Our 25 Most Popular Apple Dessert Recipes
Sweet, juicy and sometimes even a little sour—apples can do it all. From simple fall-flavored cookies to slow-cooker cobbler, these recipes are deliciously healthy ways to celebrate one of our favorite fruits. Trust us, it's easy to see why recipes like our Apple-Pie Bread and Cinnamon-Sugar Dusted Apple Cider Donuts keep folks coming back for more.
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Apple-Pie Bread
This easy everyday apple-pie bread makes a great breakfast-on-the-go with a cup of coffee. The fragrant spices typical of apple pie and the tender bits of baked apple inside also make it worthy as a healthy after-dinner dessert. Enjoy it warm from the oven with a pat of butter or cream cheese or keep it on your counter for a tasty treat during the week.
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Cinnamon Streusel Fresh Apple Bars
These sweet, cinnamon-flavored apple bars are the perfect accompaniment for your afternoon cup of coffee or tea.
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Apple-Cinnamon Muffins
These healthy apple-cinnamon muffins will put you in an autumnal state of mind no matter the time of year. Sprinkling the muffins with sugar before baking gives them a crispy top, just like a coffee-shop muffin--but these are a whole lot more nutritious than your average coffee-shop muffin, thanks to wholesome ingredients like white whole-wheat flour. Serve them for breakfast or a grab-and-go snack.
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No-Sugar-Added Mini Apple Pies
These delectable single-serving tarts are gluten-free and sweetened with dates instead of refined added sugars. Top with a little unsweetened whipped cream to take this special--yet healthy--dessert to the next level.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Dusted Apple Cider Donuts
Fluffy and light with a warm cinnamon flavor, you'll be craving these homemeade donuts (with a hot cup of coffee) all fall! Because apple cider can be harder to find year-round, take advantage of when it's "in season." Don't forget to make a few extra batches and freeze the donuts to enjoy when cider isn't available.
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Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp
Let your Crock-Pot do the work for this easy slow-cooker apple crisp. It tastes just like a classic apple crisp, with the apple combination adding a sweet and tart balance in each bite. It's sure to become a new fall favorite.
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Fried Apple Pie Rolls
In this healthy take on apple pie, egg roll wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
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Apple Coffee Cake
Apples lend their sweet-tart flavor to this warm and comforting apple coffee cake. The nutty oat and pecan filling in the middle of the cake also acts as a crispy topping that's drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze.
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Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Cake
This healthier apple cake recipe relies on yogurt and canola oil instead of butter to make it moist. Grated apple and warm spices give it the flavor of fall. To finish off the cake, drizzle on a quick brown sugar glaze before serving.
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Apple Crumble with Oats
Leaving the skins on the apples provides fiber and vitamins, so this diabetic-friendly dessert is not only good tasting but also good for you.
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Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices
These baked cinnamon apple slices have just the right level of tenderness and bite and a gooey apple caramel that forms at the bottom of the pan. Enjoy this healthy dessert spooned over ice cream, with biscuits or served over yogurt—the options with these are endless!
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Fresh Apple Squares
One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.
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Apple Spice Cake with Cranberry-Mandarin Compote
Apple butter and applesauce make this spice cake exceptionally moist and tender. The bright berry compote and billowy whipped cream provide perfect counterpoints.
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Caramel Apple Cookies
Kids and adults alike will love these fall caramel apple cookies. They are crisp on the bottom and chewy in the center with bits of apple and just a hint of spice. The caramel glaze takes them over the top!
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Apple-Cinnamon Cake
This simple nondairy apple cake, which is often called Jewish apple cake, has origins in Eastern Europe. Cinnamon and sweet-tart Granny Smith apples make for a fragrant cake, while orange juice in the batter adds a sweet, fresh touch. Make it for Rosh Hashana or any other fall holiday or occasion. The leftovers (if there are any) pair nicely with a cup of coffee the next morning.
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Apple Custard Cake
To give this apple custard cake a nutrition boost, we use whole-wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose, adding an extra gram of fiber per serving. A little of the batter gets mixed with an extra egg and spread on the cake before it's baked, yielding an ultra-creamy and custardy top. For the cleanest slices, use a serrated knife to cut the cake.
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Apple Dutch Baby Pancake
This one-pan puffy oven-baked pancake recipe will wow brunch guests. Make it your own by swapping out the apple for pear slices, or switch up the spices and try cardamom or ginger in place of the cinnamon.
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Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Marshmallow Frosting
Shredded apple replaces some of the oil and keeps the cake moist in these cinnamon-spiked cupcakes. There is a generous amount of fluffy marshmallow frosting to mound or pipe on top for a festive look. Be sure to frost them right after you make the frosting--it stiffens as it stands and becomes more difficult to spread.
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Flaky Apple Pie Bars
Grab your box of puff pastry for these easy and delicious apple pie bars.
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Caramel-Apple Cake
How can you go wrong with the combination of apples and caramel, especially in a fall dessert? This caramel-apple cake recipe is surprisingly easy to make and requires just 20 minutes of active time--not bad for a such a good-looking treat! We call for white whole-wheat flour in this recipe; it has a milder flavor than regular whole-wheat flour and more fiber than all-purpose flour, so it's perfect for making healthier baked goods.
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Slow-Cooker Apple Cobbler
This crock pot apple cobbler couldn't be easier: just spend 15 minutes prepping the apple mixture and cake topping, then let the slow cooker take care of the rest. We like the mixture of Honeycrisp and Fuji apples, but you can use other apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, or add some Granny Smiths for tartness. Just steer clear of softer apples like Macintosh or Golden Delicious, which will get too mushy in the slow cooker. The apples release their juices, which marry with the sugar to create a delicious caramelly sauce, while the topping puffs up and takes on a lovely brown color. This simple fall dessert is delicious as-is or with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.
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Apple Crisp
There's nothing like this old-fashioned apple dessert recipe to top off a good dinner. It's low in calories and can be made even lower if prepared with sugar substitute.
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Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars
These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
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All-American Apple Pies
Little apple pies are baked in hollowed out shells of apples, topped with a pie crust lattice, and baked until golden brown and filling is bubbly.
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Apple Butter Spice Cake
Buttermilk and apple butter contribute to the moistness of this simple, one-bowl cake.