Apple pie sitting on plate with ice cream
Photography, Ashley van der Laan

Best Apple Desserts to Bake Right Now

From comforting apple cakes to impressive holiday desserts, these recipes make the most of apple season.

Apple season may begin with fall baking, but there’s no reason to put away the cinnamon and pastry once the holidays arrive. From a classic apple pie and an easy, bubbling crisp to elegant French tarts and celebration-worthy cakes, apples are just as welcome on a festive dessert table as they are at a casual Sunday dinner.

Whether you’re baking for a crowd or simply looking for something sweet to enjoy with afternoon coffee, these apple dessert recipes offer plenty of inspiration.

Apple pie sitting on plate with ice cream

Our Finest Apple Pie

A classic double-crust apple pie filled with a mix of tart and sweet apples, cinnamon and nutmeg in a flaky, buttery homemade pastry.

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A baking tray with a sliced apple tart topped with scoops of ice cream

Jamie Oliver's Easy Apple Tart

Jamie Oliver’s 5-ingredient apple tart layers thinly sliced apples and apricot jam over store-bought puff pastry for an easy French-inspired dessert.

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Apple Fritter Snack Cake

A tender cinnamon-spiced apple cake topped with a buttery toffee glaze, toasted pecans and flaky sea salt.

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Apple Crisp

Tender spiced apples baked beneath a buttery brown sugar and oat topping until golden, crisp and bubbling.

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A cheesecake topped with apples against a burgundy wall

Mary Berg's Spiced Apple Cheesecake

A classic baked cheesecake with a crisp spiced-cookie crust and buttery cinnamon-spiced apple topping.

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upside down apple pie

Apple Tarte Tatin

Also known as a French apple upside-down pie, a tarte tatin is a traditional French dessert. It's beauty lies in its simplicity. This recipe from celebrated French Chef Didier Stéphan uses shortcrust pastry. Like any apple pie, a tarte tatin is delicious served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

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A frosted cake topped with oatmeal crumble on a pink-and-red tablecloth

Vegan Apple Caramel Cake

Lyndsay Sung’s plant-based apple cake is dressed for a celebration with salted caramel buttercream and a generous oatmeal cookie crumble.

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A tray with an apple dessert tart

Flaky Vegan Apple Tart

A beautiful rustic tart from Jean-Philippe Cyr, with flaky vegan pastry and tender baked apples. Just the thing for an easy but impressive dessert.

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Baked apple with pecans

Gingery Baked Apples With Walnuts

Whole apples stuffed with walnuts, golden raisins and crystallized ginger, then baked until tender. An easy dessert that can be made in the oven or on the barbecue.

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Six apple-stuffed pastries on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper

Vegan Dutch Apple Turnovers

Inspired by traditional Dutch appelflappen, these flaky vegan turnovers from Alexander Gershberg are filled with apples, raisins and maple syrup.

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Chocolate-covered caramel apples

Chocolate Caramel Apples

Steven Hodge's recipe for crunchy Granny Smith apples dipped in caramel and tempered milk chocolate.

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More Fall and Holiday.Baking Recipes

Looking for your next baking project? From cozy cakes to festive cookies, these ELLE Gourmet favourites are worth adding to your list.

Chocolate thumbprint cookies coated in chopped nuts and filled with Nutella and dulce de leche.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These easy chocolate thumbprint cookies are made with cocoa powder, coated in crunchy walnuts, pistachios or coconut, and filled with jam, Nutella or dulce de leche.

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german lebkuchen christmas cookies with almonds

Lebkuchen Cookies

Soft, chewy Lebkuchen cookies are the German cousin to North American gingerbread. Instead of molasses, the lebkuchen recipe uses honey for sweetness. A traditional German Christmas cookie it uses nuts, candied peel and eggs – but no flour.

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