Besides the arrival of football, for me, fall also means it’s baking season. Apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, caramel … my taste buds love all the warm flavors! These fantastic fall desserts will put everyone in a happy mood for fall’s arrival.
“I adapted these from several different recipes and was so proud of how they came out,” reveals Chelsea Mitcham (Houston, TX). “Homemade caramel can be substituted by store-bought, but I love knowing these are completely from scratch.”
Caramel and apples are two things I love, so these Double Caramel Apple Cookies caught my eye.
It has all the classic fall flavors packed inside. As you bite into the caramel apple cookie, there are bits of fresh apple and caramel oozes out. Yum!
One fall, I was in New York and had the opportunity to go apple picking. The orchard had these donuts I fell in love with. Megan Flores’ (Chicago, IL) Apple Cider Donuts are just as delicious.
“There is nothing better in the fall than those melt-in-your-mouth apple donuts from the local orchard,” Megan also thinks. “This is my take on those tasty donuts!”
These are so yummy and full of fall spices. After frying, they’re like a cake donut. Slightly crisp outside and nice and tender inside. The cider is subtle but adds to the flavor.
Angela Lynch’s (Ft. Meade, FL) Gingersnap Cookies With Pumpkin Dip will be delish when you want a treat, but also keep it handy for the holidays. It would be a delicious addition to a dessert table.
“You can make the dip ahead of time and refrigerate and make the gingersnap cookies fresh,” explains Angela. “These recipes, when used together, will get loads of compliments.”
Both the gingersnap cookies and the pumpkin dip are Blue Ribbon-worthy alone. Together, they are fantastic!
The cookie is full of ginger spice and reminds me of a chewy molasses cookie. The pumpkin dip is similar in taste to a pumpkin cheesecake – sweet, smooth, and full of pumpkin spice.
Amy Croyle’s (Bellingham, WA) The Best Apple Yogurt Cake Ever is a wonderful apple cake with many layers of flavor.
“I came up with this recipe while trying to use up some apples and yogurt that I had lots of,” shares Amy. “I transformed my favorite pumpkin cake recipe into this.”
The cake itself is dense, yet very moist with a crunchy sugar butter topping that makes the cake. This smells amazing while it bakes and no one will ever guess this is gluten-free.
Drizzling the glaze on top is a nice final touch, but a slice alone with the crunchy topping is tasty too.
Lisa Myrick’s Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake With Pecan Streusel is the ultimate coffee cake for fall.
“It always gets one of the highest bids at our annual Christmas auction for charity at our church,” says Lisa. “It is perfect with a piping cup of hot, fresh coffee!”
Pumpkin is layered in between the buttery and tender cake and streusel. It is not an overpowering pumpkin flavor. There’s a hint of pumpkin spice but, thanks to the streusel throughout the cake, cinnamon is the more dominant flavor.
Once baked, the streusel sprinkled on top is buttery, sugary, crunchy, and delicious. There are a few steps to this recipe, but it’s not complicated. When sliced, the ribbon of streusel looks delectable.
These fantastic fall desserts will put you in the mood for football, turtlenecks, and cozy afternoons on the couch. Plus, they’re made with simple ingredients you have in the kitchen which is ideal for when the baking bug hits. Happy Pinching!