11 Apple Treats for Fall Baking | SimplyMealful

Nothing says fall baking like apples — sweet, tart, and fragrant with cinnamon. These eleven treats range from rustic crisps and hand pies to tender cakes and fluffy donuts, all celebrating peak apple season. Grab a bag of your favorite variety and start baking.

1. Classic Apple Crisp

Jammy cinnamon apples under a buttery oat crumble — the coziest fall dessert there is.

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9×13 dish.
2. Toss the apples with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice; spread in the dish.
3. Mix the oats, flour, and brown sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly.
4. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly and golden.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

2. Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Flaky little pies stuffed with cinnamon apples and drippy caramel.

Ingredients

• 2 pie crusts
• 3 cups diced apples
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
• Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
2. Toss the apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
3. Cut 4-inch rounds from the pie crusts.
4. Fill each with apple mixture and a drizzle of caramel; fold and crimp.
5. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar; cut vents.
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until deep golden.

3. Apple Cider Donuts

Cakey, cinnamon-sugared donuts with real apple cider baked right in.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Simmer the cider until reduced to 1/2 cup; cool.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another; combine.
4. Pipe the batter into the pan, filling two-thirds full.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until springy.
6. Brush with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar while warm.

4. Baked Apple Fritters

All the cinnamon-apple fritter flavor, baked not fried — tender with crisp edges.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups diced apples
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar glaze

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients; whisk the milk, eggs, and butter separately.
3. Combine wet and dry, then fold in the apples.
4. Drop 1/4-cup mounds onto the sheet.
5. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden.
6. Drizzle with glaze while warm.

5. Apple Butter Bars

Chewy blondie bars swirled with spiced apple butter — fall in every bite.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 pan.
2. Whisk the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Spread in the pan and dollop apple butter on top; swirl.
5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until the edges are set.
6. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

6. French Apple Cake

A custardy, rum-kissed cake loaded with more apples than batter — très magnifique.

Ingredients

• 3 large apples, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, butter, rum, and vanilla.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then the apple slices.
4. Pour into the pan — it will look like mostly apples.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until golden and set.
6. Cool 20 minutes; dust with powdered sugar.

7. Apple Cinnamon Scones

Tender, flaky scones studded with apples and finished with a cinnamon glaze.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup diced apples
• 1/2 cup heavy cream plus more for brushing
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients; cut in the butter until pea-sized.
3. Stir in the apples.
4. Mix the cream, egg, and vanilla; fold into the dry mix.
5. Pat into an 8-inch round; cut into 8 wedges.
6. Brush with cream and bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden.

8. Apple Dumplings

Whole apples wrapped in flaky pastry and baked in cinnamon syrup — old-fashioned bliss.

Ingredients

• 4 medium apples, peeled and cored
• 2 pie crusts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9×13 dish.
2. Wrap each apple in a quarter of pie crust, sealing the seams.
3. Place in the dish.
4. Boil the sugar, water, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg 3 minutes.
5. Pour the syrup around the dumplings.
6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, basting once, until golden; serve with ice cream.

9. Spiced Apple Bread

A moist, tender quick bread packed with apples and warm spice — perfect with coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups diced apples
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Combine wet and dry; fold in the apples and walnuts.
5. Pour into the pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes.
6. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out to cool completely.

10. Apple Crumb Muffins

Bakery-style muffins with juicy apple chunks and a crunchy streusel top.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced apples
• 1/2 cup streusel topping (flour, sugar, butter)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix the eggs, milk, and butter; stir into the dry mix.
4. Fold in the apples.
5. Fill the cups three-quarters full and top with streusel.
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

11. Apple Galette

A free-form rustic tart with a flaky crust — impressive looks, easy method.

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust
• 4 apples, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
• Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
2. Toss the apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Roll the crust into a 12-inch round on the sheet.
4. Arrange the apples in the center, leaving a 2-inch border.
5. Fold the border over the apples; brush with egg wash and sprinkle sugar.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes; brush the apples with warm jam.