100 Crisp & Juicy Apple Recipes

By Southern Living
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Fall’s favorite fruit teams up with a little sugar and spice for a Southern roll call of irresistible treats–from caramel apple muffins to pecan pie cobbler. 

Apples are a scrumptious fall fruit, and nothing is better on a cool autumn evening than a delicious, warm dessert. Here are more than a hundred apple recipes—more than one for every day of the season—apple pies, apple puffs, apple cakes, apple fantans, and more. These apple recipes each share a passion for this fabulous fruit. Enjoy a Caramel Apple Coffee Cake with a cup of your favorite brew, or try a Blackberry-Apple Pie. If you prefer your apples on the side, Roasted Apple and Parsnips, or Marian’s Apple Fennel Salad, would be mouthwatering apple recipes to try. However you slice it, these apple recipes have just the right appeal.

 

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Crisp & Juicy Apple Recipes

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Caramel Apple Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Caramel Apple Cake

This cake is topped with sauteed apple slices and drizzled in a delicious Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce.

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Apple Bread Pudding

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Apple Bread Pudding

Serve this family-style from a baking dish, or divide with a 3-inch round cutter for an elegant presentation. Top it all off with Sautéed Apples and a drizzle of Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise for a spectacular finish.

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Double Apple Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Double Apple Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Apple jelly adds richness to the filling of this pie, and apple cider adds even more flavor in the flaky cornmeal crust.

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Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Photo: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This delicious apple Bundt cake features a sweet cream cheese filling and decadent Praline Frosting. For extra crunch, garnish with additional toasted pecans. 

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Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Photo: Luca Trovato

Recipe: Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Making an apple pie has never been so easy. Simply toss apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar, and spoon over a refrigerated pie crust in the cast-iron skillet. Top with the other crust and bake.

Watch: Easy Skillet Apple Pie

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Easy Apple Butter

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Easy Apple Butter

This spread is autumn's sweetest sensation, stealing the show as a condiment and lending rich flavor to some our favorite fall recipes. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Use a wooden spoon to draw a line through the apple butter on the bottom of the pot; if the line holds for 5 seconds before the apple butter merges back together, it's finished cooking.

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Apple Butter-Walnut Thumbprints

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple Butter-Walnut Thumbprints

For these simple, fall treats, use our Easy Apple Butter for the best flavor and texture. In a pinch, store-bought apple butter that has been boiled for 5 minutes (to thicken) may be substituted.

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Caramel-Apple Cheesecake

Photo: Luca Trovato

Recipe: Caramel-Apple Cheesecake

Caramelized apples are artfully arranged on top of this rich and delicious cheesecake for a perfect dessert.

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Apple Butter-and-Cheddar Puffs

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple Butter-and-Cheddar Puffs

To get ahead, make these appetizers through Step 2 and freeze up to 1 month. Go straight to the oven from freezer; simply add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.

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Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Photo: Luca Trovato

Recipe: Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This delicious apple bundt cake features a sweet cream cheese filling and homemade praline frosting. Garnish the frosting with extra toasted pecans.

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Apple-Cinnamon Dutch Baby

Southern Living

Recipe: Apple-Cinnamon Dutch Baby

Straight from the oven, this puffy, airy pancake will elicit major oohs and aahs from your crowd. Be sure to use low-fat or fat-free milk--the pancake will puff higher. Like a soufflé, it will begin to deflate as soon as it leaves the oven, though that won't affect the flavor.

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Cranberry-Apple Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Cranberry-Apple Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

Savor the flavors of cranberries and apples as they come together with a holiday favorite—pecan shortbread—in this stunning presentation.

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Apple, Pear, and Cranberry Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Apple, Pear, and Cranberry Pie

Use slightly firm pears and crisp, tart apples here to achieve the best texture in the filling, and let this mountainous pie cool and settle for at least two hours before serving.

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Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

Top a showstopping crown of Mascarpone Frosting with swirls of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and a scattering of salty-sweet Spiced Pecans. Caramel sauce, rather than fosting, sandwiches together the moist cake layers.

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Caramel Apple Blondie Pie

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Caramel Apple Blondie Pie

Buttery rich layers of tender cake and caramelized apples add up to one sweet combo. The secret to the crisp, flaky crust? Baking in a cast-iron skillet on a lower oven rack.

Cooking Video: Caramel Apple Blondie Pie

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tart

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tart

It may look like a chore, but this cheesecake tart calls for a relatively straightforward preparation: First, press the crust into the tart pan. Next, mix the cream cheese filling, fill the tart shell, and bake. Finally, gild the pie with sautéed tart apples, and paint them with melted apple jelly for a jewelled effect.

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Caramel Apple Fantans

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Caramel Apple Fantans

Use any firm cooking apple, such as 'Jonagold' or 'Honeycrisp,' or a combo for extra flavor and texture.

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Apple-Cheddar Bread

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Apple-Cheddar Bread

Try this bread sandwiched with ham and apple slices, or cut it into cubes and toast it to make croutons for salads and soups.

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Apple Stack Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple Stack Cake

Use six disposable 8-inch aluminum cake pans to create the layers of this stunning cake. Prepare the filling up to three days before assembling the cake.

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Fried Apple Pies

Photo: Melina Hammer

Recipe: Fried Apple Pies

There's enough filling to make a second batch of these delicious pies, or you can freeze it for later. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake

If the title of this dessert recipe doesn't send you running for the kitchen, then you need to read it again. We've packed all your favorite desserts into one must-try indulgence. Cheesecake, brownies, and caramel apples... What more could you want?

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Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

This cake is down-home delicious and so easy you won't believe you started from scratch.

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Caramel Apple Muffins

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel Apple Muffins

These are prettiest the day they are made. After standing overnight, the caramel melts into the muffins. (They're still delicious!)

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Caramel Apple Dip

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel Apple Dip

A sugary spin on a cream cheese classic with a crisp bruléed topping.

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Southern-Style Caramel Apples

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Southern-Style Caramel Apples

Branch out and get creative with some of our favorite caramel apple toppings. We used Southern magnolia twigs; other branches may render the apples inedible. When in doubt, use craft sticks or large pretzel sticks.

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Brussels Sprouts with Apples

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Apples

If you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts, you will be soon. This colorful side dish is a Thanksgiving favorite, but we also enjoy it for weeknight suppers with quick-cooking Parmesan Turkey Cutlets.

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Smoked Trout-Apple Hash

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Smoked Trout-Apple Hash

Equally at home on your stove or over a campfire, this fragrant skillet breakfast pulls double duty for dinner with a green salad. Try substituting sweet potatoes for russets and your favorite tart apple for Granny Smith. Other smoked fish like bluefish or whitefish also work well here. If using thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into pieces and drape over hash just before serving.

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Apple Flatbread

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple Flatbread

Bake store-bought pizza dough to make a convenient and versatile canvas for apples, cheese, and herbs. Serve as appetizers or the main course. 

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Apple-Spice Pancakes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Apple-Spice Pancakes

Save leftover Apple Cider Syrup for drizzling over vanilla ice cream. 

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Applesauce Pie

Recipe: Applesauce Pie

Everyone loves apple pie, especially fresh from the oven on a chilly fall day. You can make this easy applesauce filling up to a week ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Blackberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Blackberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake

Tart blackberries and sweet apples caramelize perfectly with layers of buttery cake in this one-pan dessert.

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Fresh Apple Cake

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake

Thinly sliced apples create rich, moist layers of fruit within the cake. Frost it with Browned-Butter Frosting (pictured), Dark Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Upside-Down Apple Tart

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Upside-Down Apple Tart

Make a simple, rustic apple tart with Granny Smith apples plus a few other ingredients you probably already have on hand: flour, butter, and salt.

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Caramel Apple Ice-Cream Tarts

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Caramel Apple Ice Cream-Tarts

This shortbread crust is the perfect foil for ice cream.

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Recipe: Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple and caramel are simple ingredients, but when combined they form a delectable treat. Top off these cupcakes with toasted pecans to create a traditional fall favorite. We love to add the tiny crab apples as a garnish for extra-special occasions.

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Caramelized Onion-and-Apple Tassies

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Caramelized Onion-and-Apple Tassies

Be sure to press the cream cheese pastry dough all the way up the sides of the mini muffin cups so the tart shells will be deep enough to hold a generous amount of filling.

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Grill-Roasted Chicken

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Grill-Roasted Chicken

Grilling over the indirect heat of a two-zone fire mimics oven heat. An aromatic rack of early fall apples and vegetables catches all the chicken’s flavorful juices.

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Cider-Poached Shrimp with Jezebel Apple Salsa

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cider-Poached Shrimp with Jezebel Apple Salsa

Ready to move beyond the classic shrimp cocktail? We thought so! Hard cider (fermented apple juice) infuses the shrimp with a faint hint of sweetness and subtle fruitiness.

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Waldorf Cobb Salad

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Waldorf Cobb Salad

This makes a company-perfect sidekick for anything roasted or grilled. The concentrated flavor of an apple cider reduction, plus a shot of sorghum syrup, add rich complexity, not just sweetness, to the Cider-Sorghum Vinaigrette.

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Apple, Lemon, and Gin Shandy

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple, Lemon, and Gin Shandy

This refreshing, citrusy drink goes from kitchen to cooler with ease.

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Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Pinwheel Biscuits

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Pinwheel Biscuits  

Our twist on apple cobbler is both darling and delectable. Who could resist buttery biscuit dough rolled with almonds and brown sugar baked into a pretty pinwheel crust?

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Carrot, Apple, and Ginger Soup

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Carrot, Apple, and Ginger Soup

Sweet carrots go together perfectly with citrusy apple and ginger spice to make a warm, satisfying dish.

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Grilled Cheese and Apple Sandwiches

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Grilled Cheese and Apple Sandwiches

No panini press? Cook your sandwiches in a skillet 4 minutes on each side with a pan on top.

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Apple-Cabbage Slaw

Photo: Melina Hammer

Recipe: Apple Cabbage Slaw

This colorful, fresh side is the perfect complement to almost any entreé.

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Fennel-Apple Slaw

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Fennel-Apple Slaw

This vibrant seasonal salad is an ideal way to showcase your favorite apples—just be sure to use ones that are super crisp, tart, and sweet, and keep the peels on to add color and texture. Can't find fennel? Three ribs of thinly sliced celery make a good substitute in a pinch.

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Pork with Apples, Bacon, and Sauerkraut

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Pork with Apples, Bacon, and Sauerkraut

Thinly sliced pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon cured with salt and spices) and a few quick twists of kitchen string turn an inexpensive pork loin into a party-worthy dish.

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