There are few things better on a crisp fall afternoon than filling your home with the scent of a freshly baked dessert. Fall-favorite ingredients like pumpkin puree, apples, and pecans are best enjoyed in the form of a homemade treat—from cakes and cookies to pies and muffins.
Consider this list of fall-ish recipes your official fall baking bucket list. With a new season upon us, it’s time to stock your pantry, preheat the oven, and start baking one of these seasonal desserts.
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Credit:
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Walnuts kick this banana bread up a notch. A buttery, crunchy streusel provides textural contrast to the moist bread, and a simple buttermilk glaze offers a little sweet tang.
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Jen Causey; Food Stylist
You just need just 15 minutes of prep time to make these pumpkin spice muffins—the sugary-spiced topping is unique and pleasantly crispy-crunchy.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Though the recipe calls for mashed cooked pumpkin, you can also use the canned variety for ease or if you already have it on hand. For a low-key dessert, you can enjoy the cake without the Spiced Whipped Cream.
Credit:
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Cinnamon raisin bread adds an extra punch of flavor to this apple bread pudding. You’ll know it’s ready to come out of the oven when it’s golden brown and set in the center.
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Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
A shortcut of refrigerated crescent rolls wrapped around apple slices helps these miniature dumplings come together. The dumplings are topped off with a homemade cinnamon-brown sugar syrup and dollop of whipped cream.
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Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
When making this pumpkin roll, make sure to work quickly once it’s removed from the oven and is still warm. As it cools, it’ll be more likely to crack as it’s less pliable.
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Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
If you want to bake up a warm fall cake, but aren’t quite ready to commit to a layer cake, this approachable spice cake is the ideal recipe to make. Lining the pan with parchment paper not only makes the cake easy to remove from the pan, but makes cleanup a little easier.
Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Just because this recipe calls for seven ingredients and requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time doesn’t mean it’s short on flavor. We used refrigerated crust for ease, but you can also make homemade if you prefer.
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Antonis Achilleos Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Styling: Matthew Gleason
If you thought sweet potatoes were just for casseroles, think again. The layers of this cake are actually made with 1½ cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
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Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
This old-fashioned cake embodies the flavors of fall in every bite. Not only does it star apples, but other favorite fall ingredients like pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg are included as well.
Credit: Jennifer Davick
If you ‘re having a hard time deciding what dessert to make, this decadent cheesecake is the answer. Think of it as a combination of pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake all in one.
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
While Bundt cakes can be fairly plain and simple, they can also be just as impressive as a layer cake. This dessert starts with a pumpkin and pecan cake that’s then topped with a brown sugar icing and homemade candied pecans.
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns
Every from bottom to top, every layer if this apple pie is made from scratch. To make this homemade apple pie even more special, the apples are roasted before they’re added to the crust so they’re guaranteed to be tender and full of flavor.
Credit: Jennifer Causey
Browned butter is the not-so-secret ingredient to the best chocolate chip cookies ever, and is definitely worth the extra time. Adding a cup of toasted pecans makes them the ultimate fall cookie.
Credit: Stephen DeVries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
You can’t celebrate fall without making this old-fashioned dessert at least once. We recommend serving warm with vanilla ice cream on top.
Credit: Micah A. Leal
If you want to make your pumpkin bread even sweeter, you can fold a handful of chocolate chips into the batter before baking. You can also prepare it as written and let the pumpkin flavor shine.
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Hector Sanchez
This impressive dessert calls for two pounds of apples. In our opinion, it’s worth every bit of the effort it requires.
Credit: Greg Dupree
Apple cake batter, cream cheese filling, and praline frosting are the perfect fall trio in this indulgent Bundt cake. You can also garnish with pecans if you have some leftovers.
Credit: Greg DuPree
Brownies are given a fall makeover with the addition of pumpkin filling, but we promise there’s still plenty of chocolate to go around. Chill overnight and cut when they’re cold for ideal slices.
Credit: Micah A. Leal
Pumpkin spice and pure pumpkin give these cookies plenty of seasonal color and flavor. They’re moist, flavorful, and come together in just 45 minutes.
Credit:
Victor Protasi; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Let this cake cure for a few days before serving to allow time for the flavors to fully combine. Though it will be tempting to cut into immediately, allowing it to “ripen” will provide the best results.
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Satisfy your sweet and salty craving with pecan shortbread cookies that hint at fall. Make these slice-and-bake cookies in advance, and roll the dough in turbinado sugar for additional crunch.
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Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Bake a pan of these treats for any autumn gathering. They’re packable and portable, so keep them on hand for everything from lunches to tailgates.
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Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
With a few convenience items, this recipe means there’s always time to bake dessert. Use a can of pumpkin, a box of yellow cake mix, and spices to make this irresistible fall treat.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
This dessert turns what you love about apple pie into a less complicated cake. A white cake mix helps speed the process along without sacrificing flavor.
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Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey
Put the Bundt pan to work to bake a pumpkin pound cake that’s worthy of all your fall gatherings. A maple glaze and chopped pecans are all you need to top this seasonal dessert.
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Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
On the ingredient list for these sweet muffins, you’ll find a whole can of pumpkin and 2 cups of chocolate chips. That alone should tell you that they’re going to be delicious and perfect for fall.
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People Inc. Food Studios
Welcome the rich flavor of pumpkin to a classic, Rich and chocolatey Texas Sheet cake gets the taste of fall.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Bacon makes everything better – even a bundt cake. This recipe has eight slices of bacon divided between the cake, topping, and even the frosting. Prepare to wow the bake sale crowd.
Credit:
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
The name says it all: there is a lot to love about this cake. Red velvet cake, cheesecake, and pudding come together in this can’t beat dessert.
Dining and Cooking