This collection of 50+ Fall Desserts is comfort food at its finest—warm spices, seasonal ingredients & autumn coziness!
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This collection of the best Fall Desserts holds a special place in my heart. They’re comfort food at its finest, combining warm spices, seasonal ingredients, and that cozy feeling that only comes from homemade treats. Head to the guide to find your perfect autumn desserts!
🍁 I love making fall foods of any kind, but desserts are just the best of them all, right? My fave recipes are in this collection, including pumpkin pie, apple crisp, spiced cakes, and caramel treats. Easy recipes for perfect autumn desserts every time!
Substitute Fresh Pumpkin: You can absolutely sub fresh pumpkin from your garden or the pumpkin patch (hello, final use for jack-o-lanterns!) for canned pumpkin in these recipes. Roast until tender, then puree until smooth. Fresh pumpkin may have more moisture, so you might need to drain it slightly or reduce other liquids in the recipe.
Best Baking Apples: Some apple varieties release more juice than others and will make your baked goods more watery, which changes the texture at the very least. Choose baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. For extra insurance, toss apple slices with a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to absorb excess moisture.
🩷 Melissa
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting your dessert journey, this collection of fall dessert recipes will fill your home with incredible aromas and create sweet memories around your table.
Each recipe has been tested multiple times in my own kitchen, complete with detailed photos and all the tips you need for guaranteed success.
I recommend starting with these – my top 3 desserts in this collection:
I think even if I lived in a climate that was warm year-round I would start baking more in the Fall months. The oven baking and the amazing smells from my favorite seasonal ingredients definitely makes our home, and our life, for real C-O-Z-Y.
Sharing recipes is obviously one of my favorite ways to spend my time so I thought I’d gather a few (ha!) fall-themed recipes that might make your home cozy, too!
Apple Desserts
Nothing says fall quite like the smell of cinnamon and apples bubbling away in the oven. Our apple dessert collection features everything from rustic apple crisp with a golden oat topping to elegant apple cake that’s perfect for Sunday dinner.
1
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Slow Cooker Apple Cider is a fun recipe that is just perfect for your next get-together. I love this apple cider recipe because you start with fresh, whole, beautiful apples and turn them into apple cider. It's not mixing juices together, this is the real deal. Ok, it's the slow cooker version of the real deal.
These delightful treats capture the essence of fall with their rich apple flavor, warm spices, and that irresistible combination of soft, fluffy interiors and sweet, cinnamon-sugar exteriors.
Apple hand pies made with apple pie filling and canned biscuits are a delightful treat that brings together the deliciousness of apple pie in a handy, handheld form.
Apple fritters are made with a simple homemade batter (no yeast!) and fresh apples and are fried to golden brown perfection and tossed in a simple glaze.
Apple crumble is a simple yet tasty dessert that combines the warm, gooey goodness of baked apples with a crunchy, sweet topping, creating a delicious treat that's perfect for any occasion.
This simple apple hand pies recipe is made by cutting pie crust into circle and filling them with a homemade apple pie filling. Add a top, secure the edges, and then bake, add icing, and enjoy! Hand held mini apple pies are the cutest thing ever!
This easy Dutch Apple Pie Recipe is seriously the best apple pie recipe. A perfectly balanced apple pie with a buttery crust and crunchy cornmeal streusel topping that will have your family begging for seconds – all with minimal fuss and maximum flavor!
This easy Apple Crumb Cake recipe is a sweet, crumbly, and delicious fruit dessert that you can make on a cool Fall day to use up the rest of those apples lying around! With a cinnamon-sugar topping and moist, fluffy texture, this apple cake is comfort food at its best.
There’s something magical about the first time you open a can of pumpkin puree each fall – that earthy, sweet aroma instantly transports you to crisp autumn days.
From rich pumpkin bars that disappear at potlucks to spiced pumpkin bread that fills your kitchen with the most heavenly scent, these recipes celebrate this versatile gourd in all its glory.
11
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
This is the absolute best pumpkin pie recipe, made with real cream and sweetened with maple syrup. One bite and you'll understand why this healthy homemade pie is one of my favorite whole food desserts!
These Easy Pumpkin Donut Holes are such a fun and tasty treat to share with your friends and family! Nothing will brighten someone's day like these fresh homemade donuts.
A pumpkin roll is a delightful dessert that wraps the comforting flavors of spiced pumpkin cake and creamy filling into a perfect spiral of autumn joy.
Pumpkin pie is a classic holiday dessert staple that is super easy to make at home for your loved ones and has all the warming, sweet, lovely layers of flavor you love in pumpkin pie!
Perfect Pumpkin Bread (with or without chocolate chips)
This is THE Perfect Pumpkin Bread recipe made with or without chocolate chips. It’s sweet and moist, but never gummy. You’ll make it over and over again.
This Pumpkin Pie recipe, made with fresh pumpkin, will be the hit dessert of your Thanksgiving feast. What better way to celebrate your family coming together, than with a homemade pumpkin pie?
Homemade pumpkin pie pudding cups combine all your favorite sweet and warm flavors of pumpkin pie with the fun experience of enjoying individual pudding cups!
These delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate fall breakfast or dessert recipe! Soft pumpkin rolls are swirled with warm cinnamon and covered in a smooth pumpkin icing to top it all off!
Pumpkin cupcakes with whipped cinnamon icing are perfect bites of fall-inspired sweetness, with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and warm spices to round them out!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with a Whipped Cinnamon Filling
Brace yourselves for bites of heaven — these pumpkin whoopie pies with whipped cinnamon filling are the perfectly sweet and soft, cream-filled cookie sandwiches you need this fall… and probably year-round, too.
From silky caramel apple tarts to decadent salted caramel brownies, these recipes prove that homemade caramel is worth every minute of effort.
Rich, buttery caramel is autumn’s most luxurious flavor, and these desserts showcase it perfectly!
23
Cinnamon Caramel Corn with White Chocolate & Pecans
This delicious Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe is made with cinnamon, pecans, and a white chocolate drizzle! It’s the most addicting and festive fall treat you’ve tasted!
Smooth, golden-brown delight that brings a sweet touch of magic to your cakes and cupcakes. Caramel Cake Frosting is the most delectable enhancement for your desserts.
This is the best caramel dip recipe ever. Made on the stove with butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk, it's the perfect consistency for dipping pretzels and apples.
This caramel corn is everything that Gooey Caramel Corn should be. It is sweet, sticky, vanilla enhanced goodness that you'll want a glass of milk with. This is perfect for a crowd because it makes a bunch.
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart with a Graham Cracker Crust
A tart that isn't intimidating and tastes like heaven? Yes, please! This dark chocolate salted caramel tart with graham cracker crust has a few steps but is totally approachable for all to make—and it's absolutely delicious.
Coconut Pecan Frosting is a delightful blend of chewy coconut, crunchy pecans, and caramel-like sweetness that takes German Chocolate Cake to new heights of flavor and texture.
You'll love how easy this one bowl chocolate chip pumpkin cakes comes together. It's so simple to make and even easier to share with friends and family.
The Best Easy Apple Cake is made with freshly chopped apples, whole wheat flour, eggs, and a few other simple ingredients you already have on hand! This simple apple cake recipe doesn't need any frosting, and is made in less than an hour!
Cookie season is year-round in our kitchen, but fall brings some truly special varieties that deserve their moment to shine.
These aren’t just any cookies – they’re the ones that disappear fastest at bake sales, get requested for every gathering, and inspire friends to ask for the recipe — they’re just absolutely irresistible.
39
Grandma’s Slice-n-Bake Cookies
These rich and buttery slice and bake cookies are super easy to make — just put the dough together, slice it, and bake it!
This pecan sandies cookie recipe makes tender shortbread cookies fill with lots of pecan bits. It’s buttery and just the right amount of sweet and the texture is my favorite.
Healthy Applesauce Cookies are the perfect breakfast for a busy morning. They are delicious and so easy to make your kids can help with them in the kitchen.
When the temperature drops, there’s nothing more comforting than desserts that warm you from the inside out. This collection celebrates the cozy spices that define fall baking – think fragrant cinnamon, warming nutmeg, and aromatic cloves.
These recipes transform simple ingredients into soul-soothing desserts that make your kitchen feel like the heart of the home.
48
Cranberry Orange Bread
The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.
Just when you thought dessert couldn’t get any better, I bring to you Orange and Nut Baklava. It is crisp, flaky, and filled with a delicious orange, cranberry, and nut mixture.
The Best Pecan Pie recipe is made with a secret ingredient that you have in your kitchen right now — browned butter! There's always room in the fridge for a fresh homemade pie with pecans.
Can I make these desserts ahead of time for entertaining?
Most fall desserts actually taste better the next day! Cakes and bars can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Pies are best served the day they’re made, but can be baked the morning of your event.
Can I reduce the sugar in these fall dessert recipes?
Sugar does more than sweeten – it affects texture, moisture, and browning. You can typically reduce sugar by up to 25% in most recipes without major issues, but expect slight changes in texture and appearance. Start with smaller reductions and adjust to your taste.
How do I know when my fall cakes are done baking?
Use the toothpick test, but also look for visual cues: the cake should spring back lightly when touched in the center and start pulling slightly away from the sides of the pan. An instant-read thermometer should read 200-210°F in the center.
Expert Tips for Perfect Fall Desserts
Spice Storage & Usage:
Store whole spices in airtight containers away from heat and light for maximum potency
Toast whole spices lightly in a dry pan before grinding for deeper flavor
Replace ground spices every 6-12 months for best taste
Measure spices carefully – a little goes a long way with potent fall flavors
Ingredient Temperature Matters:
Bring eggs and dairy to room temperature for better mixing and texture
Keep butter cold when making pie crusts and pastry
Use room temperature butter for most cake and cookie recipes
Test kitchen tip: Warm eggs quickly in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes
Seasonal Ingredient Selection:
Choose firm, unblemished apples with good color for baking
Store pumpkin puree in the refrigerator after opening and use within a week
Buy whole nutmeg and grate fresh for incredible flavor difference
Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, especially in simple desserts
Baking Success Secrets:
Invest in an oven thermometer – many ovens run hot or cold
Line baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup and even browning
Don’t open the oven door frequently while baking – it drops the temperature
Test doneness with multiple methods: visual cues, toothpick test, and internal temperature
