49 Fall Desserts We Can't Stop Dreaming About (2024)

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Updated: Apr. 30, 2024

Capture the sweet flavors of autumn in recipes for pumpkin bars, apple pies, spice cookies, cranberry cobblers and more fall desserts.

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Nantucket Cranberry Tart

While everyone is enjoying a bountiful meal, this eye-catching tart can be baking to perfection in the oven. The pretty holiday dessert calls for very few ingredients, and it’s a snap to assemble. —Jackie Zack, Riverside, Connecticut

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

When I was young we produced several ingredients for this pumpkin cheesecake on the farm. We raised pumpkins in our large vegetable garden, and made homemade butter and lots of sour cream using milk from our dairy herd. —Evonne Wurmnest, Normal, Illinois

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Winning Cranberry Chip Cookies

Chock-full of cranberries, chocolate chips and nuts, these cookies are fun to eat. They offer a change of pace from traditional Christmas cookies…but don’t wait until December to make them. My family requests them all year-round.

Check out more fall cookies that’ll make your home smell amazing.

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Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

An attractive topping of cinnamon-spiced apple slices and a homemade oat-and-walnut crust make this creamy fall dessert a definite showstopper. —Emily Ann Young, Edmond, Oklahoma. Looking for birthday cake ideas for this season? Here’s our list of fall birthday cakes.

Psst! You probably haven’t tried these new fall desserts yet. (But you definitely need to cook this apple goodie next.)

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Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

In fall or any time of year, this nutty, rich and delicious pecan pie recipe is one I am proud to serve. While it seems very special, this caramel pecan cheesecake is a snap to make. —Becky Ruff, Monona, Iowa

Need an after-dinner showstopper? Try these gorgeous fall desserts.

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Rustic Nut Bars

My friends love crunching into the crust—so much like shortbread—and the wildly nutty topping of these chewy, gooey bars. —Barbara Driscoll, West Allis, Wisconsin

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Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle

I like to spice up our Thanksgiving dinner with this special dessert featuring two popular holiday flavors. A delicious alternative to pumpkin pie, it’s my favorite potluck contribution. —Deborah F. Hahn, Belle, Missouri

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Air-Fryer Apple Fritters

An air fryer makes these easy apple fritters healthier than old-fashioned fritters, yet they are still just as delicious. They’re a quick and easy fall dessert that includes a scrumptious brown butter glaze! —Alyssa Castriotta, North Scituate, Rhode Island

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Libby’s Pumpkin Delights

Just make this dessert once, and Libby’s Pumpkin Delights will be one of the recipes you look forward to each fall! —Melissa Erdelac, Valparaiso, Indiana. Make sure you try our Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe.

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Cranberry-Carrot Layer Cake

This moist cake smothered with rich cream cheese frosting makes any dinner festive. Every autumn, I go to a cranberry festival in Wisconsin and load up on fresh cranberries to freeze for year-round cooking. —Nellie Runne, Rockford, Illinois

We love making fall desserts for a crowd. Find big-batch bars, cookies, cakes and more.

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Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream Puffs

This extraordinary fall dessert showcases homemade pumpkin ice cream and cream puffs. The effort is worthwhile…and you can make the parts ahead of time for easy assembly later.—Richard Lasher, Stuarts Draft, Virginia

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Classic Sweet Potato Pie

This simple but special deep-dish pie provides a down-home finish to hearty autumn meals. Pecans and pumpkin pie spices make this a comforting seasonal classic. —Paul Azzone, Shoreham, New York

Craving more grandma-approved fall desserts? We’ve got you covered.

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Chai Cupcakes

You’ll get a double dose of the spicy blend that’s frequently used to flavor tea in these moist single-size cakes. Both the cupcake and frosting use the blend, which combines some of the best flavors of the season. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Giant Molasses Cookies

My family always requests these soft molasses cookies. These chewy molasses cookies are also great for shipping as holiday gifts or to troops overseas. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

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Apple Betty with Almond Cream

I love making this apple betty for friends during the peak of apple season. I plan a quick soup and bread meal, so we can get right to the dessert! —Elizabeth Godecke, Chicago, Illinois

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Pumpkin Pie Pudding

My husband loves anything pumpkin, and this creamy, comforting pumpkin pudding recipe is one of his favorites. We make our easy pudding all year long, but it's especially nice in the fall. —Andrea Schaak, Bloomington, Minnesota

These no-bake fall desserts are perfect for when the weather is still warm.

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Chocolate Maple Bars

My family runs a maple syrup operation, and I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate maple syrup into my cooking and baking. These bars are delicious! —Cathy Schumacher, Alto, Michigan

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Winning Apple Crisp

I live in apple country, and making a delicious apple crisp is one way to use the fruit. This treat doesn’t take a lot of time to assemble. —Gertrude Bartnick, Portage, Wisconsin

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Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake

With an apple farm just down the road, I’m always looking for creative ways to use up those bushels. We love this cozy cake with caramel drizzle and a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. —Rachel Garcia, Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Pumpkin Latte Cheesecake Tarts

It’s hard to resist this pumpkin latte cheesecake recipe. Use extra pretzel crumbs or toffee chips for a garnish. —Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois

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Baklava

Many ethnic festivals are held in my city throughout the year. One in May is the Greek Hellenic Festival. My family enjoys baklava—a traditional walnut strudel. The recipe uses phyllo dough, which is not difficult to work with. Just have your ingredients ready to go and follow the directions on the package. The results are scrumptious and well worth the effort. —Judy Losecco, Buffalo, New York

Go nuts! We can’t get enough of these nut-filled fall desserts.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas

These cute pumpkin cheesecake empanadas make the perfect treat—and we love that they are baked and not fried! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Southern Sweet Potato Pie

This Mississippi sweet potato pie is very popular in the South. It's a particular favorite at our house because we always have plenty of sweet potatoes in our garden. Try it with a dollop of whipped cream. —Bonnie Holcomb, Fulton, Mississippi

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Slow-Cooked Gingered Pears

My slow cooker allows me to serve a heartwarming dessert without much effort. Topped with caramel sauce, these tender pears feature a surprise filling of nuts and brown sugar.—Catherine Mueller, St. Paul, Minnesota

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Apple Crumb Bars

This has been a favorite apple bar recipe of mine for many years. I’ve made these apple crumb bars for parties and for family, and they’re always a hit. —Barbara Pickard, Union Lake, Michigan

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

My kids start begging me for these cakelike sandwich cookies as soon as autumn arrives. I haven't met a person yet who doesn't like these fun treats. —Deb Stuber, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

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Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie

My husband and I are not big fans of traditional pumpkin pie, but my mother and others are, so we must have pumpkin pie as one of the fall desserts at Thanksgiving. I decided to meet everyone halfway with this pumpkin pecan pie recipe and it was a hit. Now I bring it to Thanksgiving every year. My mother doesn’t even feel the need to bake her own pumpkin pie! —Emily Reese, Glade Hill, Virginia

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Caramel Apple Strudel

My father, who was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, would tell us stories about how his mother covered all the kitchen counters with dough whenever she made apple strudel. This recipe is a modern, delicious way to carry on part of my family's heritage. —Sarah Haengel, Bowie, Maryland

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Pumpkin Crunch Parfaits

Here’s a fun dessert that your youngsters can help make. It’s a great treat for Halloween or Thanksgiving.—Lorraine J. Darocha, Berkshire, Massachusetts

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Fresh Pumpkin Pie

In my opinion, there’s no contest as to which homemade pumpkin pie is best. No matter how good your canned filling is, it will never match pumpkin pie from scratch. —Christy Harp, Massillon, Ohio

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Apple Dumpling Bake

I received this recipe for baked apple dumplings with Mountain Dew from a friend of mine, then tweaked it to suit my family's tastes. The soda is definitely the secret ingredient in this rich apple dessert. —Chris Shields, Monrovia, Indiana

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Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

Folks who favor the flavor of pumpkin really need to try this spiced pumpkin ice cream recipe. But be prepared to make more! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Apple Brandy Pecan Cake

My favorite apple cake is made with a shot of brandy and drizzled with caramel to set off the wonderful flavors. If alcohol is a no-go, use orange juice instead of apple brandy. If you’d rather go the chocolate route, add mini chocolate chips to the cake and use chocolate ice cream topping for the drizzle. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Maple Butterscotch Brownies

I often make a double batch of these brownies—they go fast no matter where I take them! I’ve baked them for family dinners and church suppers, and I always come back with an empty pan. They are easy to make and freeze well. —Grace Vonhold, Rochester, New York

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Chocolate Ganache Pumpkin Tart

I love the flavor combination of spiced pumpkin and chocolate, which inspired me to create this chocolate pumpkin tart. Sometimes I like to sprinkle chopped crystallized ginger over the chocolate ganache for extra flavor and texture. —Bernice Janowski, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These big, soft spice cookies created by our staff have a sweet frosting that makes them an extra-special treat. Enjoy! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Autumn Apple Torte

During apple season, I always look forward to making this yummy torte. It has a cream cheese layer and apples galore. —Margaret Wilson, San Bernardino, California

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Apple-Nut Bread Pudding

Traditional bread pudding gives way to autumn's influences in this comforting dessert. I add apples and pecans to this slow-cooked version, then top warm servings with ice cream. —Lori Fox, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

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Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake

I won grand champion honors in a potato festival baking contest with this moist chocolate cake. The icing recipe can be doubled if you have a real sweet tooth. —Catherine Hahn, Winamac, Indiana

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Cinnamon Chip Chai-Spiced Snickerdoodles

I love cinnamon chips, and this is an intriguing way to use them. Make sure to stock up on them during the holiday season. —Marietta Slater, Justin, Texas. Don’t forget to check out our collection of the best spicy desserts.

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Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are the ultimate fall treat. But my family likes them so much, they ask me to make them all year long! —Brenda Keller, Andalusia, Alabama

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

When I was young we produced several ingredients for this pumpkin cheesecake on the farm. We raised pumpkins in our large vegetable garden, and made homemade butter and lots of sour cream using milk from our dairy herd. —Evonne Wurmnest, Normal, Illinois

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Easy Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Cobbler

This is a common dish from where I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. It’s a classic Dutch-style apple cobbler recipe—easy, quick and delicious. Who wouldn’t love this golden brown delight? —Andrea Robson, York, Pennsylvania

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Creamy Butterscotch Pudding for 2

One day when I had a craving for something homemade, I tried from-scratch pudding. It’s much better than the store-bought kind! —EMR, tasteofhome.com

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Paul’s Pumpkin Patch Pudding

This recipe originated with Donna Esh, whose husband, John, is the manager at the restaurant my brother Jim and I operate. I reworked it slightly and named it after our dad.—John Smucker, Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania

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Chocolate Caramel Wafers

To keep my holiday cooking quick, I’ve come to rely on fast recipes like this one. The crunchy-chewy tidbits are our youngster’s favorite.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake

We sometimes call this pumpkin spice cake “Thanksgiving Cake” because it’s a tasty alternative to pie, but we don’t relegate it to just that holiday. I think you’ll agree it’s delicious any time of the year. —Kathy Rhoads, Circleville, Ohio

Originally Published: September 10, 2021