After a trip to the orchard and a little time in the kitchen, savor your harvest with these apple recipes.
52 Apple Recipes That Celebrate Sweet and Savory Fall Flavors
Apple Crisp
Apple crisps are one of the most popular and easy apple recipes. The soft apple base and streusel-like topping create a lovely texture juxtaposition, with plenty of cinnamon and brown sugar to deepen the cozy fall flavor.
Apple Crostata
If you love a summery galette, you’ll love this autumnal apple crostata. Finished with caramel sauce, it’s basically impossible to resist.
Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Picture this: a five-layer bar filled with autumn flavor, from the brown sugar crust to the creamy cheesecake filling, fall-spiced apples, cinnamon streusel crumble and caramel sauce topping. “Decadent” feels like an understatement.
Apple Nachos
I love these apple nachos because they’re basically deconstructed caramel apples, with a quarter of the work. They’re perfect when you want an apple dessert, like now.
Sauteed Apples
This side dish quickly dresses up everything from pancakes to a roast chicken. The apples look as if they’d need an hour to break down, but they’re ready in just about 10 minutes.
Waldorf Salad
This sweet salad became famous at the opening celebrations of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City in 1893 and has been on menus ever since. With crunchy apples, celery and walnuts coated in a mayo-based dressing, it’s easy to see why.
Easy Apple Cake
The addition of apples makes this cake moist and tender, and cinnamon and walnuts complete the cozy fall flavor. Serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, and enjoy this cake for breakfast or dessert, or as an afternoon treat.
Apple Muffins
I can’t decide what I love most about these muffins. Is it the crumbly streusel topping, the gorgeous vanilla glaze or the tender apples studded throughout? Honestly, it’s probably the fact that the muffins are incredibly easy, so I get to eat one as soon as possible.
German Apple Pancake
Here’s a fun one for brunch. If you’ve never made German pancakes before, the batter is so thin that you think it couldn’t possibly measure up to anything worthwhile. But the magic happens in the oven, which bakes a shareable pancake with tall, crispy edges and a shallow valley—the perfect place to put a mound of apples sauteed with butter.
Maple Apple Pie
Two key ingredients turn classic apple pie into a Vermont specialty: maple syrup and extra-sharp cheddar cheese. This salty-sweet combo is a knockout, and real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, is a must.
Apple Fritters
Chopped apples and applesauce are the stars of the show in these apple fritters. Warmed up with a little cinnamon and coated in a glaze, they’re the perfect dish for an autumn breakfast.
Pork Roast with Apples and Onions
During autumn, I’m cooking all the pork recipes for dinner. Why? Pork and apples pair exceptionally well, so pork entrees tend to lean toward fall. This one is perfect: Pork, apples, onions and rosemary all cook together for a mostly savory and very cozy fall dinner.
Caramel Apples
Nothing beats a classic. Here’s the secret to the perfect caramel apples: Resist the urge to double-dip the apples in the caramel to keep the smooth, even coating. Go classic with caramel and peanuts, or try one of our favorite creative variations.
Apple Bread
This recipe bakes a truly perfect loaf of apple bread. Apples and walnuts are studded throughout, adding texture and plenty of flavor. I love toasting the nuts first to bring out their sweet nuttiness.
Apple Butter
Apple butter is an all-day, albeit easy, project. But once you have jars of this liquid gold, you’ll want to put it on everything, from turkey sandwiches to homemade biscuits.
Apple Salad
Apple salad is ready in just 15 minutes and is the perfect side for a fall potluck. For the best results, make it a few hours ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to meld and the ingredients can chill thoroughly.
Caramel Apple Dip
Caramel apple dip presents all the favorite flavors of caramel apples in half the time. It’s perfect as-is, but the cream cheese-based dip can be doctored up with all sorts of extra ingredients, just like gourmet caramel apples.
Apple Cider Sangria Recipe
You didn’t think we’d put together a list of apple recipes without a few apple cocktails, did you? This fall sangria combines apple cider with white wine, brandy and ginger beer, plus apples and pomegranates for the quintessential floating fruit.
Apple Tart
An apple tart is like the cool, sophisticated cousin of an apple pie. The gorgeous apple spiral is very chic, and it’s finished with apricot jam for gloss and shine. Bonus? It’s easier to make than apple pie!
Apple Dumplings with Crescent Rolls
I love any recipes that use crescent dough. They take away all the fuss of making yeasted dough from scratch. These apple dumplings benefit from that trick and get only more perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Apple Pie Cupcakes
A box of yellow cake mix keeps these cupcakes easy, but the homemade apple pie filling and cinnamon buttercream make them feel bakery-case-worthy.
Kuchen
This German dessert is unlike anything we have in America. It starts with a thin, yeasted dough crust, which is filled with homemade custard and topped with fruit (in this case, apples) and a homemade streusel.
Apple Pie Jam
All the warming flavors of apple pie have found their way into this sticky jam. It’s perfect when an apple pie feels like too much to bake or eat. Spread on toast, this jam is a satisfying alternative.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
I can’t think of a cozier way to enjoy a chilly fall morning than with a bowl of this nourishing apple cinnamon oatmeal. Besides the chunks of apples, the fall flavors come from brown sugar, almonds and a good pinch of cinnamon.
Apple Brown Betty Recipe
If you’ve never liked the oats and nuts that come standard on crisps, you’ll love a brown betty. Its key ingredient is bread crumbs, which bake with butter, sugar and fruit to make an excellent topping for baked apples.
Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
This slow-cooker supper is all about apples, kielbasa and sauerkraut, warmed with woodsy caraway for a truly flavorful dinner. By the time it’s done cooking, the apples will be soft as custard.
Apple Danish
I love baking this recipe for low-key fall gatherings, where there isn’t any pressure to produce the perfect apple pie. Once cut up, these apple Danishes are the ideal hand-held squares, meant for mingling or casual eating.
Apple Pandowdy
Apple pandowdy might be a vintage dessert today, but it was a home-cooking classic in the early to mid-1900s. It’s as if an apple cobbler baked its apples in a homemade caramel sauce. Yum.
Apple-Stuffed Pork Chops
These stuffed pork chops are such a fun dinner to make and eat during the fall. Apples, onions, herbs and bread cubes cook together, then the mixture is stuffed into the pork chops and baked. The flavors permeate through the meat for something so flavorful and succulent that you’ll think about seconds before you’re finished with the first helping.
Apple Pizza
If you’ve never had a dessert pizza, you’re in for such a treat, and this apple pizza is the perfect introduction to the idea. With a homemade pizza crust, a brown sugar and cream cheese “sauce,” and apple, streusel and caramel “toppings,” this is a fun recipe for a fall movie night or game night.
Apple Pie Egg Rolls
In these apple pie egg rolls, all the great flavors of classic apple pie get wrapped up in wonton wrappers, crisped in the air fryer and coated in cinnamon sugar. They’re just as much fun to make as they are to eat!
Easy Apple Cobbler
There are about three steps standing between you and enjoying this easy apple cobbler. Since it’s so easy to make, take the extra time and effort to peel the apples first for a more enjoyable eating experience.
Apple Stuffing
Apples and dried apricots replace heavy sausage for a lighter, brighter version of classic Thanksgiving stuffing. Plus it up with fresh herbs, toasted nuts and cooked vegetables like mushrooms, squash or kale.
Pickled Apples
Pickled apples are like a time capsule, capturing the flavor of fall for enjoyment any time of year. A few slices add a wonderful pop of brightness and fall spice to meals like pulled pork sandwiches, wintery salads, grilled cheese, oatmeal, or a fruit and cheese board.
Apple Turnovers
These apple turnovers use store-bought puff pastry, so they’re achievable for bakers of any skill level. The apple filling is made from scratch, though, because that’s where the flavor really shines.
Apple Kolaches
There are a few traditional ways to make kolaches, but my favorite has to be this cookie form with cream cheese dough. The cookie melts in your mouth, and there’s a lot of emphasis on the filling, which in this case is cinnamon-coated apples!
Granny’s Apple Scalloped Potatoes
I love this creative fall side that arranges thinly sliced apples and potatoes into a beautiful spiral, baking them with bacon, heavy cream, Parmesan and thyme. Pair it with pork for a winning dinner.
Croissant Bread Pudding
This croissant bread pudding is a genius way to put leftover croissants and apple butter to good use. Every croissant is sliced open and gets a healthy smear of apple butter and a sprinkle of raisins. The croissants are then arranged in a 13×9-inch baking dish, covered in custard, sprinkled with streusel and baked until golden brown. Perfection.
Apfelkuchen
This apfelkuchen is dense, rich and buttery. Fanned apples are baked on top for flavor and presentation. Dust it with confectioners’ sugar for a final touch of sweetness.
Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Wholesome oats and tender apples give these cookies a lot of nice texture. I always love to chill my cookie dough for 24 hours before baking. This helps the butter resolidify for chewier cookies and hydrates the flour and oats to maximize flavor.
Baked Apple
“Easy” is the name of the game for this apple dessert. These baked apples soften in the oven with a generous amount of apple cider, fall spices, brown sugar, raisins and just a little bit of butter. Serve scoops with the best vanilla ice cream or dollops of whipped cream.
Cider Wassail
For those unfamiliar with this drink, cider wassail is a traditional alcoholic English beverage for the Christmas season. It’s so easy: Simmer apple cider, orange juice, pineapple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks together for 20 to 30 minutes, then serve!
Jackfruit Tacos with Green Apple Salsa
The apple salsa makes these vegetarian jackfruit tacos. Green apples are tossed with avocados, green peppers, green onions, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro and a bit of lime juice so every bite is crunchy and tangy.
Apple Strudel
Apple strudel is the most classic vintage apple dessert. We even make the strudel dough from scratch, which means you can try the traditional process of stretching it out super thin on the table. Be gentle!
Apple Pie Filling
Take the time to make this glorious apple pie filling so you can make apple pie or apple crisp at any time. You can also save it to top ice cream and oatmeal or fill crepes and thumbprint cookies.
Pancake Casserole
This brunch casserole is like an all-in-one. Here, sausages and apples bake in a pancake batter. Serve it with maple syrup, and it’ll become a classic in your home.
German Red Cabbage
This German cabbage recipe includes apples and onions for brightness and pungency. Serve it traditionally with sauerbraten, or save it for sandwiches, hot dogs, pot roast, schnitzel or a roast chicken for a little extra zing and zip.
Stuffing Muffins
Traditional Thanksgiving stuffing gets portioned into muffin cups for this individual-serving stuffing. Green apples and dried cranberries make the stuffing bright and a bit sweet, complementing the salty sausage and intoxicating spice and herb mix.
Snickers Salad
Any Midwesterner knows this “salad.” Green apples and chopped Snickers mix into a base of vanilla pudding and whipped cream. It’s ready in 15 minutes and is the perfect side dish to take to a potluck.
Apple Coffee Cake
While apples are a main component, sour cream is the secret ingredient for the most tender, tangy coffee cake. The brown sugar-pecan topping adds a nice texture, playing with the chopped apples studded throughout the cake. It’s an unyeasted coffee cake, so there’s no crazy prep, but you can still make the batter the night before and bake it in the morning.
Chunky Applesauce
This chunky applesauce recipe requires only four ingredients—apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla—and about 15 minutes of hands-on time. One bite and you’ll feel as if you’ve captured the exact flavor of fall.
Apple Chips
Apple chips make a wholesome, quick and economical snack. All you have to do is dehydrate apple slices (dusted with cinnamon) in the air fryer until they’re browned and crispy. That’s it, seriously! And, yes, you can totally use an oven instead.
Apple Recipes FAQ
What can I make with a lot of apples?
Apple butter, applesauce and apple pie filling are recipes that can be made with a lot of apples. These fall apple recipes can include anywhere between 12 to 18 apples! Dishes like apple chips, caramel apples, apple nachos, sauteed apples and pickled apples can also use a lot of apples since they’re easy recipes to double or triple. For fewer apples, our apple danish, Snickers salad and apple strudel recipes each use 6 cups of sliced or chopped apples.
Should I peel apples before making sweet or savory dishes?
Whether or not you should peel apples before making sweet or savory apple dishes depends on the recipe. Most sweet or savory apple recipes suggest peeling the apples beforehand. However, some recipes, like apple roses and apple nachos, encourage leaving the skin on. If you’re unsure, check the ingredients section. The apple measurement will usually indicate if the apples must be peeled beforehand. If not, leave the skin on.
What are the best apple dessert ideas?
The best apple dessert ideas completely depend on your preferences. However, most people enjoy apple crisps, pies, cobblers, coffee cakes and muffins. If you want to try something more out-of-the-box but also safe enough that probably anyone would enjoy the recipe, bake our apple Danish, apple turnovers, German apple pancake, apple fritters, or roast pork with apples and onions.



















































