This collection of Fall Dessert Recipes features all the best warm and cozy treats with autumn spices and flavors. You’ll be enjoying tasty treats all season long!
More Collections: Fall Soups, Fall Salads, Fall Dinner, Best Fall Recipes
The Coziest Desserts!
Turn on the oven and bring out the warm pies, delicious crips, sweet cookies, and cakes.
Thinking of cozy fall dessert recipes instantly warms me up and I want to curl up on the couch with a treat and a book, or maybe a Hallmark movie.
Whether you are planning a simple evening home or hosting a dinner party, I’ve collected some of my favorite Fall Desserts. But before I get into the recipes, here are some general tips!
Seasonal fruits
Since pumpkins and apples are in season, you’ll see many fall desserts that feature these two fruits.
- Pumpkin. Most recipes that use pumpkin call for canned pumpkin puree. Be sure you don’t accidentally buy canned pie filling or seasoned pumpkin. If you are feeling really adventurous you can even make your own puree from pumpkins from your garden. This Pumpkin Pie Post explains how.
- Apples. As far as apples go, choose apples that hold their structure when baked. This way you don’t end up with mushy applesauce instead of warm tender apple slices. Here are a few that work well: Honeycrisps, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Granny Smith.
- More Fall Fruits perfect for baking with or adding a fruit topping to a delicious dessert: Pear, Grape, persimmon, cranberry, fig, key lime, pomegranate, banana, kiwifruit, lemon, mango, pineapple, raspberry.
Besides pumpkins and apples, I feel like oats give a warm autumn feeling and of course there are plenty of desserts featuring chocolate which I love to eat year round!
Tips for Fall Desserts
Pumpkin Spice is one of our favorite spices to use because you get the taste of fall flavors in every bite. It’s a perfect blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and can be added to spice up your favorite graham cracker crust, or Bread Pudding, and everything in between.
How much dessert to make for a fall party. When hosting a fall party, I like to plan for guests to be able to have 2 servings of dessert. For a small party or 5-8 guests I usually only make one type of dessert. The more guests there are, the more dessert options I like to provide. However, I still plan for guests to have 2 servings of dessert no matter how many options there are. For example:
- For 10 guests plan to serve 2 desserts having 10 servings of each dessert for a total of 20 servings.
- For 30 guests plan to serve 3-4 desserts with a total of 60 servings.
- For 50 guests have 5-6 dessert choices with a total of 100 servings.
Dessert Toppings
- Pies, cobblers and crisps are often topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream, a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce or Chocolate Sauce.
- Cakes are often topped with Chocolate or Vanilla Buttercream frosting, but can also showcase a simple glaze, ganache, Whipped Cream, or dusting of powdered sugar.
- Use fall themed candies and sprinkles such as fall colored M&M’s, candy corn, leaf shaped sprinkles and more.
storing tips
Make Ahead of Time: Whether you’re making one batch or ten, most of the desserts on this list can be fully made ahead of time or partially prepared so all you have to do is mix and bake.
STORE. When you wish to make a large amount ahead of time be sure that you have enough room in the fridge or freezer to store them all. You can also choose a dessert that can be fully prepared and kept at room temperature for 1-2 days.
transporting desserts
Whether you’re traveling five minutes away or an hour there are a few tips and tricks you may want to employ so that your fall desserts will safely arrive at your destination.
- Transporting Desserts. Many desserts have specifically designed carriers, like cupcakes and cake carriers. Often you can use pans, boxes, baskets and bins that you already have to protect the dessert. Place a blanket or towel around the container to keep it snugly in place. Also, be sure to set them on the floor of the vehicle where they cannot tumble off the seat.
- Keep them at the right temperature. Use a cooler packed with heating pads or ice packs depending on what type of dessert you have. Depending on the type of dessert, utilizing a crock pot can keep treats warm.
As you click on the recipes, you’ll find baking tricks and storage tips specific for each recipe so that you’ll end up with the perfect dessert each time.
go-to Fall Desserts
There are so many fall desserts we love, but we wanted to share our go-to’s. These are on the rotation for our most frequently enjoyed treats!
Pumpkin Delight Dessert – Tasty 4 layer pumpkin delight dessert starts with a crunchy pecan crust topped with creamy pumpkin, cream cheese, and whipped cream layers!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – Soft and Gooey Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls topped with a delicious pumpkin spice glaze. Between the pumpkin flavored bread dough, the pumpkin spice filling, and the pumpkin spice glaze on top, this dessert has all the goods!
Carmelitas – These ooey gooey Oatmeal Carmelitas are loaded with caramel, chocolate chips, and oatmeal dough. Better yet, they can be prepared in 20 minutes or less!
Sticky Toffee Pudding – Buttery, sweet, and moist – this sticky toffee pudding is a MUST have treat! It takes several steps but is one of those desserts that is well worth the work and great for holidays and get togethers.
Apple Pie Caramel Apple – Apple Pie Caramel Apples {Disney Copycat Recipe} ~ tart Granny Smith apples are dipped in chewy caramel, coated in white chocolate, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and then finished off with pie crust crumbs for your favorite Disney treat easily made at home for a fraction of the price!
Homemade Donuts – Not sure what is so addicting about these donuts (perhaps the fact that they’re fried?!), but I promise you they are. Everyone loves these homemade donuts.
Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake – Oreo crust, two layers of cheesecake (one plain and one with pumpkin puree), whipped cream, and chocolate ganache! Everything about this chocolate pumpkin cheesecake is heavenly.
Pumpkin Custard – This pumpkin custard dessert is a cinch to prepare and will satisfy that pumpkin craving! It’s rich and creamy and full of pumpkin spice with a delicious nutty, crunch topping.
Easy Rice Pudding – Creamy and sweet rice pudding is an easy dessert that can be served hot or cold. Topped with a dash of cinnamon, it’s the ultimate comfort food that brings back nostalgic memories!
Apple Cobbler Recipe – This apple cobbler recipe is the autumn season wrapped up into one heavenly dessert. Fresh tender apples, cinnamon spices, and a sweet crunch topping all in one bite making it the best apple cobbler you’ll ever try!
Peach Crisp – With sweet juicy peaches and cinnamon crumble topping, Peach Crisp is perfect topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cinnamon Quick Bread – This Cinnamon Quick bread is packed with cinnamon and sugar swirled into a moist, delicious no-yeast bread!!
Homemade Funnel Cake – Homemade Funnel Cakes are best-loved fried fair food. Create your own at home and top with all of your favorite toppings!
Pumpkin Brownies – These are the yummiest chocolate Pumpkin Brownies you will ever taste! They are sure to satisfy anyone’s pumpkin addiction.
S’mores Charcuterie Board – Create a classic or your own sinfully sweet invention with this S’mores Charcuterie Board spread. These decadent treats are party perfect!
Fall cookies
Who can deny a fresh baked cookie from the oven? Especially on a fall day? Not I!! Here are some great ideas of fall cookies to make this season.
Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies – The kids LOVE making these No Bake Butterscotch Cookies – they’re simple, quick and yummy! Cornflakes mixed with melted peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
Shortbread Cookies – What’s not to love about these delicious and buttery shortbread cookies that just melt in your mouth? It only takes a small handful of common ingredients!
Iced Oatmeal Cookies – Perfectly textured with a combination of whole and blended oats, deliciously flavored with spices, and topped with a sweet icing glaze—they’re amazing!
Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe – Whether you call them butter cookies or cake mix cookies, you know they are ultra yummy! These cookies are made with a yellow cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and a few additional ingredients. They are so gooey, chewy, and moist – it’s impossible to resist them!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies – Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are filled with cinnamon, perfect pumpkin flavor and a sweet glaze to top it off. They are perfect for fall!
Oatmeal Scotchies – These Oatmeal Scotchies are soft and chewy with pops of butterscotch morsels. They are everything you want in an oatmeal cookie!
Texas Sheet Cake Cookies – One of our favorite desserts in cookie form. These Texas Sheet Cake Cookies are soft, delicious and taste just like cake. They’re great for get togethers and holidays!
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies – With chopped pecans on the outside, a caramel filling and chocolate all around, these Turtle Thumbprint Cookies are hard NOT to love!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites – Chewy chocolate chip cookies bites are mini, but pack a flavor punch! They are filled with creamy chocolate for the perfect bite.
Caramel Cookies – Soft and chewy caramel cookies sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt. The perfect combination of sweet and salty in one delicious cookie!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are SO soft and fluffy, they’re almost like a cake. Filled with pumpkin flavor, and chocolate chips, these cookies have just the right amount of seasonal spices.
fall cakes, cupcakes, + Cobblers
The kids love to help make some yummy cakes and cupcakes. Here are the ones that we love to make most this time of year.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake – Pumpkin crunch cake is a must-make during the fall season. It entails all of the smooth pumpkin flavors, topped with crunchy pecans and a dollop of whipped cream.
German Chocolate Cake – Homemade German Chocolate Cake is always a favorite. Two layers of tender chocolate cake topped with a decadent coconut pecan frosting. What’s not to love?
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake – This two layer Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake is moist, DELICIOUS, and perfect for any fall festivity! The dessert consists of a buttery cake-like bottom layer, plus a creamy layer of pumpkin puree, cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, and powdered sugar.
Neiman Marcus Cake – Neiman Marcus Cake – if you’ve ever had this before, you know how INCREDIBLE the pecan and coconut crust is, with a gooey cream cheese batter layer on top! AMAZING!!
Chocolate Cupcakes – Look no further—this is the best chocolate cupcake recipe you will ever make! Soft chocolate cake with creamy chocolate buttercream frosting on top!
Magic Pumpkin Cake – 3 layer cake made up of creamy pumpkin puree layer, a layer of yellow cake, and lastly a white chocolate pumpkin spice frosting topped with white chocolate shavings!!
Chocolate Sheet Cake – Our favorite chocolate sheet cake recipe. It’s simple, moist, delicious and serves a lot making it our go-to party dessert – perfect with ice cream.
Apple Cake – This Easy Apple Cake is extra moist and filled with cinnamon and apples. Top it off with ice cream and caramel sauce for the perfect fall treat!
Pumpkin Dump Cake – Try this fall dump cake variation – Pumpkin Dump Cake! This delicious pumpkin dump cake recipe is complete with all the fall flavors, pumpkin, pecan, and cinnamon spice.
Peanut Butter Cupcakes – Peanut Butter Cupcakes are soft, tender, and loaded with peanut butter flavor. They are A perfect treat for peanut butter lovers!
Pumpkin Roll – Libby’s Pumpkin Roll is a classic fall favorite! Nothing beats a pumpkin cake full of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger all rolled up with a delicious cream cheese filling.
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp – This ooey gooey Crock Pot Apple Crisp is spiced to perfection with nutmeg and cinnamon. It is a crowd pleaser and super quick and easy to throw together. Just let the slow cooker do the work!
Blueberry Cobbler – Scratch-made Blueberry Cobbler has a fluffy biscuit top and tons of juicy ripe blueberries. It’s a perfect summer treat!
Easy Apple Crisp – Homemade Apple Crisp is filled with tender apples and topped with a crunchy streusel. It’s heaven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Pumpkin Cobbler – Warm and comforting Pumpkin Cobbler has all of the flavors of pumpkin pie, but in an easy to make baked dessert!
Easy Peach Cobbler – EASY homemade Peach Cobbler takes minutes to prep and buttery and delicious. This is our FAVORITE peach dessert!
fall pies
Pie SCREAMS fall time!! Don’t you agree?! Here are some of the pies we highly recommend making this time of year.
S’Mores Pie – Everything you love about your favorite campfire treat, but in a delicious homemade pie! With a creamy chocolate filling, s graham cracker crust and gooey marshmallows on top – this s’mores pie is impossible to resist.
Mini Pecan Pies Recipe – Everyone’s favorite pecan pie in mini form! Perfect for parties and snacking with your hands! Sweet, bite sized, crunchy, and delicious – these mini pies are great for holidays.
Chocolate Cream Pie – This Chocolate Cream Pie has two types of chocolate in a creamy pudding, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls!!
Oatmeal Pie – Easy Oatmeal Pie is an old-fashioned favorite! With a delicious brown sugar flavor, chewy layer of oatmeal, and flaky pastry—it’s the perfect pie recipe.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie – This crustless pumpkin pie is smooth, creamy and packed with pumpkin flavor. It’s easy to make, perfect for Thanksgiving – and so delicious that you won’t miss the crust!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie – Not only is this pumpkin pie incredibly easy – it’s the most moist, flavorful, all around perfect pumpkin pie! Made from canned pumpkin, seasonal spices, and evaporated milk, this pie is a must have dessert during the holidays.
Best Apple Pie – There’s nothing like a slice of warm apple pie served with vanilla ice cream! This recipe for Homemade Apple Pie has proven to be the BEST apple pie recipe around. With a flaky, buttery crust made from scratch, and a gooey, sweet apple filling, this pie will not disappoint!
Mini Pumpkin Pies – Mini pumpkin pies are everything you love about a smooth and creamy homemade pumpkin pie, in a cute & tasty bite sized portion!!
Buttermilk Pie – Scrumptious buttermilk pie has a flaky pastry crust and creamy, custard like filling that comes together in 5 minutes!
Sweet Potato Pie – This sweet potato pie has a silky smooth texture, the perfect hint of spice, and a crisp crust. Top it with a little whipped cream, and it’s totally irresistible!
Pecan Pie – Buttery, nutty, ooey gooey pecan pie is SO easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. It’s a classic that is perfect all year!!
Sugar Cream Pie – This Sugar Cream Pie is smooth, creamy, and delicious! The egg-free custard filling is easy to make using ingredients you already have on hand.
Chocolate Pecan Pie – Decadent chocolate Pecan pie is made with a homemade pie crust and is filled with chocolate-y goodness and crunchy pecans.
Pecan Pie Bars – With a buttery shortbread crust and caramelized pecan filling, it’s impossible not to love these sweet and nutty Pecan Pie Bars!!
Pumpkin Pie With Graham Cracker Crust – Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust is a deliciously quick and easy twist on a classic. Everyone will want seconds!
Mud Pie – This Mud Pie only takes a few minutes to make, but it is simply divine. With a cookie crumb crust, creamy ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream, it is a perfect summer dessert!
the complete list
Here are the picture cards for ALL of the scrumptious Fall Dessert Recipes listed above.
With so many mouth watering recipes to choose from – you’ll want to try as many as you can this season!
More Collections: Cobbler, Dessert Bar Recipes, Cheesecake Recipes
