Best Fall Apple Recipes (2024)

Published: / Updated: by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

Get ready to cook and bake some of the most delicious autumn apple recipes! This collection includes our favorite apple recipes. From delicious apple recipes for dinner to apple dessert recipes, we've got the sweet and savory dishes to celebrate fall's favorite fruit!

This post was originally published on October 28, 2013. It has been updated with new photos, text, and newer recipes on September 28, 2023.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (1)

Fall brings so many delicious sweet and savory seasonal ingredients to the table.

Pumpkin recipes are everywhere. Try our Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, Pumpkin Roll Cakes with Cream Cheese Filling, or Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust.

It's also time for Brussels sprouts to take center stage.

But more than any other delicious fall ingredient, I would say that autumn is most definitely apple season, above all else.

Some of my favorite fall recipes include fresh apples. From tart apples to sweet apples, there are so many delicious recipes using juicy apples.

I mean who can resist warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, fresh apple cider donuts, or a tasty apple crisp?

But before we get in the kitchen and start making these fall apple recipes, let's first look at the best apples for cooking and the best apples for baking.

Jump to:
  • 🍎 Which types of apples are best for cooking?
  • 🍏 Which apples are best for baking?
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 More apple cooking and baking FAQs
  • Best autumn apple recipes
  • Autumn Apple Recipes
  • More fall recipes

🍎 Which types of apples are best for cooking?

Best Fall Apple Recipes (2)

Gala apples are my family's favorite apples. We almost always have some of these juicy apples in our house.

These red apples have great flavor and don't brown as quickly as some other apples do (I'm looking at you, Braeburn apples!). That means they're great for using in fresh salads or in cooked dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Cider, and Sage.

🍏 Which apples are best for baking?

Best Fall Apple Recipes (3)

Hands down, the best apples to use in most apple desserts are Granny Smith green apples.

Granny Smith apples have a delicious tart flavor that adds a nice balance to the sweetness of fall baking. And more importantly, these green apples tend to hold their shape during baking. They are less likely to turn to mush under the heat.

Another great green apple is Golden Delicious.

Honeycrisp apples also tend to retain their structure during baking. These apples are were developed by the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, making them a relative newcomer to the apple world. They have a balanced honey sweet and tart flavor and are nice and crisp. Perfect for baking in pies, especially!

Fuji apples are some of the sweetest apples you'll find on the market. This makes them a delicious candidate for baking in a traditional apple pie. They are also great in galettes tarts, crisps, and more.

👩🏻‍🍳 More apple cooking and baking FAQs

Is it better to peel apples before baking?

This is a personal preference, and you can bake apple desserts with or without the peels. The peels do add some texture to the baked goods, but unpeeled apples tend to bake up nice and smooth, giving desserts a more pleasant texture that people are used to. It's up to you, but I prefer to peel apples before baking with them.

Can I cut apples ahead of time?

Yes! We have an apple tree that is prolific in fruiting, and we end up peeling, coring, and slicing apples then putting them in freezer bags to use throughout the fall and winter. You can also make Freezer Apple Pie Filling that you can use for Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies, Mini Apple Pies, and Apple Whiskey Hand Pies.

Best autumn apple recipes

This collection of the best apple recipes contains apple breakfast, apple side dishes, and sweet dessert recipes.

Autumn Apple Recipes

Apple breakfast recipes

Best Fall Apple Recipes (4)

Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Fall weekends call for a big stack of these Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. With a cinnamon sugar coating that adds a sweet crunch to each pancake, these are decadent, indulgent pancakes perfect for cozy fall mornings.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (5)

Apple Fritter Donut

Crunchy, buttery apple fritters with caramel apple dipping sauce are a decadent weekend breakfast or brunch!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (6)

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (with carrots and zucchini!)

These apple cinnamon muffins with shredded carrots and zucchini are a healthier, super tasty fall breakfast or brunch! A great way to sneak some veggies into your day - and your kids won't even notice the veggies!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (7)

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

Baked apple cinnamon donuts are the ultimate fall treat! Dunk them in your morning coffee or enjoy them after a day at the pumpkin patch.

Apple dinner recipes

Best Fall Apple Recipes (8)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Hard Cider, Apples and Sage

Pork tenderloin grilled with apples and hard cider, along with rich herbs, is a satisfying fall dinner recipe.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (9)

Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Diced green apples lend a tart, delicious crunch to classic chicken salad sandwiches!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (10)

Apple Cider Pork Chops

Pork Chops with an Apple Cider Glaze make a satisfying, delicious dinner!

Apple side dishes

Best Fall Apple Recipes (11)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples

This Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Pomegranate dish is a bright, healthy vegan side dish that balances fall's best comfort food. This is a great healthy Thanksgiving side dish, too!

Apple dessert recipes

Apple slices are perfect for so many different fall desserts. You're sure to find your next favorite dessert in this collection!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (12)

Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies

Made with puff pastry, a classic apple pie filling, and drizzled with sweet caramel sauce, these air fryer apple hand pies are the ultimate handheld fall dessert! Great for any fall gathering like Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Halloween, it's also a yummy apple dessert for cozy movie nights in and easy weekend baking.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (13)

Apple Pie Bars

If you With a buttery shortbread crust and a crunchy sugary topping, these Apple Pie Bars are a fun and delicious way to enjoy the cinnamon apple flavors of fall's classic dessert!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (14)

Skillet Apple Cranberry Crisp

One-skillet Apple Cranberry Crisp is a sweet, crunchy fall dessert. A great dessert to serve a crowd, or at the campfire.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (15)

Chewy Apple Granola Bars

Looking for a healthy after-school snack? These Chewy Apple Granola Bars are a delicious and nutritious fall treat you and your kids will love!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (16)

Apple Whiskey Hand Pies

Apple Whiskey Hand Pies are easy to make, and the apple whiskey with crispy pastry will warm you right up on a chilly fall day!

Best Fall Apple Recipes (17)

Adorable Mini Apple Pies

What's better than apple pie? MINI Apple Pies! More crust to filling ratio means more yumminess all around.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (18)

Freezer Apple Pie Filling

This is a great fall recipe for when you have an abundance of apples and want to prep ahead for apple pies. This recipe makes enough for two batches of apple pie filling that you can freeze for months, then take out and make apple pies, apple hand pies, apple crisps, and more.

More fall recipes

  • Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie
  • Filipino Beef Giniling recipe
  • Arugula and Pear Salad
  • Shrimp and Corn Bisque

Did you try and love any of these recipes? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a review in the comments. Thanks!

This post was originally published on October 28, 2013. It has been updated with new photos, text, and newer recipes on October 2, 2020 and then again on September 10, 2022.

« 17 Healthy No Bake Halloween Treats

Halloween Snack Mix »

Get recipes, travel tips, deals and more delivered to your inbox!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer Allen says

    OMGEE! I have to try all of these recipes! What a great collection!

    Reply

  2. Christian Guzman says

    What a great post! And, it's so timely. We just received two bushels of apples from market. I will have a tough time choosing between these incredible looking recipes.

    Reply

  3. Jess says

    Fall time is my favorite because of all the apple recipes. There are so many good ones to choose from here. I think the Apple Fritter may be my favorite!

    Reply

  4. Beth says

    I agree. Apples are my favorite fall ingredient. I love the sound of the brussels sprouts and that boozy dessert is a must try! Thanks for this collection of delicious recipes!

    Reply

  5. Shanna says

    These all looks so good. The hard is going to be which one to choose first.

    Reply

  6. Marylou Ivy says

    Sounds easy and yummy! Question..should I blind bake my crust for my pie or can I add the Apple pie filling and bake until crust is done??

    Reply

  7. Renee says

    I forgot to mix the cornstarch with the sugar and spices before adding it to the water, so I had to run it through the blender before adding the apples! hahaha, turned out fine, though : )

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Best Fall Apple Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I make with fallen apples? ›

I collected as many as I could to make windfall jelly. These under-ripe fruit are perfect for apple jelly: don't worry about the odd bruise or slug bite — just cut them out. Wash the fruit but don't bother to peel, save the stalks and seeds too, they all add to the end result.

What apples are good in the fall? ›

Fall Apples (good storage apples) —
  • Gala. In season: mid-August to late October. ...
  • Honeycrisp. In season: mid-August to late September. ...
  • Empire. In season: late August to mid-October. ...
  • Jonathan. In season: early September to mid-November. ...
  • Cortland. In season: early September to mid-November. ...
  • Red Delicious. ...
  • Jonagold:

What can I do with lots of apples? ›

You could also make applesauce, apple butter or apple jelly. You could put them in muffins, crumbles and cakes. You could layer them in sandwiches. You could roast them with sausages or toss them into kale salad.

How many apples make 10 cups? ›

According to this equivalent list, 10 cups of sliced apples requires 10 medium apples. To be on the safe side, buy one additional apple. You don't want to run short—after all, it's always better to have too many ingredients than too few!

What do apple orchards do with fallen apples? ›

Apples that end up on the ground are not wasted. Many times farmers come to collect the apple drops to feed to livestock. If apples are not picked up, they are mowed at the end of the season and help to fertilize next year's crop.

Is it OK to eat fallen apples? ›

While it might be tempting to want to use the products so that they do not go to waste, produce that is dropped prior to or during harvest should not be distributed to the public for fresh eating, baking or in juice cider production due to the potential for the presence of patulin (in apples), and the risk of damage ...

What apples are best in October? ›

APPLE CHART
VarietyTasteHarvest
EmpireMore sweet than tart. Extra crisp.Early October
EvercrispSweet and juicyMid October
FujiVery sweet. Firm, crisp, and juicy.Late October
GalaSweet with crisp yellow flesh.Early September
34 more rows

What is the sweetest fall apple? ›

Apple Sweetness Chart
Types of ApplesSweetest LevelPeak‑of‑season
Fujithe sweetest apple varietymid- to late October
Galahighly sweetlate July to early September
Golden Delicioussweet, rich and mild in flavormid- to late September
Red Delicioussweet-tart mix but very mild in flavormid- to late September
7 more rows
Aug 9, 2022

Is October too late for apples? ›

Granny Smith and Fuji apples are a mid-season variety that is ready in late September to early October. As Cripps Pink and Fuji are a Late variety and ripen in late October-November. Since the timing of apple season varies, it's helpful to watch the apples for signs of ripening.

Can you freeze full apples? ›

The short answer is yes, apples may be frozen whole and with virtually no effort. Washed and wrapped in plastic or sealed in Ziploc bags to freeze, there is no quicker route from orchard to freezer. It may be easy, but bear in mind the end result is an apple that is inconvenient when it comes time to use it.

Can you freeze uncooked apples? ›

Yes, you can freeze fresh raw apple, however because of the high water content, you'll find that the apple will be soft when defrosted (the water inside the fruit expands when it freezes into ice and the crystals breaks the delicate cell structure). Therefore, it's best to use frozen apple for cooking or smoothies.

How do you preserve too many apples? ›

Pack apples into containers and press fruit down, leaving ½ inch (13 mm) of headspace. Seal and freeze. Dry pack: Follow directions for sugar pack, omitting sugar. Treated apple slices can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen.

What apples are best for pie? ›

The best apples for making apple pie
  • Braeburn. This apple is a descendant of Granny Smith, but slightly sweeter. ...
  • Cortland. ...
  • Crispin (Mutsu). ...
  • Golden Delicious. ...
  • Granny Smith. ...
  • Honeycrisp. ...
  • Jonagold or Jonathan. ...
  • Northern Spy.
Oct 8, 2021

How many apples are needed for 2 pies? ›

The number of apples needed for an apple pie can vary depending on factors such as the size of the apples, the size of the pie dish, and personal preference for the thickness of the filling. As a general guideline, you'll typically need around 6 to 8 medium-sized apples to make a standard 9-inch apple pie.

How much is 2 lbs of apples? ›

Since we know that three medium-sized apples (or four small ones) make a pound, you can use this as a guide to know how many large apples make up a pound. In general, 2 large apples can often make up a pound, with large apples that are close in size to a softball.

What can I do with old rotten apples? ›

You can make cider, or sweet apple cake or even use rotten apples as soil fertilizer. They can be used to make other things ripe. Rotten apples emit the gas that's used commercially to gas-ripen fruit.

What to do with fallen fruit? ›

Otherwise, they can safely be added to your compost pile or given to farmers in your area (their pigs and chickens will be happy to make them disappear).

Where do you put fallen apples? ›

you could add the fallen fruit to the compost. heat when they fall. doing this will supply nitrogen as green material mix. however, in late summer or autumn, there's quite a large amount of fruit to incorporate.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carlyn Walter

Last Updated:

Views: 6121

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carlyn Walter

Birthday: 1996-01-03

Address: Suite 452 40815 Denyse Extensions, Sengermouth, OR 42374

Phone: +8501809515404

Job: Manufacturing Technician

Hobby: Table tennis, Archery, Vacation, Metal detecting, Yo-yoing, Crocheting, Creative writing

Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.