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Crisp fall air. Rosy cheeks. Cozy flannel shirts and jeans. Wool mittens. Frost crunching under the heels of your boots. This is fall, friends, and this is prime apple picking season!
Every Midwestern fall when I was growing up, my family would drive to a local orchard and pick bushels of apples to enjoy for the coming weeks. (Oh yes, and to devour one too many Apple Cider Donuts while we did so. No regrets!)
As great as fresh apples are to snack on as-is, the possibilities are nearly endless for showcasing them in sweet and savory recipes all autumn long. Ahead, your complete guide to the best apple recipes for every course and occasion.
Table of Contents
Breakfast: Apple Cider Donuts
Remember those cider donuts I mentioned? Well I adore them so much to this day, that I recreated a homemade Apple Cider Donut version this year. Baked instead of fried and infused concentrated apple cider, these might be even better than the ones we’d order at the orchard.
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Apple Cider Donuts
More apple breakfast ideas
Cake Recipes
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Strudel
Breakfast Recipes
Morning Glory Muffins
Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes
Apple Butter
Lunch: Apple Walnut Salad
Studded with sweet-tart fresh apple slices, hearty walnuts, and salty feta cheese, this fall salad idea is satisfying enough to act as a mid-day main course. Or top with Rotisserie Chicken, Grilled Shrimp Skewers, or Baked Salmon for extra protein.
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Apple Walnut Salad
More apple salads and sides
German Recipes
Braised Red Cabbage
Side Dish Recipes
Apple Coleslaw
Side Dish Recipes
Cranberry Sauce with Apples
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Snickers Salad
3
Applesauce
Dinner: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Quite possibly the best apple main dish recipe I’ve ever created, this slow-and-low pulled pork recipe scores a hint of natural sweetness from applesauce. It’s the perfect counterpoint to the savory pork shoulder! The entire apple entree recipes calls for just 3 ingredients, plus pepper and olive oil.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
If you’re craving a main dish with fresh apples, try them in place of the fennel in my succulent Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin recipe. (By the way, for any of the apple recipe ideas here, this should come in handy; here’s how to cut and core apples.)
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Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Or, if you’re just looking to add some apple flavor to your life, try my delicious Apple Glaze. It’s perfect on Roasted Cornish Hens, Rotisserie Chicken, and Turkey.
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Apple Glaze
Dessert: Caramel Apples
Now that I’m a mom, I’m keen on keeping my most beloved family traditions alive with my brood. This is one of them: Homemade Caramel Apples!
Unlike the kind I made as a kid, this recipe doesn’t require unwrapping dozens of candy caramels. Instead, I’ll teach you how easy it is to make caramel sauce from scratch. Then comes the most fun part: topping any which way you desire!
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Caramel Apples
More apple sweets
Pie and Tart Recipes
The Best Apple Pie
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Walnut Cobbler
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Crisp
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Pie Filling
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Apple Pie a la Mode
Drink: Apple Cider
Yes, there’s a difference between Apple Cider and juice! Cider starts with cut apples that are ground into a “mash” of sorts, then simmered and strained into a flavorful beverage. Juice is filtered to remove the pulp, then often pasteurized to extend its lifespan.
Apple cider is great on it its own, spiked with a shot of booze, or stirred into warming family-friendly drinks for the holidays.
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Apple Cider Recipe
More apple beverages
Cocktail Recipes
Brandy Apple Cider Slush
Who says all fall cocktail recipes must be warm? My easy and festive Brandy Apple Cider Slush recipe can act as an after-dinner drink and dessert all in one.
Drink Recipes
Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider is simple to make, sweet, and delicious. This welcoming, spiced hot beverage makes the whole house smell amazing, too. In my house, cinnamon and clove-spiced cranberry apple cider is THE…
Drink Recipes
Mulled Cider
Mulled Cider is warmed apple cider infused with brandy and spices. It’s the perfect hot beverage for a cold day, especially around the holidays. Hot Mulled Cider Day is officially September 30, but I usually…
Snack: Caramel Apple Dip
If you don’t feel like cooking whatsoever, I’ve got you covered! To make this easy apple dip (a classic from my childhood) stir together a block of cream cheese with brown sugar, white sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Serve with sliced apples. That’s it!
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Caramel Apple Dip
More dips and toppings for apples
Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes
Caramel Sauce
Baking Basics
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Chocolate Recipes
Chocolate Fondue
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Homemade Peanut Butter
So schedule your own apple-picking excursion then come back and pull up this story. The only tough part: Deciding which of these best apple recipes to try first!
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Thanks for all these great recipes! I have been making your apple pie for years, for family, friends and my church craft bazaar! People are always asking me to bake them a pie! Is there an apple butter recipe hidden in all those recipes? Lori (fellow mid-westerner)
This seasonal collection is motivating! There is a cider mill about five miles from our house, and now I want to visit since we haven’t been since we moved back to Michigan. Recipes seem perfect paired with outstanding pics. Thanks!
I love seasonal collections like this that make me drool, trash the kitchen, and shove the scales to the way-back of the closet. These so remind me of my childhood and my bakes-fantastic grandmother.