Apple Recipes

Apple season has a way of taking me straight back to childhood. Apple picking was a family tradition when I was growing up, and I still think apples taste better when you’ve plucked them straight from the tree! But whether they come from an orchard, the farmers market, or a good deal at the store, once you get that big bag home, the fun part is deciding what to make first. They can become a homemade pie, an easy breakfast, a quick stovetop treat, or something completely unexpected. So before those apples disappear into lunchboxes and snack plates, take a look through these 19 Apple Recipes and see what catches your eye!

Classic Apple Desserts

If apples make you think of warm spices, buttery toppings, and something bubbling away in the oven, this is the place to start. These classic apple desserts cover the big favorites, from pie to caramel apples and an ultra-easy dump cake.

1. Apple Crumble

When I want all those familiar apple pie flavors without actually making a pie, I make my apple crumble. I always use Granny Smith apples because the tart flavor balances the brown sugar well, and their firm texture holds up as they bake beneath the buttery crumble topping. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn are also good options if that’s what you already have.

2. Apple Crisp

For something so easy, this apple crisp has a lot going for it. The apples get warm and saucy underneath a crisp brown sugar and oat topping, and you only need about 15 minutes to get everything ready for the oven. And if the crunchy bits are your favorite part, go ahead and double that topping!

3. Apple Pie

Everything in this apple pie is made from scratch, right down to the ridiculously simple 3-ingredient pie crust. But my favorite part might be what happens to the filling: the juices drawn from the apples are cooked down into a quick caramel before the sliced apples go back in (a top tier move!) And yes, I’d absolutely use a premade double pie crust when time, patience, or both are running short.

4. Fried Apples

A true Southern tradition, fried apples are cooked on the stovetop with butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until tender and syrupy. They’re gorgeous spooned over pancakes or waffles, especially with a little of that buttery sauce, but they can just as easily head in a savory direction alongside dinner.

5. Apple Dump Cake

If ease is the name of your game, apple dump cake was MADE for you! You layer seasoned apples, dry cake mix, and melted butter in a baking dish without mixing everything together; then the apple juices and butter transform that powdery-looking cake mix into a golden topping in the oven. It’s extremely beginner-friendly, and canned apple pie filling can turn it into an even faster 3-ingredient dessert.

6. Caramel Apples

Have you seen what store-bought caramel apples can cost?! Making your own caramel apples gives you six apples for less than $6, complete with homemade caramel made from inexpensive basics like sugar, butter, and cream. Candy-making takes a little more attention than some of the desserts in this list, but chilling the apples first and making sure they’re completely dry helps that caramel grab on and stay put. Then comes the fun part… toppings!

Baked Goods and Breakfast Items

I definitely believe that apples belong at breakfast, especially when cinnamon, streusel, or a warm homemade scone is involved. These recipes lean into the sweeter side of the morning, with make-ahead bakes for the freezer, fluffy pancakes, and one ridiculously easy air fryer option that could happily pass for breakfast or dessert.

7. Apple Pie Scones

Oh, how I love a good scone in the morning, especially when I can make a whole batch myself for pennies and stash the extras in the freezer! These apple pie scones have shredded fresh apple, cinnamon, and ginger baked into the dough, plus an optional cinnamon glaze over the top. They freeze beautifully, too, so you can pull out one at a time and warm it in the microwave whenever you like.

8. Apple Cinnamon Muffins

These apple cinnamon muffins bring fall straight to the breakfast table! Diced apples give you little pockets of juicy fruit, and applesauce, oil, and yogurt keep the muffins soft and moist. And that buttery cinnamon-brown sugar streusel on top? INSANE. Make a batch for now or freeze them for up to 3 months.

9. Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

These apple cinnamon pancakes take some of my favorite apple dessert flavors from above and turn them into breakfast. The buttermilk pancakes are light, fluffy, and cinnamon-spiced, then topped with warm apples cooked in butter, brown sugar, and even more cinnamon until syrupy. My daughter will happily ask for seconds, and I really can’t blame her!

10. Apple Flautas

Wait, apple flautas in the AIR FRYER?! Yep, and they only take about 25 minutes from start to finish. A quick cinnamon-apple filling gets rolled inside flour tortillas and air fried until crisp and golden. And we’ve also included oven instructions if you don’t have an air fryer! They’re good as-is, but rolling them in cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm gives them a churro-like finish that levels them right up.

Main Dishes Featuring Apples

Apples for dinner? Absolutely. Sweet apples and savory dinners are such a good match, especially once mustard, onions, pork, chicken, or sauerkraut get involved. This section is where apples move out of dessert territory and into hearty fall dinners, including a few easy weeknight options and one recipe my family asks for every year.

11. Apple Butter Pork Chops

This is the dinner my family requests every fall, and these apple butter pork chops really do go all in on the flavor. Thick pork chops get a sweet and spicy brown sugar rub before they’re seared, then an apple butter sauce loaded with tart green apple, onion, ginger, garlic, and collard greens comes together right in the same skillet. It’s sticky, savory, sweet, a little spicy, and exactly the sort of dinner that makes mashed potatoes feel mandatory.

12. Chicken and Apples Skillet

You only need 35 minutes for this chicken and apples skillet, but the sauce tastes like there’s a lot more going on. The chicken thighs cook in a sweet-savory apple cider sauce with Dijon, rosemary, and cinnamon, and the apples soften just enough to soak up all that flavor without disappearing into the sauce.

13. Pork and Sauerkraut

Feeding a crowd? This pork and sauerkraut makes a whopping eight servings and turns an inexpensive pork butt into fork-tender shredded pork with very little hands-on work. It slow-braises with sauerkraut, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, onion, Dijon, caraway, and smoked paprika, so the apples balance the tangy, savory flavor. Bonus: it tastes even better the next day!

14. Oktoberfest Sheet Pan Brats

Sheet pan meals are one of my weeknight saviors! And these Oktoberfest sheet pan brats are an entire fall dinner on one pan. Roast bratwurst with potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, onions, and tart Granny Smith apples, then finish with a tangy Dijon mustard sauce. The apples go onto the pan partway through cooking so they soften without turning to mush, which is one step that makes a big difference here.

Fresh Salads with Apple

Apples belong in salads, in my opinion! Different varieties bring something different to the bowl depending on what you’re serving them with, from tart and super-crisp to sweet and juicy. That means you can use them to add crunch, balance richer ingredients, or stretch a salad with an affordable option you probably already have.

15. Autumn Kale and Apples Salad

Apples + kale = fall in a salad bowl! This autumn kale and apple salad uses crisp, semi-tart apples to keep the candied walnuts from tipping things too sweet, with blue cheese and homemade balsamic vinaigrette bringing plenty of punch. Massage the dressing into the kale first, and watch it go from tough and leafy to tender and glossy in about 2 minutes.

16. Chicken Salad with Apples

This chicken salad with apples has that sweet, crunchy thing going on with fresh apples and dried cranberries. The dressing mixes mayo with plain yogurt, Dijon, and red wine vinegar, which keeps it creamy but bright. It’s ready in 15 minutes if you start with cooked chicken (I’d go for a cold rotisserie when you’re really in a rush!)

17. Thanksgiving Bowls

Take it from me: leftovers are NOT a bad thing! I created these Thanksgiving bowls to turn odds and ends into one seriously satisfying salad, with wild rice, greens, apples, roasted veggies, crunchy toppings, and a maple cinnamon vinaigrette tying it all together. And you definitely don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving. Bits and pieces from any meal can become tomorrow’s lunch instead of getting forgotten in the back of the fridge.

18. Apple Slaw

I’ll happily give regular coleslaw a fall makeover with this crunchy apple slaw! Tart Granny Smith apples join cabbage, carrots, and green onions under a creamy Dijon and apple cider vinegar dressing, and the whole thing takes just 15 minutes. 😋

Make Your Own Applesauce!

And finally, don’t overlook the simplest option of all! Homemade applesauce is a great answer when you’ve bought a big bag of apples on sale or just want something you can portion out and stash in the freezer.

19. Homemade Applesauce

Just four ingredients turn a pile of apples into this cozy homemade applesauce, and there’s no added sugar at all. Sweet varieties like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp do the work naturally, then you can mash the cooked apples for a chunky texture or blend them smooth. Found a great deal on a big bag? Make extra and freeze it for up to 3 months.