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These apple desserts are the best recipes to try with this sweet tart fruit! Try crisp, pie, cobbler, cheesecake, and more.
Craving a treat with apples? There’s no fruit that’s more popular in dessert recipes, especially in the fall and winter! From crumble to crisp to dumplings to turnovers, there’s something for everyone and every occasion. Here are all our top apple desserts that are sure to impress everyone! Along with a few of our favorite recipes from this website, we’re featuring selections from three top baking experts: Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes, Imma Adamu from Immaculate Bites, and Tessa Arias of Handle the Heat.
And now…the top apple desserts to try!
Our favorite apple dessert? Apple crisp! This recipe is absolutely classic, harnessing all that cozy nostalgia of the season. The crumble topping is the ideal texture: crispy but not crunchy, and buttery but not soft. The fruit layer below will make your heart sing: cinnamon, a hint of ginger and allspice set off just a hint of orange and lemon zest.
Got a craving for a cozy fall dessert? Try Baked Apples! It’s like a short-cut apple crumble, but lighter, easier and tastier. Stuff the sweet tart fruit with oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and allspice, then bake until sweet and tender. The tart tang of the apple against the spiced crumbles is a bit of a revelation!
Here’s a cozy baked good that’s calling your name: this easy apple cobbler recipe! The topping is a meld of a biscuit and a sugar cookie, chewy, sweet and baked into golden-brown dollops. It covers a sweetly-spiced apple layer that’s flavored with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and lemon zest for a little pop. Top it with melty vanilla ice cream and there’s really nothing more we want in an apple dessert.
Introducing…Grandma’s Old Fashioned apple dumplings recipe! Yes, this really is Grandma’s recipe: we worked with Alex’s mom to adapt her famous fall favorite for your home kitchen. Tender, cozy-spiced apples are baked up in a flaky pasty crust with a spiced brown sugar syrup.
Looking for an easy apple recipe that will have everyone talking? Try apple pie bars! It’s simple to whip up this handheld treat: the same dough makes a sturdy bottom crust and buttery crumbles of streusel topping! Sandwiched in between the layers is a cinnamon-spiced apple filling, and it’s topped with a sweet maple icing drizzle that tastes a bit like melty vanilla ice cream.
Want the easiest apple dessert? Look no further than these Sauteed Apples! There’s no baking necessary, and no advanced preparation. Just slice up some apples, saute them in butter and spices, and bam! Eat it warm topped with vanilla ice cream, and there’s really not much better. In fact, why even make apple crisp or apple pie at all?
These apple snickerdoodles are irresistibly soft, with a sweet coating of cinnamon and sugar. Each bite has a burst of sweet tart apple! They take no time to whip up and don’t require any refrigeration of the dough before baking: which means you can sink your teeth into that soft, spiced cookie as soon as possible.
The tartness of fresh cranberries melds with sweet, comforting crisp apples in a cinnamon-spiced fruit layer. The berries add a zingy flavor and a bright red hue to the fruit, which shines topped with golden buttery crisp crumbles. This is the perfect easy apple dessert to impress anyone in fall and winter, during the holidays or just a cozy dinner in.
Meet this Classic Apple Pie! A flaky, golden crust encloses a filling that’s so full of cozy spiced flavor, you won’t want the bite to end. Try this plant-based version or go for our Best Apple Pie.
Want to bake a cake with no effort at all? Try this Applesauce Cake! You don’t even need a bowl: just mix it up right in the pan! It sounds too good to be true: but we promise, it’s very real. And it turns into one of the most delicious cakes you’ll eat. Moist and scented with cinnamon, it’s perfectly fluffy and a little gooey.
No need to find that recipe card Grandma scribbled down: this one is just as classic. Golden, crunchy brown sugar crumbles top a sweet tart filling of warm spiced fruit, seasoned with cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Bake this one on repeat all fall and winter, and you’ll never tire of it.
Who needs apple pie when you've got...apple cake? This Cinnamon Apple Cake is full of warm cozy flavor moist cake studded with crunchy diced apples and topped with a sweet butter cinnamon coated pecans. It works for dessert...or even breakfast! via Immaculate Bites
A galette is a French rustic tart, and there's nothing more fun to bake! In fact, we prefer it to apple pie. This one has a flaky crust filled a tasty cinnamon apple filing. It's a total head-turner, especially when served with a caramel sauce or vanilla ice cream. via Immaculate Bites
Looking for a fun handheld apple dessert? Try apple turnovers! These flaky hand-held treats are made with pie crust with a sweet cinnamon-y apple filling. via Immaculate Bites
What's better than a good bar recipe? Try these Honey Apple Bars! They're filled with fall spiced apples that are layered on top of a honey almond shortbread crust and topped with a buttery crumble and honey caramel sauce! Wow. via Grandbaby Cakes
This apple dessert stars the tangy flavor of apple cider! It's perfectly moist and tender fall cake flavored with spices, covered in a creamy maple brown butter frosting. via Grandbaby Cakes
A tarte tatin is a French upside down tart, and it's a fantastic apple dessert. This one features slow-cooked, caramelized apples that are baked into a flaky, buttery puff, then topped with a Baileys Apple Pie liqueur cream sauce. via Grandbaby Cakes
Apples, caramel and cheesecake are the perfect trio! Ever made a cheesecake at home? This decadent Caramel Apple Cheesecake has a perfectly flavored apple sauce and topped with homemade silky caramel sauce and tender spiced apples. via Grandbaby Cakes
Back to apple cakes...but this time, coffee cake! This Caramel Apple Coffee Cake is a brown sugar cinnamon apple cake layered with sweet streusel and topped off with salted caramel. It's great for dessert, or eat leftovers as snack with afternoon coffee! via Handle the Heat
A pizookie is a combination between a pizza and a cookie: kind of like a skillet cookie! This one is absolute apple decadance. It's a white chocolate chip pizza cookie topped with fresh caramel apple pie filling, ice cream, and more caramel. via Handle the Heat
What's a more fun apple dessert than caramel apples? The decadent caramel against the sweet tart, crunchy apple is so much fun. This recipe uses an easy scratch-made caramel that sets perfectly. via Handle the Heat
These soft and chewy brown butter apple blondies are the perfect apple dessert! They feature cinnamon-spiced apples, brown sugar, and flavorful brown butter. They're topped with a stunning brown butter icing, via Sally's Baking Addiction
Last up in our apple desserts? Apple cupcakes! These tasty cakes are sweet and salty, filled with shredded apple. They're topped with a rich salted caramel frosting. via Handle the Heat
This apple crumb cake is ultra soft, loaded with warm cinnamon apples and extra crumb topping. A homemade version of classic New York-style crumb cake, this cake is moist, deliciously spiced, and drizzled with sweet maple icing. via Sally's Baking Addiction
This caramel apple upside down cake is a stunning apple dessert, pairing a soft cinnamon-spiced cake with buttery caramelized apples! After inverting, the topping’s juices seep down into the cake and add unbeatable flavor and moisture. via Sally's Baking Addiction
More recipes with apples
Looking for more recipes with apples? There are lots of ideas for using this popular fruit, from applesauce to dried apples to blending them into a smoothie! We love mixing apples into our everyday recipes just as much as eating them in desserts. Here are some of our top apple recipes:
- Browse our 20 Best Apple Recipes
- Start the day with Apple Pancakes, Baked Apple Oatmeal or Apple Cinnamon Smoothie
- Try Homemade Applesauce
- Grab an Apple Salad or make DIY Dried Apples
25 Apple Dessert Recipes
This easy apple crisp recipe with oats is classic! Golden crumbles sit atop a luscious, warm-spiced fruit filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 (2 pounds) medium to large cooking apples
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon each ginger and allspice
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (or almond flour for gluten-free)
- ¾ cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter or room temperature refined coconut oil for vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Core, peel and cut the apples into 1/2-inch chunks. Combine the apples with the lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, granulated sugar*, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a large bowl and toss until well coated.
- In a separate bowl, make the crumble topping: stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and kosher salt. Add the vanilla and stir. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the to bowl. Use your hands to mix it into the dry ingredients until fully distributed and a crumbly dough forms. It may take a while, so be patient; you can also use a pastry cutter or fork if you prefer.
- Grease a 9 x 9-inch (or equivalent size) baking dish. Place the apple filling in the bottom, then evenly distribute the crumble over the top.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until browned and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly, then serve with Greek yogurt sweetened with maple syrup, whipped cream or ice cream. Stores refrigerated for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and the topping is crisp.
Notes
*If you prefer a sweet tart apple crisp, go for ⅓ cup sugar (also good if you’re planning to top it with vanilla ice cream). Use ½ cup sugar for a sweet apple crisp.
I would very much like an old fashion dried apple cake recipe
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