Like streusel-topped cakes, caramel-apple cookies, a dessert made with Cheez-Its, and more ways to eat an apple a day.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
When the cool winds blow, we pine for apple desserts. You too? Welcome, friend. Whether they’re sweet or tart, cooked down to a sticky paste or gently warmed to keep their crisp bite, apples only need a little butter, some cinnamon sugar, and heat to shine. (And a scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurts.)
With classic apple pie, buttery crisps, flaky pastries, and glazed apple fritters, this collection of apple dessert recipes makes the most of the season’s bounty. Some are simple enough for a weeknight; others are baking projects worth clearing an afternoon for.
We like firm apples for baking—favorites include Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn. They hold up well in pies, crisps, and cakes, while mixing sweet and tart apples can add complexity. Our guide to the best apples for baking has more advice on which varieties to choose. For peeling, follow the recipe: leaving the skins on adds color and texture, while removing them gives you a softer, more uniform filling.
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Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian
Apple-Rose Pie
Before vanilla extract was widely available, says baker Cheryl Day, rose water was one of the most popular flavorings in American baking. This apple pie revives that lovely floral pairing.
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Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Yekaterina Boystova
Caramel Apple Breakfast Cobbler
This make-ahead apple cobbler is great for busy mornings—or for dinner parties, when there are a lot of other things to maneuver in and out of the oven. A dollop of yogurt or softly whipped cream wouldn’t be out of place.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
Apple Crumble
A combination of apples gives this classic crumble the best of both worlds: Some soften into a jammy filling; others keep their shape. On top, buttery crumbs bake into golden, craggy clusters. Serve warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.
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Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
Stovetop Apple Crisp
No room in the oven? No problem. This stovetop crisp gets its buttery, golden topping from a separately prepared streusel. It’s a clever way to get the contrast of tender fruit and crunchy crumbs without baking the whole dessert.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
Dutch Apple Snacking Cake
Apples run throughout this tender vanilla cake, while a generous cinnamon streusel topping brings buttery crunch to every slice. It’s the kind of cake you can leave on the counter and cut yourself another square of whenever the mood strikes.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
Appalachian Apple Stack Cake
Usually, when cake emerges, that signals the party is ending soon. But with six layers of spice cake and an orchard’s worth of apple butter, this apple dessert IS the party.
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Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Adrian Ababovic, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
Easy Apple Cake
This hand-mixed cake is packed with chopped apples and topped with cinnamon sugar and toasted walnuts. Sour cream keeps the crumb tender, while a splash of apple cider vinegar adds a subtle tang.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
Apple-Walnut Upside-Down Cake
Claire Saffitz’s upside-down apple cake has a dramatic presentation, with glossy, caramelized apple halves nestled into a walnut-rich sponge. Her trick for getting the neatest, prettiest apple halves? Use a melon baller to scoop out the cores.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers
Caramel Apple Snacking Cake
You need little more than a bowl and baking dish for this tender apple cake. The caramel sauce comes together in a small skillet, making this a decidedly low-fuss way to get your caramel-apple fix.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig
Buttery German Apple Cake
The secret to this gorgeous cake’s neat rows of apples is the Hasselback method: Thin, parallel cuts let the fruit fan out as it bakes while keeping each quarter intact.
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Photo by Holly Wulff Petersen
Sumac, Spelt, and Apple Cake
Sumac brings a citrusy fragrance to this apple loaf cake, while spelt flour adds a delicate nuttiness. The unexpected combination adds a little intrigue to a familiar fall bake.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
Vanilla Bean Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is a French classic for good reason: Caramelized apples, buttery pastry, and a dramatic flip at the finish. This version uses frozen puff pastry, saving you the trouble of making dough from scratch.
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Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco
Apple-Cranberry Tarte Tatin
Tart cranberries turn this Tatin variation a beautiful rosy pink. It’s a Thanksgiving showstopper if you want something other than the usual pumpkin or pecan pie.
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Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
Fall Fruit Galette
This free-form galette wraps a buttery crust around sliced apples, and you can make it your own with warming spices, citrus zest, or a little black pepper. See our extra-flaky pastry dough for the foundation (or use a store-bought crust, we won’t tell).
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Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
Glazed and Flaky Apple Tart
Think apple pie with the fruit turned all the way up. This tart layers apples over an exceptionally flaky crust with a glossy finish that makes it look every bit as good as it tastes.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell
Galette de Pommes au Calvados
This French apple tart doubles down on the fruit with thinly sliced apples layered over Calvados-spiked applesauce. A dollop of apple-brandy-flavored whipped cream makes it feel especially dinner-party-worthy.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
Weihnachten Gedeckter Apfelkuchen
This traditional German Christmas apple “cake” holds a sweet-tart fruit filling in tender pastry and finishes it with a lemon glaze. Fresh cranberries replace the usual raisins, giving the holiday bake a welcome pop of tartness.
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Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
Fried Apple Pies
Take a cue from legendary Southern chef Edna Lewis and use dried apples for the filling. Rehydrated in apple cider, they develop a concentrated flavor and rich, jammy texture that works beautifully inside golden fried pastry.
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Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Linden Elstran, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
These golden fried treats, courtesy of BA Bake Club, have ricotta in the batter for a tender crumb and juicy apple chunks throughout. They’re the perfect treat after an afternoon of apple picking.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Jessie YuChen
Salted Caramel Apple Cookies
Caramel apples are great, but have you tried them as a cookie? These bring the same sweet-and-salty flavors in a package that’s both easier to eat and much less sticky.
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Apple Pandowdy
Pandowdy is fun to say, and it’s even more fun to eat. Top sliced-and-spiced apples with puff pastry shingles, then bake until the crust is golden and the apples soft and bubbling.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Liberty Fennell, prop styling by Gerri Williams
Oatmeal Baked Apples
Think of these baked apples as individual apple crisps, with tender fruit and a hearty oat topping studded with dried cherries, pecans, and seeds. They’re particularly good warm from the oven, with a little cream or yogurt.
Phoebe Fry is a Brooklyn-based food writer, cook, and illustrator. She’s worked in kitchens in Ireland, Italy, and NYC, and she currently writes The Dish on Substack. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Wine Enthusiast, and more. You’ll most often find her haunting the cookbook section of her local … Read More
