The Best Apple Dessert Recipes
Here I’ve put together a page of our best apple dessert recipes just for you.
These easy apple desserts are quick and easy to make, and some of them are my favorites too. They’re great for sharing with family and friends.
Whatever the time of year, we’ve got the perfect recipe.
Are you ready for some apple goodness?
Easy Apple Desserts
Apple Pies
Easy Apple Pie
A classic dessert with simple steps and a gorgeous flaky pie crust.
French Apple Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust
My personal favorite – France meets the U.S.A in our crazy creation.
Apple Cakes
Apple Coffee Cake
This apple cake recipe combines my love for coffee cake with juicy apple filling.
Upside Down Apple Cake
Baked apples on top, cake below – a fun twist! And a super easy dessert to make.
French Apple Cake
Enjoy a slice of France with this buttery, apple-packed cake.
Apple Pie Bread
It’s apple pie meets bread in this delightful recipe.
Apple Cobblers and Crisps
Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler
Cinnamon rolls and apple cobbler in one dessert? Yes, please! An extra special treat.
Bisquick Apple Cobbler
Simple and quick to prepare, yet unbelievably tasty. Sure to be your new favorite recipe.
Apple Crisp
The crunchy golden brown top and soft apple filling make this easy apple crisp recipe a fall season favorite.
Specialty Apple Desserts
Apple Pandowdy
A forgotten classic brought back to life – rustic and flavorful, one of those classic apple recipes.
Apple Galette
Think of it as an easy, open-faced apple pie. Yum!
Apple Pie Muffin
Imagine having your apple pie on the go; that’s this recipe.
French Apple Tart
A quick and easy recipe using puff pastry and apple slices.
Apple Pie Lasagna
Layers of apple pie filling, cream cheese, and graham crackers – this no-bake dessert recipe is just delish!
What can I make with a bunch of apples?
Just about anything! Apples are often used in both savory and sweet recipes. Apples are not only healthy to eat, but they’re budget-friendly and almost always on sale!
You can really save time by making a batch of our Freezer Apple Pie Filling too!
Plenty of fresh apples, brown sugar, a bit of lemon juice, and some warm spices – and you have apple filling ready for any dessert ideas you have in the future!
FAQs
I thought it’d be helpful to include an apple dessert recipe FAQ with some commonly-asked questions:
What is a dessert apple?
A dessert apple is typically one that you eat fresh and not cooked or baked. There was a time when only apples like Spy, or yellow flesh apples were used for baking apple desserts.
We are so lucky now that there are literally hundreds of varieties of apples to choose from! I always recommend you mix it up and choose at least two varieties for your apple dessert recipes.
What are Red Delicious apples best used for?
Red delicious apples are usually chosen for eating raw, but I really like to use one or two in recipes – especially when baking apple pie or cooking up a batch of homemade applesauce.
Can I eat a cooking apple raw?
Of course! There are so many varieties, like Empire, Cortland, Gala, and the classics like Red Delicious.
What apples are not good for baking?
I think all apples are good for baking – but some do have a higher water content than others. That’s why I always recommend combining varieties.
We don’t want a soggy apple pie, right?
What is the easiest dessert to make from scratch?
Hands down, Apple Crisp is the easiest dessert to make from scratch. Only a few ingredients and a little effort equal the most delicious dessert.
And it makes your home smell wonderful while it’s baking!
Can I freeze apples?
You bet! A minor downside to baking with apples and creating wonderful apple dessert recipes is the peeling, coring, and slicing that needs to happen.
I often prepare an entire bag of apples at once; then, I freeze what I’m not going to use for the next time. In fact, I have a great Freezer Apple Filling Recipe here.
It’s then really easy to whip up a batch of Apple Muffins or an Apple Crisp, especially on those cold winter days when you are craving a cozy and yummy apple dessert.
I also bought an apple peeler recently – And I’ve found it to be quite the timesaver!
What are Paula Red apples good for?
I love to bake with Paula Red apples! They are best by themselves in homemade applesauce because the flesh breaks down very quickly.
When baking an apple pie, I often combine Paula Red apples with Empire or Granny Smith. My favorite paula red apple pie recipe is one my Mom baked, and it’s a treasure for sure.
Is there a no bake apple dessert recipe?
Absolutely! We just love our Apple Pie Lasagna Recipe, and we know you’ll love it too!
Do Gala apples make good pies?
Yes, they do! I often combine Gala apples with McIntosh or Paula Red for a delicious fruit pie.
What’s the best type of apple to use?
When making desserts, I usually use a combination of apples – Granny Smith apples with McIntosh.
This combo of sweet apples with tart apples helps balance the sweetness of the desserts.
But I’d say the best apples to use are whatever’s available for a good price during apple season.
How should I serve an apple dessert?
I like to serve these sweet treats with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Sometimes with a drizzle of caramel sauce, too!
Final thoughts
Create memories with your family, plan an apple picking day at your local orchard, and then enjoy a cozy afternoon creating some apple harvest magic. Enjoy.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the Pie Lady Bakes community! We’re all about sharing easy-to-make vintage recipes that remind us of the ones our moms and grandmas used to make.
If you haven’t already, you can sign up for my weekly email newsletter using this link. It’s absolutely free, and you’ll never miss out on any of my new recipes.
See you soon!
Judy
★★★★★
If you’ve made any of these delicious apple dessert recipes, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Be sure to give us a 5-star rating!
★★★★★
Nothing says Fall Harvest like a delicious Apple Pie Lasagna. We love all the apple desserts! Apple pies, Apple Crisp, Apple Pan Dowdy, Apple tarts, apple galettes, and apple cakes and muffins! So easy to make and it will disappear in seconds!
A moist but light muffin, packed full of fresh apples and loaded with flavor!
A delicious and easy recipe that is a quick bread - it does not require yeast, passed down from my Grandma. I've added a sweet apple pie topping, that once warmed will make you fall in love with your coffee all over again!
Mom's Apple Pie is just the best, right? So we put together this very easy apple pie recipe, that is perfect for beginner bakers. If you have every wondered "how do I make an apple pie?" then this is the recipe for you!
A classic Americana dessert, pandowdy recipes were created before folks rolled out pie crusts! I love the mini cast iron pans too. xo
An easy to make and bake apple dessert, full of crunchy goodness, brown sugar, butter, this fall & winter classic is always a crowd pleaser
A deliciously easy dessert or breakfast treat, you can make this easy apple tart recipe in a matter of minutes with frozen puff pastry, sliced apples, sugar and cinnamon and ginger
This classic apple crisp recipe gets all dressed up with a delicious cinnamon swirl pie crust topping! So easy to make and a perfect way to use leftover pie crust. Like Cinnamon Pastry met Apple Crisp and fell in love.
Judy Kahansky
Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.
