43 Apple Desserts That Make Us Want to Pick the Whole Orchard
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.
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian4/43Apple-Rose Pie
Photograph Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi5/43Diner-Style Apple Pie With Lattice Crust
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart8/43Apple 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.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness10/43Dutch Apple Snacking Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman11/43Appalachian 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.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Adrian Ababovic, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi13/43Easy Apple Cake
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne14/43Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding
This recipe gives traditional apple cake the sticky toffee pudding treatment. A rich, silky toffee sauce makes it especially tempting served warm.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling Alexandra Massillon16/43Caramel Apple Monkey Bread
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers18/43Caramel Apple Snacking Cake
Photo by Chelsie Craig19/43Buttery 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.
20/43Apple Butter Spice Cake With Cinnamon Crumble
Homemade apple butter brings concentrated fruit flavor to this warmly spiced loaf cake, while a cinnamon crumble adds a little crunch. It’s just the thing to bring to a new neighbor—or keep on the counter for yourself.
Photo by Holly Wulff Petersen22/43Sumac, 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.
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott23/43Vanilla 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.
Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco24/43Apple-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.
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski25/43Fall 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).
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski27/43Glazed and Flaky Apple Tart
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell28/43Galette de Pommes au Calvados
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks29/43Weihnachten Gedeckter Apfelkuchen
Gentl & Hyers30/43Apple and Nut-Butter Puff Pastry Tarts
Frozen puff pastry does the heavy lifting in this easy dessert recipe. Add fresh apples and your favorite nut butter, and you’ve got a dessert made largely from things you may already have on hand.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart31/43Fried 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.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Linden Elstran, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne34/43Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Jessie YuChen35/43Salted 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.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova37/43Suspiciously Cheesy Apple Crumb Bars
39/43Apple Pandowdy
Gentl & Hyers42/43Braised and Brûléed Apples with Ice Cream
A thin layer of caramelized sugar on the surface of these apples mimics the crackle of crème brûlée. Finally, a good reason to poach fruit.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Liberty Fennell, prop styling by Gerri Williams43/43Oatmeal Baked Apples
