Here are the top easy fall desserts to bring cozy to your table! These recipes go big on autumn spices and seasonal fruits like apples and pumpkin.
Autumn is all about baking up cozy-spiced treats, and we’re here for it! Fall flavors are some of our favorite to play with: crisp apples, cozy pumpkin, and the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Looking for a sweet treat to end a seasonal meal? We’ve got you covered.
Here are our favorite easy fall desserts to add to your repertoire! They’ve all become reader favorites, from our chewy pumpkin cookies (that taste like oatmeal cream pies) to our classic apple crumble. Take a taste and enjoy all that fall foods have to offer!
And now…the top fall dessert recipes!
First up in our fall desserts: pumpkin oatmeal cookies! Once the weather starts getting cooler, we immediately crave these chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies. They taste like (get this) fall-spiced oatmeal cream pies! The soft cookie is full of pumpkin spices, then drizzled with a powdered sugar icing. These will kick off the fall nostalgia in no time. Said one of our readers, "These are now my FAVORITE cookie. I’ve already made them twice. "
At the top of our favorite fall desserts is the classic apple crumble! This is the best apple crumble recipe, or apple crisp, because they’re pretty darn similar. It’s a big 9 x 13 pan to feed a crowd, and fresh ginger in the crumble accentuates the gooey filling perfectly. It's a fan favorite!
Want to bake a cake with no effort at all? Try this easy applesauce cake! You don’t even need a bowl for this fall dessert: 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. It’s got a healthy spin with olive oil and Greek yogurt, and instead of icing there’s a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Here’s a perfect tiny fall dessert: mini pumpkin pies! These pies are more than just the cute novelty factor: they’re half the serving of a normal piece of pie, making them a healthy dessert option. Even better: they’re incredibly tasty. Each bite has the perfect ratio of silky smooth filling to flaky pie crust.
Want an easy fall 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? Here’s more about how to make this healthy dessert, and a few more topping ideas.
Pumpkin pie is always a favorite fall dessert: and of course, grandma’s pie is the absolute best, right? When we whipped up this recipe, we weren’t expecting to love it more than the original. But this vegan pie is so full of pumpkin-spiced sweetness and the flavors are so delightfully elevated, no one will guess it’s plant-based! We’re solidly in camp vegan pumpkin pie, so much so that we’ll be making this recipe for years to come.
What's more of a classic fall dessert than poached pears? It sounds fancy, but it's so easy to do and it comes out stunning. Cooking in spiced wine makes the pears a bright burgundy color, and they look elegant with their long curved stems. And the flavor: they come out sweetly fall-spiced and completely otherworldly. Serve with whipped cream and a little pecan granola for some crunch.
What's a more satisfying fall dessert than apple pie? Here a flaky, golden crust encloses a filling that’s so full of cozy spiced flavor, you won’t want the bite to end. We've got two variations: one classic and one plant-based (and secret: we like the vegan one better). Prepare to be amazed by the crunchy crust and velvety, fall-spiced apples.
Try either: Best Apple Pie or Classic Vegan Apple Pie
This quick bread is our favorite trick for fall, and we’ve tested this one on lots of friends and family. The verdict? It's a favorite! It’s made of 100% oats and no flour: so it's a healthier spin on the standard. It’s cozy spiced, just sweet enough and packed with all the nutritional benefits of oats. You’ll love it, your friends will love it, and they’ll be amazed that it's on the healthy side, too.
Last up in our fall desserts…another favorite: spiced Applesauce Cookies! These are so moist and irresistible, you’ll forget about everything else and you savory each chewy bite. (Sorry, not sorry.) The applesauce makes them ultra moist, and they’ve got a little oatmeal to balance the sweet. But make no mistake: these aren’t a health food. They’re more like a lighter version of an oatmeal cream pie: which is AOK in our book.
More fall recipes
Love fall? Us too. It’s one of the best seasons for eating, in our opinion. Here are a few more recipe collections outside of these tasty fall dessert recipes:
- 12 Best Fall Dinner Recipes Don’t miss out on the very best fall dinner recipes, from cozy pot pie to hearty chili.
- 10 Fall Salad Recipes Fall salads couldn’t be better, starring squash, beets, pomegranate, apple, Brussels sprouts, and more.
- 20 Must-Make Fall Recipes Each one is guaranteed to bring cozy cheer using the best foods of the season.
- 12 Fall Cocktails for the Season or 12 Fantastic Fall Drinks These brilliant fall drinks bring the best flavors of the season, like apple, pear, cranberry, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Fall Desserts: Pumpkin Cookies & More
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 24 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies are over the top delicious: they’re vegan, full of pumpkin spices and drizzled with a simple powdered sugar icing.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium high for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary, until well combined. Add in pumpkin and vanilla and combine on low for a few seconds until fully combined. Gradually add in the bowl with the dry ingredients, mixing on low, until combined into a dough.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the bowl with the dough from the refrigerator. Make 24 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls (a size 40 cookie scoop, if you have it) and place them onto the baking sheet. Lightly flatten the tops of each cookie with your hand.
- Bake for 11 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to set on the baking sheet; after 2 minutes, transfer to a wire baking rack. For best results, bake in 2 batches (refrigerate the dough in between baking); this gets the most even bake. If making the glaze, allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- To make the powdered sugar icing, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and almond milk until a smooth sauce forms and all lumps are dissolved (if using a thin almond milk start with 1 tablespoon and increase by little bits until it is smooth). Place the cookies on parchment paper, dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the glaze is dry, about 20 minutes. Store at room temperature in a cookie tin for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Fall
Keywords: Fall desserts
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