11 Apple Recipes That Taste Like a Walk Through the Orchard

Take advantage of fall’s favorite fruit for baked goods, cocktails, and more.

By Robin Shreeves
Published September 05, 2025
Overhead view of apple hand pies

Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

What’s fall without marveling over the abundance of apples? Farmers market tables are full of numerous apple varieties. Apple picking is a favorite weekend activity. And, the beloved fruit is often less expensive in the grocery stores since it’s in season. With all the fresh, delicious, juicy apples everywhere I look, my mind invariably goes to baking, but I have to remind myself that pies aren’t the only thing apples are good for in the fall. These 11 recipes for baked goods, salads, and more will make the best use of the Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagolds, and other just-picked-from-the-tree apples.

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  • Apple Fritters

    Platter of apple fritters on a round dish, with one fritter on yellow napkins, ripped open. Glass of milk, and colorful checkered tablecloth

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    If warm, crispy, glazed apple fritters from a bakery or doughnut shop make you weak in the knees with just one whiff, this recipe is for you. Tart Granny Smith apples are the star of these fried fritters that are seasoned with apple pie spice (pumpkin spice works too), then dipped in glaze, for a treat that’s almost impossible to resist.

  • Easy Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

    Easy, old-fashioned apple pie
    Vicky Wasik

    If you’re looking for a not-too-fussy pie recipe for that requisite slice, you've come to the right place. This one calls for macerating the fruit first in brown sugar and spices for at least three hours (leaving you time to make a flaky dough) to get the filling just right. The result is a perfectly baked pie with a filling that’s thick, not watery.

  • Apple Hand Pies

    Overhead view of apple hand pies

    Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

    Portable and easily shareable, these hand pies use a filling spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, cooked on the stovetop, so there’s no guesswork about whether the filling is cooked through or not. Spoon the filling (which you can make up to three days ahead) onto rounds cut from homemade, buttery, flaky dough, top with another round of dough, and bake to perfection.

  • Apple Pie Pancakes

    Stack of apple pie pancakes on white rustic plates, a green checked napkin, and warm drink

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    When making these pancakes, start early enough so the batter can sit for half an hour to allow the grated apples to release some moisture. Topped with an apple/syrup mixture, maple whipped cream, and pecans, these pancakes are the star of a perfect autumn weekend brunch.

    Continue to 5 of 11 below

  • Apple Crisp

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    Vicky Wasik

    All the flavor of apple pie with less work, this crisp mixes tart apples (like Fuji and Jonagold) and soft apples (like Golden Delicious), and a little whiskey for the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Pecans give extra crunch to the crisp topping, and the whole thing is ready to eat in just 45 minutes (topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you wish).

  • Beet and Wheat Berry Salad With Pickled Apples and Pecans

    20161107-beet-salad-vicky-wasik-5.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    This hearty make-ahead grain salad—which would be fantastic on a Thanksgiving table—uses two fall favorites: apples and beets. Pickle the apples with shallots in a hot vinegar brine for an hour while the wheat berries are cooking and the beet greens are roasting. Toss it all together with diced beets and a homemade vinaigrette, then be ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor for up to three days.

  • Simple Unsweetened Applesauce

    20141203-latke-vicky-wasik-31.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    Start with fresh, good apples like Jonagolds, Fujis, and Golden Delicious, and all you’ll need is a pinch of salt and some water to create applesauce that’s better than the jarred stuff. Cook the cubed apples with their skins in water until they break down, blend them into a sauce with an immersion blender, then chill before serving.

  • Apple Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon-Ginger Punch)

    apple sujeonggwa

    This non-alcoholic traditional Korean ginger-cinnamon after-dinner drink uses apple chips steeped in the finished punch to give it a fall vibe. Sprinkled with pine nuts, it’s a restorative pre-dessert pick-me-up after a big meal that's like an apple pie in tea form.

    Continue to 9 of 11 below

  • Hot Caramel-Popcorn Bourbon Apple Cider

    20170105-caramel-popcorn-hot-drink-vicky-wasik-2.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    Infuse bourbon with caramel popcorn and combine with non-alcoholic apple cider (buy it fresh at an orchard, farmstand, or grocery store). A pat of butter in each mug creates a richness that balances out the alcohol. Extra points for peak fall-ness if you drink it by the firepit.

  • Mela d'Alba (Apple Brandy Negroni)

    20161018-negroni-variations-mela-dalba-vicky-wasik.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    The classic Negroni gets a fall twist when you replace the gin in the cocktail with Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy and mix with Campari and sweet vermouth. Make just one cocktail or batch it to keep in the fridge to serve a crowd.

  • Spiced Mulled Apple Cider

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    A custom blend of toasted whole spices—cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and star anise—along with quality cider creates the tastiest hot mulled cider. You can add just a little brandy to enhance the cider’s fruitiness, but if you’d rather not, the cider is fantastic as-is.

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