Our Best Apple Desserts
Updated: Sep. 16, 2020Love 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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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. And if you’re still hungry, check out our best apple recipe from every state. —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 4 / 30
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 5 / 30
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 6 / 30
Chunky Apple Cake
After taste testing apple cake recipes, I’ve found this particular recipe the best. Full of old-world comfort, the yummy brown sugar sauce really makes the cake special. For a festive occasion, top with a dollop of whipped cream. —Debi Benson, Bakersfield, California 7 / 30
Favorite Dutch Apple Pie
Everything about this dessert (but especially its dutch apple pie topping!) makes it the number 1 request for family gatherings. Its oat crust reminds me of a cookie, and the tart apple filling just can't be beat during harvest time. —Brenda DuFresne, Midland, Michigan 8 / 30
Potluck 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 a Christmas potluck or actually any time of year. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah 9 / 30
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 11 / 30
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 12 / 30
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 13 / 30
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 14 / 30
Apple-Nut Bread Pudding
Traditional bread pudding gives way to autumn's influences in this comforting dessert. I add apples and pecans to this slow-cooked version, then top warm servings with ice cream. —Lori Fox, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin 15 / 30
Contest-Winning Caramel Apple Crisp
When my kids and I make apple crisp, we use all sorts of apples to boost the flavor and texture. Add melted caramels, and you’ve got something scrumptious. —Michelle Brooks, Clarkston, Michigan 16 / 30
Dutch Apple Cake
My husband and I came to Canada from Holland over 40 years ago This traditional Dutch recipe is a family favorite and has frequently gone along with me to potluck suppers and other get-togethers. —Elizabeth Peters, Martintown, Ontario 17 / 30
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 18 / 30
Apple Crisp Pizza
While visiting a Wisconsin orchard, I tried a tempting apple crisp pie. At home, I put together this apple pizza. As it bakes, the enticing aroma fills my kitchen, and friends and family linger waiting for a sample. —Nancy Preussner, Delhi, Iowa 19 / 30
Bite-Sized Apple Pies
These little bites are fun for kids to make. Simply wrap strips of pastry around apple wedges and shake on some cinnamon-sugar. Then just bake and watch them disappear! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen 20 / 30
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
This apple cheesecake won the grand prize in an apple recipe contest. With caramel both on the bottom and over the top, every bite is sinfully delicious. —Lisa Morman, Minot, North Dakota 21 / 30
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 22 / 30
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 23 / 30
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 24 / 30
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 25 / 30
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 just as delicious any other time of year. —Jennifer Stowell, Deep River, Iowa 26 / 30
Slow-Cooker Apple Pudding Cake
A satisfying dessert, pudding cake is a superb treat on a chilly night. It has three separate layers—apples, cake and sauce—and I like to serve it in a bowl. —Ellen Schroeder, Reedsburg, Wisconsin 27 / 30
Mom's Fried Apples
Mom often made these fried apples for me while I was growing up. The recipe is very dear to me. —Margie Tappe, Prague, Oklahoma 28 / 30
Glazed Apple-Maple Blondies
My 6-year-old son and I conjured up this recipe to use up the last of the apples we picked from the local apple orchard. Serve it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. —Heather Bates, Athens, Maine 29 / 30
Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Take 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 30 / 30
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
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