Food & Cooking Recipes Seasonal Recipes Fall Recipes 30 Classic Fall Dessert Recipes Starring Apples, Pears, Pumpkins, and More By Peggy Kieran Peggy Kieran Peggy is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 18, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Kate Mathis Whether you're hosting an autumnal dinner party or just want to enjoy the bounty of seasonal fruits found on farm stands this time of year, these fall dessert recipes are irresistible. From September through December, keep an eye out for grapes, quince, and fresh cranberries, as well as more obvious choices like apples, pears, and pumpkins galore. They're all at their peak right now and delicious in these classic fall desserts. As soon as the leaves start to change, it's time to bake and eat pie. How about starting with the most unusual pie pictured here? It's a Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust, and it's truly like a taste of fall. You could always make an easy Pear Crisp—it's always delicious!—or try something different, like sorbet with autumnal flavors like cranberry and grape. And don't forget about maple syrup—add a few tablespoons to frosting for a sweet, amber flavor, or create an entire cake inspired by maple's deep tones. Yes, pies are great, but have you ever tried pandowdy? It's an old-fashioned, all-American fruit dessert that is similar to a cobbler or crisp but with an even simpler topping. Make a basic pie dough, then cut it up into irregular shapes and bake it on top. No need to shape the dough into a perfect circle and fuss over perfectly crimped edges either. From blondies and bars to cupcakes and even a Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie, we can't wait to bake our way through autumn with these delicious dessert recipes. 01 of 29 Spiced Sweet-Potato Cake with Meringue Frosting Dana Gallagher In this one-layer cake, sweet potatoes are gussied up with pumpkin-pie spice, that beloved blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. A frosting of Italian meringue, which gets lightly toasted with wave of your kitchen torch or a quick blast in the broiler, makes a spectacular topping. View Recipe 02 of 29 Apple Pandowdy Bryan Gardner Like a cross between a pie and a cobbler, squares of pastry dough are arranged over lightly sweetened apple filling to make this delightful rustic dessert. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream. View Recipe 03 of 29 Fruit-and-Herb Sorbets Dana Gallagher A cold treat this time of year might seem like a curveball, but certain fall flavors are made for sorbet. Our fruit-plus-herb formula is ripe for riffing. Here, grape and rosemary announce autumn, guava and basil tease the tropics, and cranberry nods to the harvest. Pair all those flavors with mint, and this refreshing, seasonal dessert has the light kick of a cocktail. View Recipe 04 of 29 Poached Pears with Saffron Whipped Cream Gentl and Hyers Easy yet elegant, this fall dessert is perfect for entertaining. Pears are poached in dry white wine and a delicious bouquet of vanilla, orange, cinnamon, along with a pinch of saffron. View Recipe 05 of 29 Cranberry Clafouti Yunhee Kim In between a flan and a pancake is clafouti, a traditional French fruit dessert that is served warmed. The batter for this clafouti is super simple to make, and is sure to be a dinner party hit. You'll be thinking about making it again before the last plate is cleared. View Recipe 06 of 29 Butter-Pecan Blondies Ren Fuller Too cold out for your favorite ice cream flavor? Make these butter-pecan blondies instead. They're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. View Recipe 07 of 29 Puff-Pastry Poached-Pear Pie Will Anderson This beautiful pie is made with store-bought puff pastry which speeds the prep. What's more, the intricate decoration is made by simply scoring the top crust. View Recipe 08 of 29 Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust This free-form take on apple pie has sharp cheddar cheese in the crust which adds richness and a slight savory tang. After the crostata comes out of the oven, melted apricot jam is brushed over the filling to make it glisten and add sweetness. View Recipe 09 of 29 Quince Slab Pie Prepare the filling for this pie by poaching quince in sweet dessert wine with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Using store-bought puff pastry makes forming the crust quick and easy. View Recipe 10 of 29 Apple-Honey Upside-Down Cake Johnny Miller Put your apple-picking haul to good use by whipping up this delicious cake. Make it once and you'll see that it's the perfect treat to enjoy on a crisp fall evening. View Recipe 11 of 29 Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Dana Gallagher There's a deliciously intense chocolate crust beneath the firm, delicately flavored pumpkin filling in this showstopping dessert. Serve it as is, or pour a stove-top chocolate-caramel glaze on top for a glossy, glamorous finish. View Recipe 12 of 29 Kentucky Bourbon-Brown Butter Cake Stephen Kent Johnson Get in the fall spirit with a bourbon-based dessert. Buttermilk keeps this cake moist and rich, and a bourbon-based glaze adds a smoky flavor that tastes like a campfire—in the best way possible! View Recipe 13 of 29 Sweet Potato Meringue Pie Marcus Nilsson A rich sweet potato pie is made even more decadent with the addition of a fluffy crown of meringue. Lightly torch it just before serving for that gorgeous brown color and total wow factor. View Recipe 14 of 29 Pumpkin Cupcakes Bryan Gardner Win cheers from your littlest guests when you serve these cute cupcakes at the kids' table. The pumpkins on top are made from marzipan so they're edible in addition to being adorable. View Recipe 15 of 29 Pumpkin Pie Here it is, the recipe for pie that defines Thanksgiving—and that's so good you'll want to bake it throughout the fall. Canned pumpkin purée is seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and whipped with eggs, brown sugar, and evaporated milk to make a rich, smooth custard filling for the perfect pumpkin pie. View Recipe 16 of 29 Pear Crisp A fruit crisp is the ultimate, easy-going, and crowd-pleasing dessert. There's no need to make or roll out pastry—just mix together rolled oats, sliced almonds, brown sugar, flour, and butter for a sweet crumbly topping to the spiced pear filling in this fall favorite. View Recipe 17 of 29 Diamond Apple Pie Johnny Miller Use a cooking cutter to cut pie pastry into diamonds for this show-stopping pie. (And if you don't have a diamond cookie cutter, another shape will work.) Then arrange them on top of the apple filling. Finish by brushing on an egg yolk for a golden brown finish and sanding sugar for a sparkling crunch. View Recipe 18 of 29 Quinoa Apple-Pear Crumble Quinoa flour adds just a hint of nuttiness and texture to a classic crumble topping in this simple dessert. The combination of juicy pears and slightly sweet apples together is the ultimate fall filling. View Recipe 19 of 29 Apple Membrillo Tart Justin Walker If you like a more savory ending to a meal, try this apple tart, which is delicious on its own or alongside a funky blue cheese, dried fruits, and salty marcona almonds for a fabulous take on the cheese plate. View Recipe 20 of 29 Deep-Dish Pumpkin Custard Pie What if pumpkin pie was even creamier and more luscious? This layered pie is and it's magic, too; as it bakes, the filling separates. The bottom layer becomes a silky custard and the top transforms into a lightweight pumpkin soufflé. View Recipe 21 of 29 Pumpkin Bars Mike Krautter Need an easy dessert to feed a crowd? Try this easy sheet cake made with pure pumpkin purée. Top it off with a big swoosh of cream cheese frosting and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice—because why not? View Recipe 22 of 29 Poached-Pear Frangipane Tart Johnny Miller Here's something to sip on. The best way to infuse intense, spicy flavors is by poaching them in mulled wine. Using red wine tints the pears a stunning scarlet color for a dramatic presentation. View Recipe 23 of 29 Big Almond-Orange-Ginger Cookie Louise Hagger A crowd-friendly dessert, this bar cookie has a press-in almond crust and plenty of streusel topping over the orange marmalade filling. View Recipe 24 of 29 Maple Cake Con Poulos Let's give a round of applause to the fan-favorite sheet cake. This version is flavored with rich, pure maple syrup. It's the perfect dessert for Halloween parties or as a departure from traditional Thanksgiving pies. View Recipe 25 of 29 Deep-Dish Dried-Apple and Cranberry Pie Martyn Thompson Love a Chicago style pizza pie? How about a sweet version of the beloved deep dish using dried apple rings, thawed frozen cranberries, and apple cider? View Recipe 26 of 29 Pear-and-Lemon Pie with Pate Brisée Crust Kate Mathis Candied lemon peel and fresh lemon juice are a bright compliment to sweet pears in this delicious pie. Pick about four pounds of fresh, firm pears from a local farm stand or market; choose firm ones because the pears soften significantly when baked. View Recipe 27 of 29 Lemony Brown-Butter Crinkle Cookies Stephen Kent Johnson While lemon may strike you as more quintessentially summer than fall, the nuttiness from the brown butter is all that's need for a delicious taste of autumn. The crinkled coating of powdered sugar carries us right into the holiday season. View Recipe 28 of 29 Maple-Walnut Cake with Brown-Sugar Frosting Looking for a change of pace from fall fruit pie? Try this delicious, seasonal layer cake with a molasses-flavored frosting. It's easy to make and even easier to decorate (we never knew walnut halves could look so elegant!). View Recipe 29 of 29 Pumpkin Swirl Brownies Ordinary brownies are dressed up for fall with swirls of sweetly spiced pumpkin. A hint of cayenne pepper makes a memorable finishing note. Top with chopped toasted walnuts or with white chocolate chips to make this dessert nut-free and extra sweet. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit