Our Absolute Best Apple Desserts (2024)

Home Recipes Ingredients Fruits Apples

Updated: Apr. 25, 2024

Love apple desserts? So do we! These best-loved recipes for apple pies, cakes, strudels and more are the sweets you need this fall.

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Cranberry Apple Pie

New England is one of the prime apple- and cranberry-growing regions of the country. This is my all-time favorite cranberry apple pie recipe. —Betty Winberg, Nashua, New Hampshire

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Editor’s Tip: Whether you picked apples at an orchard or bought them at the store, learn how to store apples to keep them crisp.

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Apple Dumplings with Sauce

This warm and comforting apple dumplings recipe is incredible by itself or served with ice cream. You can decorate each dumpling by cutting 1-inch leaves and a 1/2-inch stem from the leftover dough. —Robin Lendon, Cincinnati, Ohio

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Two-Layered Apple Crisp

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to bake this for the special ladies at the local homeless shelter. Try it with Honeycrisp apples, Golden Delicious or a blend of the two apple types. —Char Morse, Whitehall, Michigan

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Easy Apple Cake

After testing many apple cake recipes with fresh apples, this old-fashioned cake is moist, dense and down-home delicious. Even better, it’s quick to fix and, served warm with whipped cream or a dollop of frozen custard, one of my family’s very favorite recipes for decades. —Sherry Ashenfelter, Waterville, Ohio

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Mini Apple Crisp

With my family’s hectic schedule, I cook for one quite frequently. My mini apple crisp recipe is so simple to make. It works equally well as a nice single-serving dessert for me or as an afternoon snack when our oldest son gets home from school. —Sherry Krenz, Woodworth, North Dakota

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German Apple Cake

With the long, cold winters we have here, this German apple cake recipe has warmed many a kitchen. The cake is perfect for breakfast, dessert or as an evening snack. I’ve made it for many parties, and I’ve always received compliments on it. —Grace Reynolds, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Caramel Apples

Nothing tastes better at this time of year than a sweet-to-eat caramel apple! That rich homemade flavor just can’t be beat. —Karen Ann Bland, Gove, Kansas

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Winning Apple Crisp

I live in apple country, and a delicious crisp is one good way to use them that doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s one of my favorite easy apple desserts. —Gertrude Bartnick, Portage, Wisconsin

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Apple Dumpling Bake

I received this recipe for baked apple dumplings with Mountain Dew from a friend of mine, then tweaked it to suit my family’s tastes. The soda is definitely the secret ingredient in this rich apple dessert. Here are 41 more apple recipes made in a 13×9. —Chris Shields, Monrovia, Indiana

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Apple Peanut Butter Cookies

These apple peanut butter cookies are great for fall gatherings. They’re crisp on the outside and soft inside. We love using fresh-picked apples from the orchard. —Marjorie Benson, New Castle, Pennsylvania

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Maple and Cream Apple Pie

The cream in this pie makes it so rich and delicious. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, this is it. —Glenda Ardoin, Hessmer, Louisiana

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Pumpkin Apple Pie

The first time I made this for my family, they gobbled up this wonderful change-of-pace holiday dessert. It has a scrumptious layer of apples under the pumpkin.—Elizabeth Montogomery, Taylorville, Illinois

Learn how to make fried apple pies and serve them as individual desserts, arrange them on a buffet table, take them to a picnic or grab one on your way out of the house in the morning.

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Favorite Dutch Apple Pie

Everything about this Dutch apple pie recipe (especially the crumble!) makes it the top request at our family gatherings. The oat crust reminds me of a cookie, and the tart apple filling just can't be beat during harvest time. —Brenda DuFresne, Midland, Michigan

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German Apple Cake

My mother made this German apple cake for my brothers and me when we were kids. It’s an excellent choice for Christmas or any time of year. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah

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Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

You’ll love the smell in your kitchen—and the smiles on everybody’s faces—when you make this scrumptious caramel apple pie recipe. It takes me back home to Virginia and being at my granny’s table. Here’s how to choose the right apple for your recipe. —Jean Castro, Phoenix, Arizona

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Caramel Apple Strudel

My father, who was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, would tell us stories about how his mother covered all the kitchen counters with dough whenever she made apple strudel. This recipe is a modern, delicious way to carry on part of my family's heritage. —Sarah Haengel, Bowie, Maryland

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Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

An attractive topping of cinnamon-spiced apple slices and a homemade oat-and-walnut crust make this creamy dessert a definite showstopper. —Emily Ann Young, Edmond, Oklahoma

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Golden Apple Pie

Pies are the dessert I like best to prepare. This one's the favorite for family get-togethers, and it has been awarded blue ribbons at a couple of local fairs. —Theresa Brazil, Petaluma, California

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Apple Doodles

This apple doodle recipe originally started as an apple cake. But I worked it into a recipe for cookies and have been making them this way ever since. It's a nice way to feature fall's delicious produce. —Cecilia Lorraine Ruiz, Sunnyvale, California

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Caramel Apple Rice Krispies Treats

Ooey, gooey caramel meets your favorite crisped rice treat in this caramel apple Rice Krispies Treat recipe. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Dutch Apple Cake

My husband and I came to Canada from Holland more than 40 years ago. This traditional Dutch recipe is a family favorite and has frequently gone along with me to suppers and other get-togethers. —Elizabeth Peters, Martintown, Ontario

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Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars

The streusel topping that comes with this recipe for apple cream cheese bars is absolutely irresistible. If you can’t resist a “taste test” before a party, just arrange each apple bar on a serving platter and no one will know a piece is missing from the pan! —Katherine White, Henderson, Nevada

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Apple Brandy Pecan Cake

My favorite apple cake is made with a shot of brandy and drizzled with caramel to set off the wonderful flavors. If alcohol is a no-go, use orange juice instead of apple brandy. If you’d rather go the chocolate route, add mini chocolate chips to the cake and use chocolate ice cream topping for the drizzle. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Challah Bread Pudding

I created this challah bread pudding recipe after my mother-in-law told me that she liked bread pudding. I was on a mission to create a version that was so good she’d ask me for the recipe. It worked! This can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert. —Marsha Ketaner, Henderson, Nevada

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Autumn Apple Torte

During apple season, I always look forward to making this yummy torte. It has a cream cheese layer and apples galore. —Margaret Wilson, San Bernardino, California

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Sparkling Cider Pound Cake

This pound cake is incredible and completely reminds me of fall with every bite. Using sparkling apple cider in the batter and the glaze gives it a delicious and unique flavor. I love everything about it! —Nikki Barton, Providence, Utah

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Cranberry Apple Crisp

Apple cranberry crisp is a wonderful dessert for fall, when both cranberries and apples are in season. The fruits are quite compatible in flavor and color, and they help make any table look festive and inviting. —Martha Sue Stroud, Clarksville, Texas

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Aunt Lou's Fresh Apple Cake

My Great-Aunt Lou made a luscious fresh apple cake recipe that became a family tradition. My mom makes it for our annual beach trip to the Outer Banks. —Cristy King, Scott Depot, West Virginia

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Apple Betty with Almond Cream

I love making this apple betty for friends during the peak of apple season. I plan a quick soup and bread meal, so we can get right to the dessert! —Elizabeth Godecke, Chicago, Illinois

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Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

These apple pie cupcakes are always a hit! They are so easy to make and the flavor just screams fall. Of course, they're equally delicious any other time of year. —Jennifer Stowell, Deep River, Iowa

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Slow-Cooker Apple Pudding Cake

A satisfying dessert like this is a superb treat on a chilly night. It has three layers—apples, cake and sauce—and I like to serve it in a bowl. It's comfort food for the soul. —Ellen Schroeder, Reedsburg, Wisconsin

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Mom's Fried Apples

Mom often made these rich cinnamon-sugar apples when I was growing up. I swear the folks at Cracker Barrel copied her recipe! —Margie Tappe, Prague, Oklahoma

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Bring these extra special cupcakes to your next event and watch how quickly they disappear! With a caramel topping and spice cake base, they're the perfect mix of two fall-favorite treats. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas

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Apple Kolaches

A fellow home cook shared this recipe for a sweet, fruit-filled pastry. My son, who isn’t a dessert fan, was disappointed when he came home to find his dad had polished off the last kolache in the batch. —Ann Johnson, Evansville, Indiana

Originally Published: September 16, 2020