43 Fall Desserts to Bake Right Now
Bidding farewell to summer berries and stone fruits might be bittersweet, but these fall desserts are sure to soften the blow. After all, we have all of autumn’s best produce to look forward to: apples, pears, pecans, and pumpkin—not to mention quince and grapes and so much more. Below you’ll find our very best fall dessert recipes, including a stunning pumpkin bread made with an apple cider reduction and a centerpiece-worthy caramel-apple cheesecake. If you’re looking for classic comforts, we’ve included chewy chocolate chip cookies, warm bread pudding, and fudgy brownies, all with an autumnal twist, too.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson3/43Monkey Bread
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/43Cardamom Basque Cheesecake
Cardamom lends tons of autumn warmth to this honey-sweetened version of caramelized and burnt to perfection Basque cheesecake.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart6/43Fried Apple Pies
From the legendary Edna Lewis comes this epitome of Southern decadence. The cinnamon-spiked pie filling is made with dried apples reconstituted in fresh apple cider for a whallop of flavor.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne7/43Banoffee Pie
A buttery crust, easy caramel sauce, and luscious layers of banana and cream deliver big flavor with simple steps. If you can’t find digestive biscuits, graham crackers, Biscoff cookies, or even shortbread would make fine substitutes.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi10/43Classic Pecan Pie
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton11/43Scotcheroos
A Midwestern dessert most easily described as peanut butter Rice Krispies Treats layered with chocolate and butterscotch, this no-bake dessert is practically impossible to dislike.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark12/43Creole Cream Cheesecake With Caramel-Apple Topping
This cheesecake gets its silky, mousse-like texture from Creole cream cheese, Louisiana’s take on ricotta. The topping tastes just like a caramel apple pie.
Photo by Dana Gallagher13/43Maple Butternut Sheet-Pan Cake
If carrot cake and zucchini bread got together, it might taste something like this plush spice cake. Slicked through the middle and on top is a simple maple-sweetened buttercream.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine14/43Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Sandwich rich bourbon cream cheese frosting between two tender, moist pumpkin cookies for a sweet fall treat that’ll be the hit of the back-to-school bake sale.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich15/43Apple Pie With Cheesy Cheddar Crust
Topping a slice of apple pie with a hunk of cheddar cheese (or even American) is a classic move in parts of the Midwest. Here, we cut out the middleman. The cheese is grated right into the crust for a tangy-tart-sweet experience you have to taste to believe.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Judy Haubert16/43Salted Speculoos Malts
Cookie butter and crushed gingerbread-like Biscoff cookies give this malted milkshake the flavor of warm autumn spices. It tastes like cinnamon rolls blended into a creamy, dreamy drinkable dessert.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell17/43Olive Oil Apple Cake With Spiced Sugar
Olive oil and apples make beautifully rich, floral partners in this fall cake that’s coated in sugar, just like your favorite apple cider donut.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks20/43Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
This comforting, buttery cookie gets tangy flavor from an old-school leavener: cream of tartar. Rolling the cookies in cinnamon-sugar before baking gives them a glistening finish.
Photo by Alex Lau21/43Quince and Almond Tart With Rosé
Once you’ve baked enough apple desserts for the season, turn to a lesser-known, but equally lovable fruit: quince. With a pretty, ruffled pattern on top, this dramatic quince tart would make an impressive end to any fall dinner.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop styling by Gerri Williams, Food styling by Lillian Chou22/43Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake
If a brownie willed itself to be a pound cake, this would be the result. The shiny chocolate ganache and a finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt ensure this chocolate cake is a show-stopper.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton23/43Cinnamon–Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi24/43Our Favorite Apple Pie
One of our very best fall desserts, this classic pie combines a flaky all-butter crust with tender, gently spiced apples. Don’t want to fuss with a top crust? Make a streusel-topped apple crumb pie instead.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones25/43Marbled Pumpkin-Maple Cheesecake Bars
’Tis the season for all of the pumpkin desserts. Creamy cheesecake meets the fall flavors of pumpkin pie in these stunningly swirled bars, which would be an ideal way to end a Halloween dinner.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton27/43Basque-Style Sweet Potato Cheesecake
“I've made this recipe for the last three Thanksgivings, and it’s always a hit,” says one Epi reader. “It is a remarkable dessert; I think I will make it every year from now on!” exclaimed another. Not convinced yet? “Made this for Thanksgiving to replace pumpkin pie and never looking back,” declared a third.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark29/43Pear and Hazelnut Frangipane Tart
An easy fall dessert, yes, but an incredibly impressive one too. The frangipane comes together quickly in a food processor, serving as a posh bed for pretty fanned pears.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne31/43Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding
Cubed apples practically melt into this otherwise pretty traditional fall baking recipe of lush date cake topped with gooey brown sugar toffee sauce. Serve squares warm with vanilla ice cream.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich32/43Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
How do you make a classic chocolate chip cookie even better? Just add brown butter. Its nutty, toasty flavor makes these cookies perfect for the fall.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne33/43Simple Bread Pudding With Melted Ice Cream Sauce
This fall recipe is warm and comforting—especially delicious when drizzled with a pint of ice cream that you melt on purpose to serve as the couldn’t-be-simpler sauce.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson37/43Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon–Sour Cream Topping
This classic Gourmet dessert gets its tang from sour cream and deep caramel notes from bourbon. Chopped pecans add rich, nutty flavor to the buttery graham crust.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht39/43Carrot Pie
No, the carrots aren’t a mistake. This vibrant pie combines the joys of autumn spice with the sweetness of the orange vegetable. It might just replace your beloved pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie.
Photo by Matthew Septimus40/43Apple Walnut Bundt Cake
Because this fall cake is made with oil instead of butter, it can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature (a butter cake would taste very dry when chilled). And that’s great because it’ll stay moist and flavorful for 5 days on your counter, up to 10 days refrigerated.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell43/43Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie
Brown butter, caramelized honey, warm spices, and a few extra eggs give this ultra-fall dessert an ultra-custardy center. Cool it in the oven to prevent the top from cracking.
