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9 Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

9 Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

Apple desserts are perfect year 'round but they're especially wonderful in the fall. As soon as Autumn leaves start tumbling we long for those rich warm flavors of cinnamon and spice. That's exactly why I put together this list of nine of my favorite apple recipes, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time of year!

An Apple a Day. . .

Well, you know the rest. Apples are truly healthy. They're packed full of nutrients and fiber, both incredibly important. Now, I'm not going to tell you that my apple-themed desserts are uber healthy. (Ahem.) They're loaded with sugar, butter, and a host of other yummy delights.

But I am going to tell you that the apple part is good for you.

There. Do you feel better about indulging now?

What Apples Should I Bake With?

I would be hard pressed to tell you why I've been on such a roll lately with apple-themed desserts. We've been battling extreme heat here in south Texas. Maybe I'm just longing for the cool, crisp days of fall.

I've always been crazy about apples, so using them in my baking isn't much of a stretch. If I had to give you my favorite types, they would be:

  • Fuji
  • Pink Lady
  • Kanzi
  • Honeycrisp
  • Envy
  • Jazz

I know, I know. I didn't list any of the usual suspects: McIntosh, Red Delicious, Granny Smith. . .and so on. Call me jaded. I am an apple snob.

The answer to this question is truly, "Whatever floats your boat." Seriously. If you're in a hurry, use a canned pie filling. If you have time and enjoy the process of peeling and slicing, use fresh.

If you do decide to use fresh apples in your baking, here are some suggestions from Bon Appetit:

The best apples for baking keep their structure, which keeps the chunks of fruit from turning into bland pockets of apple mush after spending some time in the oven. Granny Smith apples are generally our go-to baking apple, but in the BA Test Kitchen, we have a few favorites that hold up under heat and balance that perfect sweet-tart flavor just as well if not better. Here are six to keep in mind on your way to the orchard:

The article goes on to list the following:

  • Jonagold
  • Honeycrisp
  • Braeburn
  • Mutsu
  • Winesap
  • Pink Lady (or Cripps Pink)

Just about the time I think I know all of the apples out there, they surprise me with more! I don't think I've tried Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, or Winesap. Crazy!

Should I Bake with Fresh Apples or Apple Pie Filling?

If you don't have access to fresh apples (or if the prices are out of reach) then canned pie filling is the way to go. These days, the fillings are filled with luscious spices beautifully paired with the canned fruit. Brands like Lucky Leaf offer a variety of options but there are so great store brands, too. I buy whatever I can find for a reasonable price.

Most cobbler or pie recipes will call for two cans of pie filling. Just keep that in mind. Cans are usually in the 20 ounce range so we're talking 40 ounces of pie filling for a typical recipe. (That sounds like a lot but it's just enough to fill a pie dish so that will help you put the amount in perspective.)

Speaking of pie, that's #1 on my list. Let's just dive right in and take a look at these 9 Easy Apple Desserts you can make for your family and friends this fall.

1. Easy Apple Pie with Homemade Crust

I never claimed to be fancy. Actually, I'm the opposite of fancy. I'm pretty plain Jane. But when I set out to make this double-crust apple pie I wanted to use my fondant plungers (shaped like a leaf) instead of creating slits in the upper crust.

Upper crust. Fancy. Ha.

Anyway, I decided to "plunge" the leaf holes and then use the leaves as decoration on the cake. The whole thing turned out to be a little lopsided but I wasn't offended by that. I still very much enjoyed the process.

Interested in learning more? You'll find my Apple Pie recipe here.

2. Delicious Apple Crisp

9 Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

I used fresh apples for this one. Pink Lady, to be precise. And because I'm crazy about oats, I went with an oats-based streusel topping. I left the apples a little on the crisp side and the tiny bit of crunch was absolutely perfect with the crisp oats.

Interested in learning more? You will find my Delicious Apple Crisp recipe here.

3. Apple Pie Coffee Cake

If an apple pie and a cake had a baby, it would look and taste like this. This lush cake has the perfect amount of apples inside. It truly had the interior texture of an apple pie, which is pretty amazing, considering it's actually a cake. And somehow the cake part is still light, fluffy, and flavorful.

Want to learn more? Check out my Apple Pie Coffee Cake recipe here.

4. Apple Spice Skillet Cake

9 Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

I'm always up for a baking challenge, so when I saw a YouTube recipe for apple skillet cake I knew I had to try it. My version was a lot different because I decided to start with a box of spice cake mix. Spice cake and apples just go together. Yum!

Want to know more? Check out my Apple Skillet Cake recipe here.

5. Easy Apple Pie Monkey Bread Muffins

9 Easy Apple Dessert Recipes

I'm pretty crazy about Monkey Bread. I'm all about easy-breezy and monkey bread recipes are the best because they start with a can of biscuits. The same is true of these Apple Pie Monkey Bread Muffins. The might look complicated but they're really a simple combination of biscuit dough and apple pie filling. I'm here to tell you, the result is out of this world.

Want to know more? Check out my recipe for Easy Apple Pie Monkey Bread Muffins!

6. Apple Kuchen

I confess, I had never heard the word "kuchen" before until a family member sent me this recipe, which includes a sour cream topping. You'll have to follow the link to the post to find out what the name means. But trust me when I said, "This ain't your grandma's apple pie!"

Or, maybe it is. . .if she's from Germany, the home of Kuchen.

7. Apple Pie Cobbler with Crescent Rolls

https://outoftheboxbaking.com/2022/08/08/apple-pie-cobbler-with-crescent-rolls/

This one, my friends, was a happy accident. I meant to make a bundt-sized monkey bread with apple pie filling added to the recipe. But when I went to flip it out, it flopped. Structurally, I mean. It cratered on me. And I thought the result was pretty, well. . .ugly.

(The words pretty and ugly don't really belong in the same sentence, do they?)

Anyway, I started to throw it out. . .and then I tasted it. And trust me when I say this Apple Cobbler will change your life!

Interested in learning more? Check out the recipe for Apple Pie Cobbler with Crescent Rolls.

8. Healthy Cinnamon Apple Muffins

apple muffin

Several months ago I was looking for something that tasted sweet but wouldn't pack on the pounds. I came up with this recipe for healthy cinnamon apple muffins. They're different from my usual fare but they gave me something sweet to nibble on and I didn't even have to feel guilty about it!

Interested in my Healthy Apple Muffins? Follow this link to see the full recipe.

9. Best Bisquick Cobbler Recipe

Apple desserts

I love making my own DIY Bisquick. This was just one of many dishes I made with it, but this was a great one!

Interested in learning more about his cobbler? You can get the recipe here.


I've decided to give you a bonus apple recipe, friends. I just made these delicious Old-Fashioned Apple Fritters and decided you probably couldn't live without the. So, here you go!

That's it for this post, friends. I'm so excited to see what you'll bake up with your apples. Keep me posted on your progress. And remember, an apple a day. . .

Well, you know the rest.

Find a plethora of cinnamon-sugar breakfast recipes on my Cinnamon Breakfast Bakes post!


About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.

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[…] During apple season, when you have an abundance of such yummy fruit, feel free to take some of your extra apples and blend them up to make your own homemade applesauce or apple butter.If you like cobbler, here’s a recipe for some mini fruit cobblers. (This recipe uses peaches but works great for apples too.)My friend Janice has a collection of 9 easy apple desserts you can find here. […]

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You had me at "apple." WOW! I see my hubby will be busy in the kitchen this fall. Thank you!

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