Dumplings

Photo: Southern Living

Peggy’s Classic Apple Dumplings Recipe
Nutty, spicy, buttery, and decadent, these classic apple dumplings are well worth the effort of hand-rolling the pie crust and making homemade sugar syrup. Pecans make for a satisfyingly crunchy topping.

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Apple Strudel

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Apple Strudel Recipe
This recipe is an easy way to make use of surplus apples. While we prefer McIntosh apples, feel free to use whatever variety you have on hand. Frozen puff pastry dough makes prep easy and yields a delightful flaky pastry.

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Rosemary-Apple Bread

Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Rosemary-Apple Bread Recipe
Apple adds a subtle sweetness to earthy rosemary, and also keeps the bread deliciously moist. This quick apple bread is perfect for your favorite fruit preserve or just a simple spread of butter.

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Our Best Apple Recipes and Ideas for Fall