Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes
Danish Pastry Apple Bars [1]
One of Gail Michael's students shared this recipe with her long ago. "These were in the lunch box of one of my first-grade students in the fall of 1974," recalls Gail, who lives in West Lafayette, Indiana. The bars taste like apple pie in a baking pan.
Fresh Apple Cake [5]
This nutty comfort cake from Sharon Buckner of Rhineland, Missouri, gets a sugary top and caramelized gooey bottom as it cooks. Don't be surprised by the thick batter; it will bake into a moist, dense cake.
Fresh Apple Cake [6]
Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart [9]
In this unusual fruit tart, apples are cooked in butter then arranged in a prebaked crust and brushed with jelly. The result is an edible work of art. Boiled cider enhances the distinct apply flavor. You can make your own using our recipe or buy it in specialty food stores or online.
Applesauce Spice Cake [13]
No granulated sugar is added to this recipe; the sweetness comes from cider, fruit and applesauce. The recipe comes from Sandra Schifferle of Lansing, Kansas.
Amish Apple Dumplings [17]
We often equate Amish food with comfort. Here's our version of a favorite dessert you might find at Amish-based restaurants in the Midwest.
Crumb-Topped Apple Pie Trio [21]
Crisp on top, sweetly tender inside, this quintessential fall dessert blends tart and sweet apples -- Granny Smith, Jonagold and Braeburn -- with sugar and cinnamon under a brown-sugar and walnut crumb topping.
Rosemary Ward's Apple Cake With Butter-Rum Sauce [25]
"I first enjoyed this at a church circle meeting. Rosemary has since moved from Columbia, but I think of her every time I serve this," says Georgia Morehouse of Columbia, Missouri.
Apple Harvest Bake [29]
Top this quick and easy, moist cake with a dollop of homemade Cinnamon Butter.
Apple Harvest Bake [30]
Broadway Cafe Apple Cake [33]
In the trendy Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri, customers at Broadway Cafe can taste samples of that day's baked goods, including frosted scones, biscotti, coffee cake and this moist apple cake. A generous portion of chopped Granny Smith apples adds flavor and moisture. Be careful turning it out of the pan; it's a tender coffee cake.
Apple Pear Praline Pie [37]
"The key to this pie is the apples you use," says Mary Schrier of Cumberland, Iowa, who got the recipe from an old handwritten family recipe book. She suggests not using Red Delicious apples. Instead, try Granny Smith, Jonathan or any sweet-tart heirloom apples. "There are quite a few orchards that are starting to carry the heirloom apples, and this old recipe is just waiting for them," she says.
Indulgent Caramel Apples [41]
Wrap your favorite tart or sweet apple in caramel (we even created a less sticky version), then unleash your imagination as you add on nuts, cereal, dried fruit, candy, decorative sprinkles or whatever else inspires you--and your taste buds.
Nutty Caramel Apple Crisp [45]
A double dose of caramel—baked in with the fruit and drizzled on top—elevates the humble crisp to new levels of indulgence. Mix two types of apples for the best texture. The tender apples cook down and create a sort of thick sauce, while the firm apples hold their shape. Boiled cider, which you can purchase at specialty stores or online or make using our recipe, adds an extra splash of apple flavor.
Apple-Butter Cakelets [49]
Caramel sauce adds a creamy-sweet finish to individual Apple-Butter Cakelets created by Midwest Living® in honor of Illinois' Amish bakers. You can choose from two Prairie State ingredients, apples or pumpkins, for this treat.
Streusel Apple Bread [53]
A touch of lemon, chopped cranberries and walnuts make this quick bread seem like coffee cake. Norma Hendricks of Hopedale, Illinois, likes to serve this for dessert. "I made this by combining a couple of recipes 35 years ago," Norma says. "I think I started with a cranberry bread, but most of my kids don't like cranberries. Then I saw an apple bread recipe, and I thought streusel would be good on top.".
Streusel Apple Bread [54]
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie [57]
Apple butter lends extra sweetness and a slightly softer texture to classic pumpkin pie. The streusel topping adds a bit of a crunch.
Single-Serving Caramel Apples [61]
Joan Wagner of Overland Park, Kansas, considers this baked apple dish her easy-entertaining recipe. "You can make these up to six hours ahead and cover them with plastic wrap, so the puff pastry doesn't dry out," she says. "The desserts can bake while your coffee is brewing."
Caramel Apple Cookies [65]
Creamy caramel frosting finishes these apple-filled cookies.
Upside Down Apple-Pear Pie [69]
"You make a gooey brown sugar syrup in the bottom of the pan," explains Robert Stricklin, executive chef/educator at Keeter Center, College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. "When it comes out of the oven, you turn it upside down like a sticky bun."
Students working at the Keeter Center dining room present slices on a plate with both custard and caramel sauces. The fruit-pecan pie takes extra steps to prepare, but it's worth it.
Maple-Apple Pudding Bake [73]
The Wisconsin Maple Producers created this recipe to showcase maple syrup and juicy apples in a moist, rich dessert.
Apple-Cranberry Walnut Pie [77]
Susan Murphy, founder of Sweetie Pies in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, stirs tangy cranberries into her apple-walnut pie to cut the sweetness.
Sticky Cinnamon Apple Rolls [81]
The Midwest Living® Test Kitchen created this recipe for giant sticky buns bursting with chopped apples and pecans. The rolls bake in a sweet caramel syrup.
Apple Dumplings [85]
This recipe makes king-size, individual fruit-filled dumplings. Each is practically a meal by itself!
Apple Dumplings [86]
Apple Pumpkin Sunflower Bread [89]
We packed a bushel of fall into this homey loaf: pumpkin, apple, nuts and spices. A generous half-cup of boiled cider adds unmistakably fruity zing, but you can substitute any apple-flavor liquid. You can make boiled cider yourself using the recipe on our site, or purchase it at specialty food stores or online.
Something Special Apple-Cherry Pie [93]
We combined two favorite pie fillings--apple and cherry--into one fall treat. Almonds add a nutty boost.
Apple Butter [97]
Store extra jars of this spread to give as hostess gifts, suggests Michele Lowe of Dublin, Ohio. Serve the butter on toast or bagels, or with cheese and crackers. "I was thrilled when I found this idiot-proof recipe for apple butter," Michele says. "I like it because I don't have to spend all my time in the kitchen. I can get a few things done while the apples are cooking in the Crock-Pot."
Apple Butter [98]
Apple Scones with Spiced Maple Butter [101]
They're light, buttery and full of apple flavor. We almost hate to cover up the baked-on apple slice with the whipped maple butter. Almost.
Apple Pudding with Rummy Sauce [105]
Creamy rum sauce tops this warm, homey pudding. Generous scoops of ice cream are good, too!
Praline-Taffy Apple Pie [109]
Creamy caramels nestle between layers of tart cooking apples and a mixture of brown sugar, pecans and melted butter.
Praline-Taffy Apple Pie [110]
Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp [113]
"This is a twist on a popular dish and is one of my personal favorites," says April Osburn from the Clabber Girl Bake Shop in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thinly slice the apples so they get done in the allotted baking time.
Cheesy Apple Pie [117]
This juicy pie, from a Purdy, Missouri, reader, has a cheddar-speckled crust and cheesy-streusel topping.
Cheesy Apple Pie [118]
Ridiculously Easy Whole-Apple Crisp [121]
A serving of apple crisp has never been so impressive--or easy! There's no peeling or slicing. Just assemble the "crisps" the night before and bake right before serving. Brushing apples with a citrus juice keeps them from going brown.
Apple Charlotte [125]
This elegant baked apple dessert comes from the Signature Room on the 95th in Chicago. Tangy Granny Smith apples, chopped dried cherries or cranberries, and walnuts make a hearty filling for the sweetened bread crust.
Apple Charlotte [126]
Winter Shortcake [129]
Try a new twist on an old favorite! We added some spice and a topping of warm apples and cherries to summertime shortcake. It’s company-special, but right for every day, too.
Winter Shortcake [130]
Free printable apple desserts cookbook [133]
Click below to download our FREE printable collection of 10 top apple dessert recipes, or choose from one of our other free printable cookbooks!
More great fall recipes [144]
Click below for more great Midwest Living fall recipe ideas!