There’s a moment every fall when the oven goes on, the house starts smelling like cinnamon, and suddenly every night feels like a good night for dessert.
There are so many delicious fall recipes that feature apple desserts, pumpkin spice, gooey caramel and more. It’s hard to know what to bake!
So, I rounded up my 10 best fall desserts. These are the recipes I make again and again from the first chilly morning straight through Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Cake
This cake is one of my favorite ways to welcome fall, and it’s almost too easy. A box of spice cake mix gets stirred together with a can of pumpkin (no eggs or oil needed!), then a sweet cream cheese filling is tucked into the middle to make a ribbon through every slice. Bake it in a bundt pan and dust it with powdered sugar. I snuck a slice the minute I finished taking photos, and it’s just as good with morning coffee as it is for dessert. Get the Pumpkin Swirl Cake recipe →
The BEST Pumpkin Bread
My Grandmother’s pumpkin bread is one of the best recipes in my collection, It’s simple to make and maintains the taste of pumpkin without being overpowered by other ingredients or heavy spices. It’s a reliable homemade quick bread recipe that has been in my family for over 50 years! It’s a wonderful homemade gift and also freezes very well. Get the Pumpkin Bread recipe →
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle bars were created out of my own curiosity. I’ve always loved the cinnamon sugar goodness of a snickerdoodle. So one day, I decided to see what happened if I added pumpkin to the dough and played around with the ingredients. Oh, I forgot to mention I can be a lazy baker, so instead of making individual cookies, I baked these as a bar cookie and sprinkled the cinnamon sugar on top instead of rolling individual balls of cookie dough. I’d say lazy paid off with these pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe! Get the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bar Cookie recipe →
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
When you’re ready to deviate from a traditional pumpkin pie recipe, please meet my pumpkin cheesecake pie with chocolate! I love this pie for so many reasons, not the least of which is how fancy it seems while being really easy to make. It’s also great on a dessert buffet because it covers the tastes for the pie lover, cheesecake fan and chocoholic! Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie recipe →
Favorite Fall Apple Desserts
Apple Brownies
Apple brownies are basically a blondie bar filled with chunks of apples and a bit of a browned butter flavor. They’re so good and have been a staple of my fall baking for over 30 years. Apple brownies can be iced, but I prefer just a dusting of powdered sugar. They also travel well, so they’re a great bake and take item for parties and tailgates! Get the Apple Brownies recipe →
Harvest Apple Cake
This harvest apple cake is the one my mom asks for on her birthday, and one bite explains why. About four cups of grated apples keep it incredibly moist, with a gentle cinnamon warmth in every slice. Cream cheese frosting goes on top, and I sprinkle the nuts there instead of baking them in. Make it a day ahead: an overnight chill lets the frosting set and the flavors come together. It also works great as cupcakes. Get the Harvest Apple Cake recipe →
Apple Cider Donut Cake
My Apple Cider Donut Cake has the flavor of a fresh-from-the-orchard apple cider donut, no fryer required. A boxed cake mix gets an upgrade from real apple cider and cinnamon applesauce, then the whole bundt is brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Warm a slice in the microwave and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate fall dessert.
Get the Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe →
Sour Cream Apple Pie with Streusel Topping
This isn’t your average apple pie. Tart Granny Smith apples are folded into a creamy sour cream custard with cinnamon, nutmeg and a little lemon zest, then the pie is finished with a buttery brown sugar streusel that bakes into a crunchy crown. A store-bought deep-dish crust keeps it easy. My tip: chill it completely before serving. Cold, creamy and crumbly is my favorite way to eat it.
Get the Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe →
Cozy Cinnamon And Caramel Treats
Carmelitas (Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars)
Straight from my Grandma Metzger’s recipe box, these bars are gooey, buttery and ridiculously fun to say. A brown sugar oat crust holds a melty layer of caramel and chocolate chips, finished with a crumbly topping that stays crisp even after the caramel cools. One bowl, one pan, no chilling. They travel well and freeze for up to three months, so they’re perfect for tailgates, potlucks and care packages.
Get the Carmelitas recipe →
Easy Amish Cinnamon Bread
Another Grandma Metzger treasure, inspired by the Amish bakeries near my grandparents’ home in Indiana. This quick bread needs no yeast or rising time, just buttermilk (don’t substitute!) and a cinnamon-sugar swirl through the middle and across the top. It’s in the oven in about 10 minutes. Slice it thick and toast it with butter for a cozy fall breakfast or an afternoon treat.
Get the Cinnamon Bread recipe →
Fall Baking Is My Favorite!
I hope this collection of family favorite fall recipes inspires you to get in to the kitchen sometime soon! All of these fall desserts are easy to make and sure to please! And I think you’ll love the way your house smells with a fresh pan of apple brownies or cinnamon bread baking away!
I can’t wait to hear which recipe you decide to try first.
From my fall kitchen to yours,
Jill
