Fall’s favorite fruit is back! It makes my taste buds so happy. There is nothing I love more than an apple dessert hot out of the oven on a crisp fall day. If you have the same love for apples as I do, these quick and easy apple dessert recipes will satisfy any craving.
Voted a Member’s Choice Blue Ribbon, Crystal W.’s Apple Crisp is one really delicious dessert.
“This is my mom’s recipe and it’s the best apple crisp I’ve ever tasted,” thinks Crystal. “It doesn’t use the normal oatmeal crust, so maybe that’s why I love it so much.”
A crisp topping traditionally consists of flour, butter, and sugar mixed with oatmeal. Crystal’s leaves out the oatmeal and adds an egg. The result is more like a sugary, doughy crumble topping. I’ll never turn down an apple crisp, but I personally prefer a non-oatmeal topping so I was a big fan of this recipe.
The key to the recipe is to slice the apples thin so they become soft and tender. It has all the classic crisp flavors and tastes like fall in every bite.
“Gala apples were getting old and I craved a dessert,” explains Beth M. “So I cored, peeled, and chopped them, then combined them in a casserole with fresh cranberries.”
Sweet apples and tart cranberries are always a yummy combination. Beth’s Baked Apple & Cranberries With Dumplings isn’t overly sugary but it is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth thanks to the honey and cinnamon. The biscuit-type dumplings pair wonderfully with the juicy gala apples. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s a fabulous fall dessert.
Maddie Bell’s (Mobile, AL) Layered Fresh Apple Cake is a must-have for any fall gathering. “Enjoy this cake quickly,” jokes Maddie. “Once everyone tries it, it will disappear fast.”
The aroma of this cake baking made the Test Kitchen smell like it was time for Halloween, bobbing for apples, and sipping apple cider. The cake is really moist and the addition of orange juice gives the cake an extra layer of flavor. Fresh apples are a nice surprise when you get one in a bite. So good!
We can’t talk apple desserts without talking apple pie. Dorene Nagy’s (Wharncliffe, WV) Brown Paper Bag Apple Pie was a big hit in the Test Kitchen. The cooking technique intrigued us.
“This sounds crazy, right?” asks Dorene. “My grandmother baked all her fruit pies in a brown paper grocery bag. It won’t catch fire if you don’t let it touch the top of the oven,” she goes on to explain.
Dorene’s grandmother was onto something. Back in the day, this technique was more traditional, nowadays it’s unusual. When baking the pie in a brown bag, the crust doesn’t overcook and the apples are tender and moist. Apple pie perfection.
If you need a quick treat, try Debbie Sue’s Homemade Caramel Apple Dip. While the recipe itself may not be for apples exactly, it’s an excellent dip for them. Fluffy and light, it has just a hint of saltiness from the peanuts.
It really is “quick and easy to put together” as Debbie Sue shares. While there isn’t any caramel in the recipe, it really has all the flavors of it. The only problem you may have with the recipe is not being able to stop eating it. Which, in reality, isn’t a problem… unless you run out of apples.
Hopefully, these apple dessert recipes will get you excited for fall. Have a favorite apple sweet treat? Make sure to share it. Happy Pinching!