20 Fall Desserts Featuring Apples, Pumpkins, and Plenty of Spice These cozy recipes are just right for the season. Close Credit: Bryan Gardner So long, ice cream sundaes, see you next year! As the leaves begin to change, our attention turns to all the cozy fall desserts we love. It’s the season of everything apple and plenty of pears, but those aren’t the only fall fruits we’re crazy about—cue the persimmons and don’t overlook cranberries—there’s so much more to them than sauce! And of course, we’re excited about comforting spiced desserts, cinnamon everything, maple too, and plenty of pumpkin spice. Speaking of pumpkin, you won’t find any pie here, but the giant squash features in recipes from cheesecake to whoopie pies, even brownies. The hardest part is deciding which recipe to make first—or holding back and not making more than one! 22 of Our Most Popular Fall Recipes, Including Apple Desserts, Comforting Stews, and More 01 of 20 Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake Credit: Lennart Weibull Better than the ubiquitous drink, this easy cake is a fall must-make. It's simple to put together, no mixer needed, and the finished cake is fragrant, moist, and dinner-party worthy—especially when topped with sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of instant espresso powder. View Recipe 02 of 20 Caramel Apple Steamed Pudding Steamed puddings are a British tradition that's too delicious not to adopt stateside. Our recipe is a caramel-topped, apple-forward take with a light, delicate cake-like pudding underneath. It's served warm, and a daub of custard or whipped cream with each portion would be dandy. View Recipe 03 of 20 Cranberry Poached Pears A jewel-like dessert that features one of our favorite fruit pairings, pear and cranberry is a combination that deserves more love. Here, pears are poached with lemon juice, sugar, spices, and the cranberries that give them the gorgeous color. View Recipe 04 of 20 Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Credit: Yossy Arefi They're sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike at any autumn gathering because no one can resist these tender, fluffy pumpkin cookies sandwiched with cream cheese frosting. Even better, they’re easy to make—no mixer needed. View Recipe 05 of 20 Chocolate Pecan-Pie Bars Because fall isn't only about fruit, there are these decadent bites packed with toasty pecans and rich chocolate. See if you can eat just one. View Recipe 06 of 20 Maple Flan Rich and comforting—and packed with maple flavor, this luscious flan proves that fall desserts don't have to be served hot. View Recipe 07 of 20 Apple Pie Bread Pudding Credit: Jacob Fox The best of both worlds, this marvellous hybrid dessert is as easy to make as bread pudding but has all the satisfying flavors of a classic apple pie. Sweet-tart apples are the perfect contrast to buttery brioche, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream takes the whole thing over the top. View Recipe 08 of 20 Squash and Chocolate Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Credit: Murray Hall This fall-forward dessert feeds a crowd. It’s similar to a carrot cake because it uses grated winter squash rather than cooked squash puree, which is the usual for baking. Chunks of semisweet chocolate and five-spice powder bring sweetness and a kick, and contrast deliciously with the rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. View Recipe 09 of 20 Cranberry Cobbler Ruby-colored berries stud the top of this old-fashioned cake-like dessert. It takes just 10 minutes to put together, then it needs 30 minutes to bake. View Recipe 10 of 20 Caramelized Pears Credit: Jason Donnelly Much as we love simple poached pears, we rate this easy recipe even more. It takes just 15 minutes to make, and the result is a tender, sweet, and caramelly fruit dessert that we always serve with ice cream. View Recipe 11 of 20 Snickerdoodle Cupcakes Credit: decorvow Sugar, spice, and everything nice in cupcake form. These moist, cinnamon-scented treats are finished with a kiss of fluffy frosting. View Recipe 12 of 20 Best Apple Pie Credit: Nico Schinco The name says it all; this is our best classic apple pie recipe. It uses a mixture of different apples for the filling and produces a pie with a bold, aromatic apple flavor inside a golden-brown double crust. View Recipe 13 of 20 Butter Pecan Cookies When you need a small sweet treat, turn to these classic butter pecan cookies. They're rich, crumbly, nutty, and just so good. They practically melt in the mouth. View Recipe 14 of 20 Chocolate Bread Pudding Made with cinnamon raisin bread, this chocolatey take on the classic comfort dessert has all the fall feels. View Recipe 15 of 20 Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Credit: Dana Gallagher With a firm, delicately flavored pumpkin filling and a deliciously intense chocolate crust, this fall dessert is a showstopper. Serve it as is, or pour a stove-top chocolate-caramel glaze on top for a glossy, glamorous finish. View Recipe 16 of 20 Persimmon Compote Credit: Raymond Hom Easy to make and perfect for making ahead, this persimmon compote is our favorite simple way to enjoy the vibrant orange fruit. They're poached in spiced syrup and are so good spooned over vanilla ice cream. View Recipe 17 of 20 Pear Upside Down Cake With a layer of caramelized, buttery pears atop an unbelievably tender cake, this showstopping dessert tastes as good as it looks. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream. View Recipe 18 of 20 Apple Pandowdy Credit: Bryan Gardner This traditional American dessert is as delicious as it is intriguing. Easier to make than pie, a pandowdy has the pastry crust on top. It's "dowdied" or cut up, so it soaks up some of the spiced apple filling as it bakes. View Recipe 19 of 20 Pumpkin Swirl Brownies Credit: David Prince Irresistibly rich, moist, and delicious, these layered treats combine canned pumpkin puree and bittersweet chocolate with warming spices and hazelnuts—or your favorite fall nut. View Recipe 20 of 20 Apple-Cider Donut Cake Credit: Grant Webster A standout fall treat, our apple-cider donut cake tastes like a giant, cinnamon-sugar-dusted donut. Its apple flavor comes from a mix of applesauce and apple cider, which also keeps it nice and moist. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes