the best recipes to make during apple picking season

Apple-picking season is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you have piles of apples at home that need to be made into some delicious recipes. Here are my best apple recipes! We’ve got something for every meal of the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even a cocktail!

Breakfast & Snacks:

Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread – This can be a delicious and decadent brunch, or a dessert! Either way, it’s easy to whip up thanks to a little help from pre-made dough, and it’s loaded with tender, spiced apples and salted caramel sauce.

Simple + Amazing Homemade Applesauce – This is the applesauce my mom has been making for years, and I’d never think of using a different recipe! Make it on the stovetop or in your instant pot, and freeze away a stash of delicious homemade applesauce to enjoy long after the days of apple picking end.

Fall Harvest Cheese Board – Nothing says fall like a charcuterie board filled with all the bounty of autumn! I show you exactly what types of cheese, crackers, meats, and extras (like apples!) to use for your cheeseboard and how to assemble the whole thing so it’s the star of the show for all your fall gatherings and holidays! This also makes a fun, quick no-cook dinner!

Lunch & Dinner:

Honeycrisp Apple & Kale Salad with Maple Thyme Vinaigrette – The perfect fall salad! Made with bright kale, sweet honeycrisp apples, crunchy bacon bits, juicy pomegranate arils, fresh figs, and a sprinkle of feta. Let’s not forget about the Maple Thyme Vinaigrette – it’s the magical elixir that comes together in seconds and takes the whole salad right over the top!

Best-Ever Stuffed Acorn Squash – Make this as side or main dish for your Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving celebrations, or for a delicious fall dinner! Made with oven-roasted acorn squash filled with wild rice, sweet honeycrisp apples, chopped celery, ground lamb, and dried cranberries.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples and Maple Dressing – Brussels sprouts shine here along with juicy apples, sweet dried cranberries, salty pepitas, crisp smoky bacon, and shaved parmesan. Top it all off with a simple shake-it-up maple dressing! This will be your new favorite way to eat brussels sprouts and it will be a hit on your Thanksgiving table!

Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing – Can you tell I have a thing for adding maple and apple to salads? This is another delicious way to make a fall harvest salad, with roasted butternut squash, crisp apples, kale, pumpkin seeds, bacon, chicken, feta, and topped off with a Maple Tahini Dressing! It’s heartier because of the chicken, so it makes a great lunch or dinner on it’s own. This is also a great way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!

Desserts:

Cranberry Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar & Oat Topping – Mix up a filling of sweet apples, tart cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and top it with the butteriest crisp topping. Bake up this quick dessert anytime the fall craving strikes, or make it for Thanksgiving for a fun alternative to a pie!

Homemade Apple Cider Donuts (with Salted Caramel Sauce!) – A little bit crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and insanely good dipped in homemade caramel sauce. There’s nothing better than biting into a warm, homemade donut! (These technically use apple cider, not fresh apples, but you can snag some of that good apple cider while you’re at an orchard!)

Caramel Apple Turnovers – A tender, caramely, spiced apple filling is wrapped up in a blanket of golden brown, flaky (store-bought, for ease!) puff pastry and topped with salted caramel sauce. These apple turnovers shine in any situation – whether it’s a casual afternoon baking session, or a festive fall celebration!

Salted Caramel Apple Galette – This recipe hails from my cookbook, “The One-Bowl Baker” and is just as delicious as an apple pie, but is a little easier to make! It’s full of spiced, tender apples wrapped up in a buttery, flaky crust and drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce. This is the coziest fall dessert I know how to make – perfect for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, a Halloween party, or an afternoon baking session.

Homemade Apple Fritters with Buttery Maple Glaze – These Homemade Apple Fritters are surprisingly simple to make and they are OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious! They’re light and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, drenched in buttery maple glaze, and they practically melt in your mouth.

Dutch Caramel Apple Pie – Meet a pie that’s easier than a traditional pie thanks to the crumb topping, and is packed with tender, flavorful caramel-coated apples nestled inside a flaky pie crust. This recipe is one of the top 3 all-time most popular on my site!

Cranberry Apple Slab Pie – Slab pie is the perfect dessert for Halloween, Thanksgiving, game day, Christmas – all the events! This one is filled with fresh apples and cranberries, spices, and sugar housed within a buttery, flaky crust – and it easily feeds a crowd.

Easy Apple Cider Caramel Monkey Bread – This Monkey Bread is light and fluffy, super flavorful, and doused in an apple cider caramel sauce. The whole thing comes together in no time thanks to a little help from some amazing pre-made dough. Perfect for brunch, fall gatherings, holiday parties, or game day!

Drinks:

Crock Pot Mulled Apple Cider – A warm, cozy drink to serve for any fall party. It takes only a few minutes to throw together – then sit back and let your slow cooker do all the work!

Apple Cider Old Fashioned with Maple Simple Syrup – Made with apple cider, maple simple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon, bourbon, and a dash of bitters. Serve with a cinnamon stick for the perfect autumn drink!

Stay tuned for one more apple recipe (apple cider slushies!) coming your way this month. Happy fall, and happy baking!

Did you make one of these recipes? Snap a photo and leave a comment!

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