Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, and More
Once the weather starts to cool down, you can’t go wrong with apple desserts. Apples get tender when baked, but still hold their form, making them one of our favorite fruits to bake with. Whether you are cooking for the holidays, or just making a quick sweet treat for tonight, you will love these scrumptious dessert ideas.
First up, we have a traditional apple dessert. We like the flavor combo of sweet Golden Delicious and tart Granny Smith apples, but you can use any apple (or combination of apples) you like. Purchased piecrust dough is a convenient time-saver.
Carrot-Apple Spice Cake with Browned-Butter Glaze
We challenged ourselves to come up with a showstopping dessert that uses boxed cake mix as a starting point—and we succeeded. Fresh carrot and apple plus a splash of bourbon boost the flavor of the layers, while the browned-butter glaze is, well, the wildly delicious icing on the cake.
Double-Crust Apple Pie
The simple act of sharing something sweet that's been made with care brings such tremendous joy. Good desserts conjure good times and cheerful celebrations—and it's not only the taste but the shared memories that are integral to our appreciation. So go ahead and show off.
A double crust on this pie seals in the apples' natural juices as the pie bakes for full-on apple flavor. Tossing the apples with apple juice keeps them from browning as you peel and slice them, and it adds a boost of apple flavor.
Hasselback Apples
Simple and easy to make ahead—this twist on the apple crumble is unbelievably good. With cinnamon-sugar butter between the layers, a crispy streusel sprinkle, and a dollop of ice cream on top, there’s no doubt this will be a hit with your friends and family. For a gluten-free version, omit the flour and substitute with certified gluten-free oats.
White Chocolate-Pumpkin Pie Caramel Apples
This pumpkin-spiced apple has three decadent layers to make for a crumbly, dangerously-good dessert.
Graham Cracker-Apple Crisp
Apple-Toffee Hand Pies
You can use other cookie-cutter shapes for the pastry, like hearts for Valentine's Day.
Whole-Grain Apple Cake with Yogurt Cream
Apple cake has delicious versatility: It's a fall family favorite that not only satisfies that between-the-meal and post-dinner sweet spot but also works wonders in the wee hours of the morning with a warm cup of coffee.
Double-Crusted Apple Pie
With crust above and below, this classic apple pie offers ample flaky crispness as a counterpoint to the soft, moist, tart-sweet filling made of Granny Smith apples.
Pistachio Chocolate-Dipped Apples
3 apple wedges + 1 dark chocolate square (0.375oz) + 1 teaspoon crushed salted pistachios
Melt chocolate square. Dip apple wedges into chocolate; sprinkle with pistachios.
98 Calories
Chocolate-Toffee Apples
These candied apples combine the buttery richness of caramel apples with the fun crunch of candied ones—two old standards twisted together.
Apple-Buttermilk Custard Pie
Warm, cinnamon apples combine with a creamy custard for a fun twist on apple pie. Tip: The key to both a flaky piecrust and crisp streusel topping is to keep them as cold as possible before putting them into the oven.
Apple, Pear, and Cranberry Crisp
The tart and tangy cranberries complement the sweet apples and pears in this warm, streusel-topped delight. Try serving it à la mode as the grand finale of a holiday dinner.
Cinnamon-Apple Cake
Originally appearing in an issue from 1997, this Cinnamon-Apple Cake is one of our most loved recipes and can be served as dessert or a breakfast coffee cake. The cream cheese in the batter gives the cake lots of moisture. We recommend using mild-tasting Rome apples.
Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Sweet Spiral Biscuits
Caramel-Apple Cheesecake
This creamy cheesecake combines the pleasant tartness of fall apples with the buttery sweetness of caramel to really showcase fall flavors.
Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp
A crispy crust and gooey, sweet center make this wholesome treat something to write home about.
Cast-Iron Apple Cobbler
Entertaining a smaller crowd? This homey apple cobbler recipe can be easily halved and baked in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Candied Apples
When we prepared these Candied Apples in our Test Kitchens, we were won over by their simple charm. In particular, we liked the way the cinnamon candy coating complemented the sweetness and cool crunch of the fruit in a classic flavor match. Our recipe uses cinnamon candies (Red Hots are a good choice) instead of the cinnamon and red food coloring used in other versions.
Apple Kuchen
The sweet flavors of fall are found in this dessert. Sweet fuji apples flavored with the fruit's classic spice of choice, cinnamon, will make for a pleasing after-dinner treat.
Apple Upside-Down Cake
Mild Rome apples are great for baking this scrumptious upside-down cake however you can also use Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Jonagold apples. Dollop the cake with a bit of whipped cream, if desired.
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes
Top tender apple cupcakes with a sweet and crunchy topping of brown sugar and almonds, then drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. The amaretto adds an even more distinct almond flavor to the cupcakes, but if you don't have it, you can use almond extract instead.
Rhubarb Apple Pie
Spring is the season for fresh rhubarb. So take advantage of this seasonal fresh flavor and dish up homemade Rhubarb-Apple Pie.
Apple-Cinnamon Coffeecake
This coffee cake is best served warm. To prepare ahead, cool completely, wrap (still in the pan) in foil, and leave out at room temperature for up to one day, or freeze for up to three months. To reheat thawed cake, unwrap and bake at 250° for 15 to 20 minutes.
French Apple Tart
The free-form apple tart is mighty easy because it works from a store-bought crust—yet it's just spectacular, and so evocative of the season.
Apple Marzipan Galette
The scrumptious pie has a caramel apple flavor and is a welcomed variation of classic apple pie. Marzipan (sweetened almond paste) can be found with other baking ingredients in the supermarket. Look for it packaged in a small box or can.
Cheddar-Apple Pie
Tart and tangy, sweet and spiced, this intensely flavored homemade apple pie is thickly layered into a sharp cheddar cheese-enhanced crust. It's a gluten-free remake of an American classic.
Cranberry-Apple Pie
This juicy double-crusted beauty combines two favorite fall flavors. We suggest using grade B maple syrup in the pie filling because it is less refined and has a stronger maple taste, though grade A will work just fine in this recipe.
Apple-Cinnamon Bundt Cake
A homey comfort classic made special with a dusting of sugar and a hidden filling of apples and nuts.
